San Fernando, Trinidad & Tobago
Alderman Kenneth E. Ferguson
Mayor of San Fernando
Trinidad and Tobago has a long and rich history of oil production dating back to the mid-19th century. However, over the last two decades, the emergence of the natural gas industry has led to a shift in the profile of the energy sector with natural gas replacing oil as the main driver of the economy.
In 2006, natural gas production averaged 3.9 billion cubic feet per day, with 56 percent of that going to LNG production. The advent of Atlantic LNG Train IV Facility in Point Fortin, the largest single LNG train in the world, has made the country a major producer of LNG and the largest exporter of LNG to the USA. The country is also a major exporter of ammonia and methanol with an annual production of over 5 million tonnes of ammonia and 6 million tonnes of methanol.
Through visionary leadership and prudent management of its hydrocarbon resources, the country has emerged as a model for natural gas monetisation. It has also targeted the surpluses derived from the energy sector for the development of other sectors. The current expansion of the country’s physical infrastructure is but one reflection of this process.
San Fernando, a world energy city and the energy capital of Trinidad and Tobago, is strategically located in the middle of the industrial ribbon that runs along the southwestern coast of Trinidad. The City has been an integral part of the country’s oil history and is expected to play a major role in the continuing development of the energy sector. The City’s stable leadership and well-established economic track record compliment its young and productive work force making it the ideal location for investors.