PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – The Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) has presented a preliminary report on fingerprinting analysis of samples collected from the oil spilled on the coastline in the La Brea area and from marine facilities at Pointe-a-Pierre, south of here, last week.
The report was presented to the Ministry of Energy and the ministry said that the National Oil Spill Contingency Incident Command Team was still investigating the possible sources of all reported oil spills.
It said it expects the results early next week on trajectory modelling work currently being conducted and that a more definitive position on the origin of the oil spills should be available on receipt and analysis of this additional information.
The Ministry of Energy said that evidence emerging from the IMA’s preliminary report indicates the oil which came ashore at La Brea, is “Bunker C type oil”, a product of the crude oil refining process.
“This suggests that the source of the La Brea spill is unlikely to have been discharged from an oil well or a crude oil pipeline,” the ministry said.
Earlier this week, the Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) accused the state-owned oil company, PETROTRIN, of being aware of the source of the oil spill and urged the authorities to cap off a well responsible for the spill.
