FORMER energy minister Stuart Young welcomed news of the US nod for the restart of the Dragon deal for TT to access natural gas from Venezuelan fields, but warned the government of "a long road ahead" in expediting this.

At an Opposition media conference on Charles Street, Port of Spain, on October 1, Young reflected on regional geopolitics plus his own experience of how arduous the negotiating process can be.

Young called for disclosure of the details of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) licence, including whether TT would pay Venezuela in fiat currency (such as US dollars) or in kind as was a previous condition. Venezuela's reaction to news of the new OFAC licence must also be ascertained, he said.