Former prime minister and energy minister Stuart Young said the development with Shell appears to be progressing without the involvement of the Government or State- owned National Gas Company (NGC).

In response to the Express via WhatsApp yesterday, Young said, “What is most telling about this is that the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and NGC are nowhere in the mix. They are not at the negotiating table with Venezuela and are leaving Shell with a free pathway to secure terms that will be less favourable to the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.”

He said the former People’s National Movement (PNM) administration had “opened the door to Venez­ue­la’s gas resources” and secured mutually beneficial terms between both countries.