The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (NGC) has finalized a landmark deal to acquire a 20% participating interest in the Manakin Field, strengthening the country’s position in one of the Western Hemisphere’s most unique energy assets, the cross-border Manakin-Cocuina gas reservoir.

The agreement, signed with BP Trinidad and Tobago LLC (bpTT), gives NGC a 20% stake in the Block 5(b) Production Sharing Contract, the license area covering the Manakin Field. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced the deal at the Diplomatic Centre on Monday, August 10, 2026.

The timing carries a notable historical echo: it was during Persad-Bissessar’s first term as Prime Minister that Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela signed the original unitisation agreement for the field, back on February 26, 2015. That agreement paved the way for joint development of the reservoir, which straddles the maritime boundary between the two countries.