Around 900 barrels of diesel fuel were on board the vessel 'Liftboat Daniela' which sank in the Gulf of Paria this morning, the Ministry of Energy confirmed.
The vessel belonged to the Trinity Group of Companies which said that around 8 am the vessel was engaged in routine operations preparing for a departure from Heritage Petroleum’s Well S822 North Field.
As a result, the Energy Ministry said that oil spill response equipment has been placed on standby in the event a spill response is required and the Environmental Management Authority, Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management, the Occupational Safety and Health Authority, the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, and the Maritime Services Division have all been informed.
The vessel developed a list and the vessel’s captain made a decision to abandon ship, whereby all crew and personnel were evacuated to a nearby vessel which transported them back to the base in Point Fortin.
Six people were on board the vessel but Trinity said there were no injuries recorded and all were removed and accounted for.
By 9 am the vessel had capsized and sank the seafloor, no longer posing a risk to any of Heritage Petroleum’s platforms or installations.
Trinity said that all protocols including pollution control measures were implemented and that an investigation is underway.
The Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries said the vessel was apparently attempting to demobilize from its location when the incident occurred.
The Ministry's account is that in the process, the barge capsized and sank to the seafloor.
The Ministry said that at the time, the barge was not contracted by Heritage Petroleum Company Limited.
"At this time, response efforts are being led by the owner of the vessel, Trinity Liftboat Services Limited. The focus is now on salvage and ensuring that during this process there are no oil spills," the Ministry said.
The Ministry said it is monitoring the situation and Heritage is providing assistance as necessary.