OREANDA-NEWS. Trinidad and Tobago posted a 9.1pc decline in LNG production to 24.12mn m? in January-October 2015 compared with the same period a year ago, as the Caribbean country slips into an economic recession.

Prospects for a rebound in the energy sector were dampened by a government-commissioned audit by US geophysical firm Ryder Scott that indicates a 5.7pc decline in proven gas reserves to 11.5 trillion ft? at the end of 2014 compared with 2013.

The country's probable reserves fell by 1pc to 5.47 trillion ft? at the end of 2014, and possible reserves declined 6.5pc to 5.7 trillion ft?, the Ryder Scott report said. But "exploration potential" rose 9pc to 43.8 trillion ft? at the end of 2014.

Gas consumption in 2014 was 1.4 trillion ft?, while 670bn ft? was replaced, the audit found.

The report was delivered to the energy ministry on 4 September, but has not yet been released, despite a promise to do so by energy minister Nicole Olivierre. The ministry has not explained this year's delay.

But Argus has seen a synopsis of the audit that confirms the country's proven reserves have fallen by an average 1pc/yr for the past 10 years.

The government's delay in releasing the report is causing "disquiet and unease" in the energy sector, and "continues a trend in delivering little information on energy," an oil industry executive tells Argus.

"The report is being reviewed, and an appropriate statement will be made in due course," Olivierre said on 18 November.

"The silence by the new minister has put the sector in the dark about several important aspects," the executive said. "We?re getting bits and pieces of the Ryder Scott report, but nothing compete, and there is no reason given for the apparent reluctance to release the results. The sector is the heart of the country's economy, and declining production is affecting all. But we need information from the energy ministry so we can plan."

Lower gas production over the past two years has prolonged curtailments of 15pc-30pc, affecting LNG production and the petrochemicals sector.

Trinidad's LNG producer Atlantic has not responded to a query from Argus about the latest impact of the fall in production on export commitments.

The curtailments are affecting all four trains of the 14.8mn t/yr Atlantic liquefaction complex.

LNG production consumed 1.97bn ft?/d of the country's gas between January and October, 8.8pc lower than a year earlier.

Trinidad will continue to suffer gas curtailments until 2018, the chairman of state-run gas company NGC Gerry Brooks said in October.

The forecast extends by a year earlier projections by government officials that the curtailments would end in 2017.

Trinidad?s new government that took office on 8 September pledged to tackle the gas deficit. A bid round for deepwater blocks that was promised by the end of this year by former minister Kevin Ramnarine has been pushed to 2016.

BP?s 1.2 trillion ft? Juniper project should alleviate the shortage when it starts delivering 590mn ft?/d (16.5mn m3/d) at the end of 2017. BP remains the country's biggest gas producer, averaging 1.93bn ft?/d between January and October.

Trinidad is also negotiating with Venezuela to exploit three gas fields that straddle their maritime border, and which contain a total estimated 11.5 trillion ft?.

Trinidad and Tobago's crude production averaged 79,455 b/d between January and October, down by 2.1pc from a year earlier, the energy ministry says.

The economy contracted in the first three quarters of 2015. Central bank governor Jwala Rambaran blamed the downturn on the flagging energy sector.