Shell Trinidad 100 Years

SHELL TRINIDAD
THROUGH THE YEARS

1913-2013
NASSER KHAN
SHELL TRINIDAD
THROUGH THE YEARS
CELEBRATING 100 YEARS
1913-2013
ISBN 978-976-95170-8-0
Published October 2013
No part of this book may be reproduced or

transmitted without the permission of the author.
All rights reserved by Nasser Khan, the author, who
is responsible for all the contents of this book.
■■ Covers designed by Johann Mahabir and

Safari Publications Company Ltd.
■■ Edited by Adrian Camps-Campins
and Aleesha R. Khan.
■■ Inside Design and Layout by Safari Publications
Company Limited, Trinidad, West Indies.
■■ Printed by Eniath’s Printing Company
Limited, Trinidad, West Indies.
06 Shell Trinidad through the years 1913-2013
FOREWORDS
The government of Trinidad and Tobago through the Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs wishes to express its sincere congratulations to
Shell Trinidad Limited on its 100 Year Anniversary, 1913-2013, as well as its appreciation for their sterling contribution to the development
of Trinidad and Tobago. Such a landmark is of historical importance and must not go unnoticed in terms of its significance.
Shell Global is arguably the largest company in the world and to have had an uninterrupted presence here in Trinidad and Tobago since
1913 speaks volumes in terms of the natural resources that our island has had and continues to offer.
The energy industry has been and continues to be a blessing to the development of our twin island nation and Shell Trinidad has played, in
no small part, a foundational role in our rise to become the economic hub of the Caribbean region.
The Energy sector continues to be the pivot upon which Trinidad and Tobago is developed. In this regard our Ministry and the government
of Trinidad and Tobago are committed to working closely with Shell Trinidad Limited for the benefit of the citizens of our beloved nation.
Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs

Shell Trinidad through the years 1913-2013 07
This Centennial book is dedicated to the employees, past and present, in Trinidad and Tobago. Their
dedication and hard work over the last hundred years is a testament to the spirit of Trinidad and Shell.
As we celebrate our Centennial Anniversary, we reflect upon Shell’s history and involvement in every
phase of upstream and downstream development in Trinidad. Our involvement in the country has had
many facets, and we are proud to be part of the fond memories of many people in different parts of
this beautiful land. Reaching 100 years of uninterrupted presence is a testament to our relationship
with the government, regulators, clients and the community, who have made this important milestone
possible.
Trinidad and Tobago is a country with significant hydrocarbon potential which will continue to be key
to the country´s economic growth and to the prosperity of its people. We at Shell believe that we can
be part of the collective effort to continue developing those resources in a sustainable manner. We are
proud of our contributions here and look forward to our continued and growing presence in Trinidad’s
energy sector.
On behalf of Shell Trinidad and our employees, we thank all Trinbagonians for making Trinidad such a wonderful place to work and live.
We are part of the history here, and the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago can trust that we will continue to contribute together to achieve
their aspirations.
Luis Prado,
Country Chairman of Shell Trinidad Limited & Shell Venezuela
TABLE OF 12 Introduction
CONTENTS
13 Welcome to Trinidad & Tobago
Committed to HSSE (Health, Safety, Security, Environment)

17 Standards
19 Timelines & Milestones: Shell Trinidad Limited, 1913-2013
29 The Point Fortin era, where it all began, and grew from
42 By the Mid-1960’s
50 Offshore Exploration
54 Challenges
57 Oil & Gasoline: Fuelling a Nation
63 Lubricants
Public Service, Community & Infrastructural Development 70
Education 73
Environment 76
Sport 78
Culture 82
The Beginning of a New Era, 1974, as Government purchases 86

assets of Shell Trinidad Ltd.
Twenty years at Pt. Lisas (1993-2013)...Shell Trinidad Ltd today 88
The Next 100 Years 100
References and Acknowledgements 101

Surrounded by acres of unbroken bush stands the Inniss well, in which oil was found during
September 1956. It was the first discovery of oil in the extreme south-west region of the Ortoire
area.
01. INTRODUCTION
Many companies have come relatively low fuel and energy prices, are in no small measure
to Trinidad and Tobago but due to the significant part that Shell Trinidad Limited has played
not many have stayed or in the thriving oil and gas sector that exists today.
have made as significant a
contribution as Shell Trinidad The resources from which this research has been gleaned
Ltd has done over the past 100 consisted of many documents, books, brochures, magazines,
years since it started operations newspapers and interviews. The West Indiana section of the
in Point Fortin back in 1913. Alma Jordan Library at The University of the West Indies, (UWI),
St Augustine, Trinidad is a treasure trove of research material
“Like a drop of rain in an from which most of the information from the period 1913-
ocean, like a drop in the sea”... 1974 was obtained. From copies of newspapers and in-house
the refrain of a popular calypso, magazines, UBOTimes, UBOTOPICS and Shell Trinidad Topics,
aptly describes Trinidad’s to a number of other specific “Shell Trinidad” magazines and
physical space on the planet. chapters and articles in other publications; they are all there at
That this tiny dot in the ocean the institution of higher learning. Digitization of some of these
continues to play its part on the items is suggested as deterioration is beginning to set in.
global scene is due largely to
the pioneering efforts of Shell In addition to the various reference sources used in the research
Trinidad Limited over the past for this book which are listed on page 101, insightful and
century. informative conversations were held with current and past
Shell Trinidad Limited staff members including Eric De Verteuil,
It is through the pages of Jalal Hosein, Hugh Howard, Ram Maraj, Nigel Martin, Luis
this commemorative book Prado, Kathleen Ragoobarsingh, Harold Ragoonanan, Darryl
that we pay tribute to Shell Ramsaywak, ex-President Maxwell Richards and Antoinette
Trinidad Limited through a Stagg.
comprehensive journey of words
and pictures of the period We trust that you will find this an enjoyable and informative
1913-2013…researched, read.
written and produced to provide
a permanent repository of Nasser Khan
100 years of memories and Researcher - Author
milestones.
Many of the economic and

other benefits that we as a
nation enjoy, such as the
02. WELCOME TO TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
east coast of Venezuela.

Its capital city is Port of
Spain.
Crown Point
TOBAGO
Tobago is 32 km (20
miles) off the north-east
coast of Trinidad and
has an area of 300 sq
km (116 sq miles). Its
principal administrative
centre is Scarborough,
situated in the southern
region of the island. The
islands are a 3 hour and
19 minute flight from
Miami, 4 1/2 hours from
New York and 58 minutes
TRINIDAD
from Caracas.
Pt. Lisas The combined population

of the twin islands is 1.3
Mayaro million.
Penal HISTORY:
Before the arrival of

Christopher Columbus in
1498 the islands were
inhabited by Amerindian
tribes mainly the Caribs
LOCATION: and the Arawaks. These indigenous people were no match for
the Europeans but many aspects of Amerindian culture were
The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is comprised of two preserved, and many towns, rivers and boroughs still carry
islands at the southern-most end of the Caribbean archipelago. Amerindian names today. Trinidad remained under Spanish rule
Trinidad – the larger of the two islands – has an area of 4,828 until the British captured it in 1797.
sq km (1,864 sq miles) and is situated 10 km (7 miles) from the
During the colonial period, Trinidad’s century. Other indigenous art forms include soca (which evolved
economy relied on large sugar and from calypso), parang (Venezuelan-influenced Christmas music),
cocoa plantations. The French, chutney music and pichakaree (musical forms which blend the
Dutch, and British forces fought music of the Caribbean and India), and the famous limbo dance.
over possession of Tobago and the
island changed hands 22 times. Trinidad and Tobago claims two Nobel Prize-winning authors,
Tobago was finally ceded to Great V. S. Naipaul and St. Lucian-born Derek Walcott. Designer
Britain in 1814. Trinidad and Peter Minshall is renowned not only for his carnival costumes,
Tobago became a single colony in but also for his role in the opening ceremonies of the 1992
1889. The direction of the Trinidad Barcelona Summer Olympics, the 1994 Football World Cup,
economy began to change in the the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics and the 2002 Salt Lake
1850s with the discovery of oil, Winter Olympics, for which he won an Emmy Award. Trinidad
and the commercialization of the and Tobago also boasts two former Miss Universe titles: Janelle
petroleum industry during the early Commissiong (1977) and Wendy Fitzwilliam (1998); one Miss
20th century. Trinidad and Tobago World title: Giselle Laronde (1986); and more recently, in 2011,
achieved full Independence in 1962 one winner of the popular American reality television series
and later joined the Commonwealth, “Project Runway” winner, fashion designer Anya Ayoung-Chee.
becoming a Republic in 1976.
Some sports are a high priority in this country, especially cricket
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO TODAY: and football (soccer). The Trinidad and Tobago “Soca Warriors”
team qualified for and participated in the 2006 World Cup in
Trinidad & Tobago boasts a Germany, the smallest country ever to do so. The West Indies
diverse cultural and religious Cricket Team includes nationals of Trinidad and Tobago, who
background made up of various participate in the Cricket World Cup. Brian Lara is a world
ethnicities including African, Indian, famous cricketer, one of the best ever. The country has also had
Caucasian, Chinese, Syrian, Olympic gold medal winners in sprinter Hasely Crawford and
Lebanese and mixed race. The javelin thrower Keshorn Walcott.
main religious faiths are Christianity,
Hinduism, and Islam. The tropical climate encourages outdoor activities including
yachting, sports-fishing, windsurfing, scuba diving and golf.
Trinidad and Tobago is famous for Several facilities are available to accommodate these high
its pre-Lenten Carnival celebration, energy pastimes.
which attracts many visitors annually
and is the birthplace of calypso and As a multi-religious country, Trinidad and Tobago celebrates
steelpan, the only acoustic musical many religious holidays as well as other national holidays.
instrument invented during the 20th Citizens enjoy free primary, secondary and tertiary education
up to undergraduate level with private fee-paying

options available. Post-secondary and tertiary
education providers include: The University of
the West Indies (UWI), The University of Trinidad
and Tobago (UTT), distance-learning tertiary level
institutions, colleges and vocational/technical
training schools.
Backed by over 100 years of success in the

energy sector and a proven track record of
Foreign Direct Investment, Trinidad and Tobago
is the leading Caribbean producer of oil and
gas and has earned a reputation as an excellent
investment site for international businesses with
one of the highest growth rates and per capita
incomes in the Caribbean and Latin America.
Currently the largest Caribbean exporter to the

USA, the country continuously improves its access
to regional and international markets through
strong trade relations with the United States,
Canada, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Colombia,
CARICOM and Europe.
Trinidad and Tobago maintains one of the most

favorable economic climates in the Caribbean
region, marked by low inflation, steady upward
growth, a stable economy, low unemployment,
and a well-organized, locally-regulated financial
system. The country has a strong and stable
financial sector, and claims the title of “the
financial center of the Caribbean”.
03. COMMITTED TO HSSE (HEALTH, SAFETY,

SECURITY AND ENVIRONMENT)
The hallmark of Shell Trinidad Limited has been to ensure that
Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) standards
always parallel or exceed the ongoing new and improved
methods of production and operating practices.
From the starting point of full compliance with legislative

requirements, it is the policy of Shell companies to conduct
their business and activities in such a way as to take foremost
account of the health and safety of its employees and others and
to give proper regard to the conservation of the environment.
Shell companies pursue a policy of continuous improvement in
the measures taken to protect the health, safety, security and
environment of those who may be directly or indirectly affected
by their activities.
Shell Trinidad is committed to achieving and maintaining the

highest in these standards, which will stand up to scrutiny with
the very best in the world.
PICTURES OF YESTERYEAR
Main Office, Point Fortin - 1913. Main Office, Point Fortin - 1936 - 1958.
A typical drilling rig in the Point New Administrative Building, built in 1958.
Fortin field.
Our aerial photograph

of the new 2-mile Tanker
Loading Jetty at Point
Fortin, at which two
ocean-going tankers can
be loaded simultaneously
alongside the berths on
either side of the T-head.
Tankers commenced using
the berthing facilities in
March 1961. To the
A Drilling Crew of 1950, making up right can be seen the old
a tool joint. wooden oil jetty.
04. TIMELINES & MILESTONES:

SHELL TRINIDAD LIMITED, 1913-2013
Who would have thought that a British Transport and Trading
company owned by the Samuel family, eventually named The
“Shell” Transport and Trading Company, on account of their
earlier trading with the Middle East and the Orient, in everything
from rice to exotic sea shells, would be the reason for what is
today one of the best known corporate symbols in the world?
It was the historic merger in 1907 with the Royal Dutch Petroleum
Company, for whom the Samuels transported oil, which led to
the formation of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies,
universally recognized by its unique scalloped shell logo. The
shell logo has evolved since 1900 from a basic mussel shell to
a more sophisticated adaptation of a scalloped shell which it is
today.
100 years ago, in 1913, the United British Oilfields of Trinidad

Limited (UBOT) the forerunner to Shell Trinidad Limited, officially
began its operations in Trinidad & Tobago.
That UBOT/Shell Trinidad grew and developed to become a

fully integrated oil company, engaged in exploration, production,
refining and marketing of petrochemical products is traced
through the following timelines and milestones.
Essentially there have been three distinct eras that define the
presence of Shell in Trinidad & Tobago:
1. UBOT/Shell Trinidad Ltd: 1913 to 1974 (crude oil

production, refining and fuel and gasoline sales; lubricants/
imported sales)…pre-Government purchase of its assets
2. Shell Trinidad Ltd: 1974-1993 (marketing/
sales of chemicals and lubricants).
3. Shell Trinidad Ltd: 1993-2013 (manufacturing
and marketing/sales of lubricants).
The following is a summary of the evolution of Shell’s century of operation and service thus far:
1913 1913-1919 1919
United British Oilfields of Trinidad Limited UBOT concentrates on establishing UBOT acquires the then small refinery
(UBOT) takes over the operation of the itself as an oil producing company. that had been in operation for a few
exploration and production company, Staff numbers increased to almost 600 years at Point Fortin to begin its own
Trinidad Oilfields Limited. employees. refining.
1928 1929 1930
Arrangement made with the Royal Dutch- New jetty built at Point Fortin. UBOT forms a joint company with Trin-
Shell group for capital injection and the idad Leaseholds Limited (TLL) to market
Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Company Limited their respective products in Trinidad
takes over the management of UBOT, and Tobago, an arrangement that
leading to the intensification of drilling lasted until 1960.
operations.
1931 1932 1933
Production reaches 1 million barrels of Extension of the refinery commenced New refinery on stream with capacity
crude oil per annum. together with the building of a new reaching 15,000 barrels per day by
jetty and other facilities and increased 1938.
tankage.
1934-1939/Pre-war years. 1936
Shallow oil-producing sands were encountered at Penal in Shell-Leaseholds Distributing Company Limited was formed by
1936, east of Point Fortin, marking the discovery of a new Trinidad Leaseholds Limited and UBOT for the marketing of
and important field, although it was not until 1938, when the “Shell” and “Regent” products in Trinidad and Tobago.
pipeline from Penal to Point Fortin came into use, that production
began in earnest. New life was infused into the Point Fortin area
by new discovery wells.
1936 1938
Trinidad Northern Areas Limited-TNA (UK registered) was jointly Geological survey work was carried out in the Cedros and
formed by UBOT and Trinidad Leaseholds Limited (Regent) to Penal areas. Although subsequent drilling in the Cedros areas
explore for oil. Later, D’Arcy Exploration Company (BP) also was unsuccessful, and the lease was finally given up, the work
joined the venture as one-third partner. in Penal set the foundation for a very important field. Explora-
tion licences over a large area of Central Trinidad were also
secured, and survey work commenced. Oil discoveries at
Penal led to the building of a pipeline to the refinery at Point
Fortin, some 25 miles away.
1939-1945 1940
World War II. Trinidad was an important source of aviation fuel New distillation unit completed, further increasing the refinery’s
for the fighter planes of Britain’s Royal Air Force during the war capacity. The bitumen plant was expanded and upgraded
years. The Second World War would propel Trinidad and Toba- which supplied the product for the American bases that were
go onto the world stage (‘flying on Trinidad oil’, as it was termed built in Trinidad in the war years.
back then) and history records that the high octane aviation fuel
oils out of Shell Trinidad Limited’s downstream industries would
greatly aid the UK in its war effort. Fuel was also supplied to the
British Navy’s ships that were involved in the conflict.
1941-1946 1950’s
At Penal older and deeper sand (oil and Following the oil finds in earlier decades in Point Fortin, Parrylands, Penal and Siparia,
gas) discovery led to a successful search there were discoveries in Ortoire and the Gulf of Paria/Soldado Field which reversed
in the declining Barrackpore field and a the decline in production. Further drills led to oil finds at Balata East, Cat’s Hill and
revival of operations there. Inniss, the latter being the last onshore find.
1950’s
Shell Trinidad Limited provided advice and technical service to Shell Antilles and Guianas Limited (S.A.G.L.) and Societè Anonyme
Foncière des Antilles Française (S.A.F.A.F), two separate companies which marketed the various brands of Shell products and provided
aircraft refueling services at airports in the Lesser Antilles and Guianas. The early history involved a joint marketing arrangement with
Regent (Texaco) both in the Guianas/Lesser Antilles and in Trinidad that lasted until the end of 1959. Late in 1959, a new Shell com-
pany was formed, Shell Antilles and Guianas Limited (“SAGL”), to operate in those territories.
1954-1959 1956
Soldado Field, 14 miles offshore, west of UBOT changed its name to Shell Trinidad Limited to identify and brand it as part of the
Point Fortin, became a major producer. Royal Dutch/Shell Group and management was transferred to Trinidad. Also the name
of the joint marketing company run in conjunction with the Trinidad Oil Company
was changed from Shell Leaseholds Distributing Company Limited to Shell and Regent
Distributors (Trinidad) Limited.
1952-1974 1958
TNA/Shell (Trinidad Northern Areas and offshore exploration New administrative building completed at Point Fortin.
with BP, Texaco and Tesoro).
1960 1961
Further refinery enhancements. Total capacity around 70,000 barrels per day with the The minority shareholding company
Point Fortin virtually an export refinery. With effect from January 1, 1960, the joint mar- in Shell Trinidad Limited was acquired
keting organization operation was terminated and the market partitioned, to be replaced and the company became wholly
by separate organisations. In Trinidad, Shell products were now handled by a Market- owned by Shell Petroleum Company
ing Division of Shell Trinidad Limited, on a standalone basis. Limited.
1964 1971
Platformer unit opened at Point Fortin refinery to produce high Friday 30th April marked the 500th publication of the in-house
octane aviation and motor spirit, followed by a hydrogenation newspaper “Shell Topics” which began as a weekly newsletter
unit to make high quality kerosene and jet fuels. for employees back on January 6th 1956.
1974 1974-1980’s
The Trinidad and Tobago Government purchased At the time of purchase of Shell Trinidad Ltd by the government in 1974,
the assets of Shell Trinidad Limited (including the approximately 50 employees were retained by Shell Chemicals and Services
Point Fortin refinery, Sea Lots lubricants blending (Eastern Caribbean) Limited located at Salvatori Building in Port of Spain.
plant and 86 gas stations) and the company was This operation was moved to Barbados in 1979 with a smaller staff being
renamed Trinidad and Tobago Oil Company, retained in Trinidad to service/market agricultural and industrial chemicals
TRINTOC. A new company, Shell Chemicals and at Phillips Street, Port of Spain. Further scale-downs saw the staffing needs
Services (East Caribbean) Ltd, was formed in Trini- reduced to a handful of employees engaged in supplying the needs of Shell
dad to provide services for other Shell companies products to the local market via direct shipment to customers. By this time the
in the region and market chemical products in office was located at the Aranguez Plaza, outside of Port of Spain. By the late
T&T. 1980s, due to the increased demand for auto lubricants, the staff count was
back up to about 20 to market these products.
1993 2003 2013
Manufacturing plant built at Pt Lisas to 10 Year Anniversary celebrations of Pt 20 Year Anniversary of Pt Lisas lubri-
manufacture lubricants (later chemicals Lisas lubricants manufacturing plant. cants manufacturing plant.
also but this was discontinued), supplying
local, Central America and the rest of
the Caribbean. Distributed by Shell and
Laughlin and De Gannes up to 2009
when FT Farfan became the macro
distributor.
2013
Shell Trinidad Limited’s 100 Year Anniversary in Trinidad and Tobago.

Company letterheads, then to now.

Shell Gas Station, San Fernando.
Shell Gas Station, Point Fortin.

05. THE POINT FORTIN ERA,

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN...AND GREW
The South Western peninsula of Trinidad from the outset exhibited
many locations of hydrocarbons, the likes of mud volcanoes, oil
seepages, gas vents and our famous asphalt/Pitch Lake at La
Brea, from which British explorer Walter Raleigh is said to have
used the bituminous substance to caulk his ships.
Before the advent of UBOT/Shell Trinidad Ltd and its

development into a booming oil town in Trinidad’s south west
peninsula, Point Fortin was but a small village in the bushes.
Imagine the landscape, especially of the southern “oil areas”

after the turn of the 20th century, out of which the oil industry
was born: an undeveloped land with vast unexplored forested
areas, no roads, and an unskilled labor force (except for
farmers), disease-plagued (malaria and yellow fever), and
virtually non-existent amenities.
But development is not without its challenges. Oil camps had to
Main Office - Point Fortin - 1913 A typical drilling rig in the Point Fortin field.
Main office, Point Fortin 1936-1958

be established with foreign

workers imported which led
to the early stratification of
top management, middle
management and labourers.
This last group was largely
the driving force behind
the formation of the labour
movement and the defining
labour protests of 1937.
Shell Trinidad Limited was no

doubt the reason for the social
and economic development
of Point Fortin from the early
1900s. Its activities in Point Aerial photograph of the new 2 mile Tanker Loading
Fortin led to the growth in its Jetty at Point Fortin, at which 2 ocean going tankers
population, the provision of can be loaded simultaneously alongside the berths on
ancillary business activities either side of the T-head. Tankers commenced using the
and communication links with berthing facility in March, 1961. To the right can be
the rest of the island. The seen the old wooden jetty.
company established and
expanded its operations facilitate the marketing of oil products in Trinidad; and a jetty
in the area and by 1917 was built to allow tankers to transport oil and oil products to
had proven itself to be a overseas markets. All this in what was soon to become a bustling
successful oil company. It ‘oil’ town.
had several productive oil
wells, a refinery, and other In addition to its primary business functions Shell, embraced its
industrial plants had been responsibility towards the development of the communities in
set up to process oil and oil which it operated. In Trinidad and Tobago, in addition to the
products. Warehouses and development of Point Fortin, Shell Trinidad Limited contributed to
tanks were established for just about every sphere of activity. Point Fortin essentially grew
storage purposes; a railway from a tiny village with only a few huts to a town of 30,000
was built to transport goods between 1913 and 1960, appropriately coined, “the town that
and materials in Point Fortin; oil built.”
a paved road was built to
From the early 1860s in Trinidad, the early efforts of oil pioneers
such as Walter Darwent, an American Civil Engineer, Randolph
Rust, an Englishman who became an oil prospector, along with
Trinidadian businessman, John Lee Lum and a British engineer,
A. Beeby-Thompson, led to increasing interest in the areas
of Guapo/Point Fortin and Parrylands by many companies
including Trinidad Oilfields United. The concerted efforts of
these pioneers led to the construction of a small refinery and a
wooded pier at what is today the town of Point Fortin. In 1929,
UBOT, under the management of the Anglo Saxon Petroleum
Company/Royal Dutch Shell Group, began larger scale
development with intensified drilling, building a new jetty and
by 1933, a major refinery expansion. By 1936, new oil fields,
twenty five miles away in Penal led to pipelines being built to the
Point Fortin refinery with Penal becoming a pleasant company
residential area.
In later years as Shell moved further eastwards in search of more

oil, they built their own 2 ½mile long road connecting Point
Fortin with the Southern Main Road.
With the influx of workers came the ancillary businesses such as

the Chinese shopkeepers who set up shops, groceries, eating
places, bars and laundries, all visible signs of a growing village.
Kim Far Restaurant was for many years a landmark on the Main
Road as were Pei Ping and Chang groceries and the Alfred
Chow store.
By the mid 1930s, in addition to the refinery expansion,

The age of cars, boats and planes, all of which needed fuel, construction of a new jetty, new power stations, distillation plants,
boosted Trinidad’s fledgling oil industry especially when Britain’s workshops, tanks, a warehouse, offices and houses were all
Royal Navy switched from coal to oil as its fuel. Given this underway. Economic activity including private housing began to
impetus, Trinidad and Tobago became the British Empire’s largest flourish. In time came new schools, banks, supermarkets, bars,
oil producer by the 1920s, UBOT/Shell being no small part of a cinema, government offices, hospitals, a company airstrip,
this supply stream. electricity service and many more signs of progress.
The successful operations of UBOT encouraged more people

to migrate to Point Fortin in search of employment with the
company. With that came the need for housing, social
and recreational facilities. On the social and health side,
club houses were built in the housing areas of Clifton Hill,
Mahaica, Techier, Penal and Rio Claro and a hospital was
established at Point Fortin.
As the population of the township grew, UBOT recognized

the need to set up social institutions in the area and, as such,
was instrumental in the establishment of medical, religious
and educational institutions. The company also provided a
dispensary and a maternity hospital for its employees and their
families.
The history of Point Fortin therefore in the period 1900 to

1930s was inextricably interwoven with the development of
the oil industry by UBOT, Shell Trinidad Limited’s forerunner.
The refinery at Point Fortin was modernized in the early 1960s
to include the production of high octane gas, kerosene and
jet fuel. By the mid 1960s the refinery yielded primarily
semi-refined products such as naphtha, gas oil and fuel oil
components which were exported for further processing
and blending. Around this time the company also sought
to expand to the making of finished products and set up the
appropriate facilities to produce high octane aviation and
motor gasoline components, high quality kerosene and jet
fuels. In 1960 to keep pace with the growth, a 2 mile long
reinforced concrete jetty was built, capable of handling larger
tankers as well as bunkers and larger coastal vessels.
The age of oil made an impact on Trinidad long before it

did in many places in the Caribbean and beyond. And it
all happened in Point Fortin. Trinidad’s coastal steamers, for
example, were converted to oil, so too the power stations. Oil
fuel drove the water works. The British Navy used oil from
Shell’s Point Fortin Refinery and

environs, including the ocean,
the industrial area, the housing
areas and the Trades School.
country, the population in 1931

was still small. There were
very few houses, no schools or
recreational and other facilities.
As a result Trinidadians who
went to work in Point Fortin
didn’t take their families with
them. However, this changed
when the company decided
to attract and retain workers
by developing the area as
it became established. This
encouraged families to settle,
and coupled with a growth in
the commercial sector, brought
about such facilities as a post
office, police station as well
as governmental agencies.
Employment by the mid-1960s
had reached approximately
4,000 and growing.
You may wonder how people

got in and out of Point Fortin.
Since there was no public
road transportation, the only
means of conveyance open to
the public between Point Fortin
Trinidad. As a result the entire southern half of the island was and the outside world was by the Gulf Coastal Steamer. This
improved and from Guayaguayare in the west to the Cedros was a Government operated service, which traveled between
peninsula in the east, roads and bridges were built. Oil was San Fernando and Icacos four days each week, calling at
used to fight mosquitoes in their breeding places, and kerosene/ intermediate Gulf Ports. Its schedule was arranged so that
pitch oil replaced coconut oil for lighting in the countryside. it would connect with the railway passenger service at San
Cars and motorbuses began to make their appearance. Fernando.
Although people migrated to Point Fortin from all over the When the company decided to step out eastward, there were
only two Government roads over which materials could be

transported, but not heavy materials because of weak timber
bridges. To use these roads even for light transport meant
traveling from Point Fortin along the Guapo/Cap-de-Ville Road
all the way to the Cedros/Erin Junction and continuing through
the Southern Main Road east to the Parrylands Junction. To
avoid these additional eight miles, the company immediately set
about constructing a road which ran right across the three estates
and Crown Lands, linking the Guapo/Cap-de-Ville Road in Point
Fortin with the Southern Main Road at Paynter’s Hill. This road
became known as the Main Road, and was the only proper
road in Point Fortin for many years.
Very soon wells were being drilled at Parrylands and with the
progressive expansion of the company’s operations, Point Fortin
showed a significant change. Most noticeable was the industrial
lay out to the west, in close proximity to the sea. And while not
by any means as imposing, a village was in the making not far
from the company’s industrial compound.
The village grew, and expanded tremendously. It is interesting

to recall several of the names given to the residential areas by
the residents themselves. Each little district bore its own name,
with some adding the word “village”. The names recorded in
the early days were: New Lands, Tank Farm, Clifton Hill, Frisco,
Up the Line, and others since forgotten. Clifton Hill is the only
one, which has retained its original name, perhaps because of
its association with the estate, also of the same name. Other
residential areas also developed such as Mahaica, Techier
Village and Egypt Village.
During the global depression of 1929 and the years that Shell Trinidad’s Apache aircraft flying over the southern coast
immediately followed, everything stood still. Even essential of Trinidad. The plane was used to fly personnel between Point
company operations were sometimes deferred. This dark period Fortin, Penal and Ortoire, the company’s three main operating
saw the shutting in of the producing wells in the Point Fortin field, areas, and Port of Spain, the capital city, some distance away.
and closing down of the field as a production area. Naturally This mode of transport led to a lot of time saved and efficiencies.
Main Road, Point Fortin, 1960.
the village of Point Fortin felt the impact of this depression.

During the construction of the new processing plant and its
Changes in capital holdings brought automatic changes in subsidiary plants, electric power station, etc. in the refinery
policy, and with it changes in administration and personnel. It area, much labour was used. Because of the need to provide
was not until late 1931 that Point Fortin again saw visible signs skilled and qualified personnel, due to the vast increase in the
of economic progress. It was then that preliminary preparations amount of plant and machinery which were being constructed,
were made for the expansion of the refinery and the construction the company embarked on a training programme. Electricians,
of a new jetty. These two projects, which took approximately mechanics, welders, turners and fitters were now receiving
two years to complete, resulted in a significant change in the specialized training in order to become more involved in the
development and progress of the village. operation and maintenance of the refinery.
There was also a technical school for apprentices. Students for

this school were drawn from all parts of the country. This was
formerly the Shell Trade School, until it was handed over to the
Government with the Ministry of Education as the administrator.
Sports teams of Point Fortin have always been exceptional.

For years the first class football team won the coveted trophy
presented by the Trinidad Football Association, emblematic of
football supremacy in the Island.
Point Fortin became a port of entry. The Point Fortin Jetty, the
longest in the West Indies, now had berthing facilities for large
ocean-going vessels, including oil tankers. Occasionally a cargo
vessel carrying merchandise would call to discharge cargo
consigned to the company and merchants in the village.
The latest manifestations of progress in this modern age was

the magnificent office building erected by Shell Trinidad Limited
in 1958 to house its administrative and technical staff. The
building, a modern four-storied structure, stood majestically
overlooking the refinery and shops areas, and dwarfed every
other building within a large radius. This was a tribute to
the stability of the oil industry, and a tangible expression of
confidence by the management of Shell Trinidad Limited in the
economic potential of Point Fortin.
The country’s independence from Britain in 1962 would find the

This upsurge in the company’s activities created further demand “Shell Trinidad Limited” oil town of Point Fortin a beacon of hope
for housing. More company houses were built in Mahaica for the future.
and Techier, providing accommodation to the influx hundreds
of workers and their families. These houses were supplied with
electricity gas and potable water, facilities which at the time
were provided only in the more modern towns, the likes of the
capital city of Port of Spain and were a huge improvement over
the barrack yard system, which existed in the early days.
New Administrative Building built in 1958

06. BY THE MID-1960’S
From its early years establishing itself first as UBOT and then Up to 1963, the refinery had yielded primarily semi-refined
as Shell Trinidad Limited by the mid 1960s, the company had products such as naphta, gas oil and fuel oil components,
grown and developed into a fully integrated oil company, which were exported for further processing and blending. To
engaged in all aspects of the business: exploration, production, keep pace with global competition, an 80-ton a day platformer
refining, and marketing of oil and chemical products. It had was constructed in 1963 at a cost of TT$5 million. In addition,
become an independent company within the framework of the a kerosene hydro-treater and hydrogenation unit, costing
Royal Dutch/Shell group and had its Board of Directors and its another TT$5 million, was constructed in 1964. From this
management resident in Trinidad and Tobago. Among the ten unit, high quality kerosene and jet fuels were produced. The
members of the Board were four Trinidadians, three of whom hydrogenation unit was the first of its kind in the Royal Dutch/
held senior management positions. Shell Group.
Its average production from its land concessions at Point Fortin, In the 1960s and into the 1970s, Shell gas stations (numbering
Penal and Ortoire, and from its one-third share in the marine 86 by 1974, 3 of which were located in Tobago) catered
operations amounted to an average of 27,000 barrels per day to the needs of the motoring public, in every part of Trinidad
in 1965. and Tobago. A full range of automotive products and the most
modern facilities for lubrication and servicing of all types of motor
In addition to crude oil the company also produced natural gas. vehicles were available at most of these stations.
Shell’s total production of natural gas was approximately 50
million cu. ft. per day, 75% of which was utilised through sales Shell Trinidad’s aviation service provided aircraft refueling
to third parties, for the company’s own use in the refinery, and for facilities at Piarco International Airport in Trinidad and also at
primary and secondary oil production purposes. Shell Trinidad Crown Point Airport in Tobago.
Limited had become the major supplier of natural gas to various
industries in Trinidad. Long-term contracts were held with the The company also operated a marine bunkering service in Port
Trinidad & Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC), Federation of Spain and at Point Fortin. In Port of Spain harbour deliveries
Chemicals Limited (Fedchem) and Trinidad Cement Limited (TCL). were made by the company’s three bunkering vessels, while at
A 41 mile long 16-inch diameter line owned by the Trinidad & Point Fortin ships were serviced over a modern oil berth. World-
Tobago Electricity Commission conveyed gas from Penal to Port wide Shell marine contracts in respect of lubricants were also
of Spain. Most of the gas sold to third parties was from Penal. serviced at the main ports in Trinidad.
By the mid 1960s refining at Point Fortin evolved from a simple There was also a growing business for Shell chemicals of a
crude topping unit of 5,000 barrels per day, to two distillation wide variety – insecticides, weedicides, fertilizers and industrial
units with a total capacity of 60,000 barrels per day. A high chemicals which were supplied to agricultural and industrial
vacuum distillation plant was later added for the manufacture of interests and also retailed to the householder in small packages.
bitumen, as were treating plants for the extraction of petroleum A research unit of Shell Research Limited was established at
acids. St. Augustine in Trinidad, which tested new formulations of
agricultural chemicals under tropical conditions.
Production Station No. 6 at Penal, the main take-off point for natural gas supply to T. & T..E.C. in Port of Spain for use as fuel, and
to Federation Chemicals Ltd. at Point Lisas, for use as feedstock for the Ammonia Plant.
By the mid 1960s, Shell Trinidad had become involved in apprenticeships to senior management courses with Shell
activities, upstream and downstream, related to crude oil, International Petroleum Company in London were expanded
partly refined oil, oil products, catalyst chemicals, solvents to introduce an extensive series of middle management and
and additives, lubricating oils, greases, motor lubrication oils, methods planning courses, amongst others, in the Port of Spain
aviation fuel, motor petrol, diesoline (diesel gasoline), diesel oil, training centre. Concurrently, the development of management
insecticides, weedicides, fertilizers and industrial chemicals skills and technical knowledge was fostered by the interchange
of staff with associated overseas Shell companies – such
The company had recruitment and training programmes interchanges also provided the experience of working under
designed to offer maximum opportunity to nationals of Trinidad different conditions desirable for the attainment of senior
and Tobago to fill the highest positions in the company. To this management posts in an international industry.
end, detailed career development programmes were maintained
which used the resources of training and job experience of both To maintain sound and equitable employment policies and
Shell Trinidad Limited and the company’s associates overseas. practices, the company provided competitive wages and
working conditions which were periodically negotiated with the
The company’s training programmes, which ranged from trade Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) through the process of
A general view of the

Platformer/Hydrotreater
refinery complex which was
officially opened by the Prime
Minister of Trinidad and
Tobago, Dr. the Rt. Hon. Eric
Williams.
Aerial photography of part of

2-mile long all concrete tanker
loading jetty at Point Fortin.
Two ocean-going tankers can
be loaded simultaneously
along-side the berths on either
side of the T-head.
Sea Lots Jetty, Port of Spain,

1973.
Distillation unit at Point Fortin.

participated in the Prime Minister’s Best Village Programmes, with

a secondary school at Penal, a library at Point Fortin and a Youth
Centre in Port of Spain. In the field of education, Shell Trinidad
had a Chair at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad,
and made substantial financial contributions to “The Friends of
the University” fund and to the building development projects of
other educational organisations. The company also provided
university scholarships to deserving candidates. In the field of
sports, Shell Trinidad sponsored the Caribbean Regional Cricket
Tournament (the Shell Shield) which commenced in 1966 and
continued until 1987. The company also had a British Lawn
Tennis professional who coached promising young players.
collective bargaining. The company also maintained a vigorous

safety programme, a modern hospital and industrial clinic and
other health and welfare facilities. Social clubs and recreational
facilities were provided in all areas of the company’s operations
and the aided self-help housing programme in which Shell was
a pioneer was replaced by a more comprehensive housing
aid scheme to facilitate all levels of personnel to construct and
own their homes. Credit Unions were actively supported and
encouraged with a view to encouraging thrift and promoting
capital formation and a modern contributory pension scheme
was developed.
Shell Trinidad Limited also embarked upon an agricultural project

in Point Fortin designed to diversify the economy and to provide
additional opportunity for employment. During the 1960s the
company continued to contribute to a wide variety of economic,
educational, sporting and other activities. At the national level it Shell herbicide and insecticide
Shell Trinidad Ltd.
Shaded areas showing oil drilling areas

07. OFFSHORE EXPLORATION

In 1936 Trinidad Northern Areas Limited (TNA), one third of

which was owned by Shell Trinidad, embarked upon the search
for offshore oil. Unsuccessful, it was not until 1951 when drilling
re-started, this time in the Gulf of Paria some 14 miles west off
the coast of Point Fortin that the Soldado Fields, from 1955-
1965, proved to be rich in reserves of oil and gas. Production
peaked in 1964 but then went into decline.
08. CHALLENGES
The realities of terrain, access and drilling had their challenges.

Labour and economic challenges followed as they did in every
growing economy.
By the 1920s and 1930s, labour unrest and falling oil prices
saw a decline in the oil economy and its attendant fallout
including layoffs and resignations. By the 1940s however, with
the end of the depression there was a turnaround with more
cost effective measures, better working conditions, labour union
agreements, as well as more efficient production methods. The
1930s, the time of the Great Depression, saw the rise of the
labour movement in Trinidad and Tobago led by trade union
leaders such as Tubal Uriah Butler and Adrian Cola Rienzi
resulting in the historic protest of June 19th 1937. The challenge
to maintain sound and equitable employment policies and
procedures as well as to provide a good level of wages and
working conditions, had to be periodically negotiated with the
Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union.
Providing the continuous supply of crude oil and natural gas

needed to keep its refinery at capacity to meet the growing
demands for the wide variety of oil and gas-based products was
always a challenge.
The shortage of technically qualified Trinidadians meant that the

recruitment efforts had to be extended to the U.K., Canada, the
United States. and other areas where Trinidadians had migrated
to work or study. University scholarships were also awarded
in engineering and other fields as potential future sources of
expertise and to assist in expanding the national resources of
technically qualified personnel.
The 1950s saw a decline in oil production. Although offshore oil

had been discovered in the Soldado Field, the cost of production
of offshore oil was several times that of onshore, which meant
that Shell had to significantly increase its authorized capital by
Challenge of terrain
by steam injection began

in 1962 and increasing
emphasis was placed on
these new techniques. Yet
another challenge was that
of competition, a result of the
plentiful supply of low cost
crude from the Middle East
and Africa and the construction
of new refineries in Europe
and the United Kingdom.
Competition for Shell’s export
products greatly increased in
traditional markets and became
a significant factor in the decline
of product prices.
Profitable growth requires high

levels of financial investment in
land and marine exploration
while rising to and exceeding
1960. Continued rising costs prompted the company to seek the challenges of combining cost effectiveness and high
ways to cut costs without hampering the economic well being of standards of improved safety and environmental performance.
Point Fortin and by extension, the nation. In this regard Shell was
able to streamline its operations without upsetting the economic But diminishing returns seemed to be the order of the day in
life of Point Fortin. the early 1970s and along with the prevailing nationalization
momentum saw the beginning of negotiations with the Trinidad
Faced with competition, Shell Trinidad Limited changed its and Tobago government to acquire the assets of Shell Trinidad.
product pattern by moving to the manufacture of finished These negotiations continued into 1974 when a purchase price
products of higher quality. was finally agreed to following rounds of complex negotiations.
During the early 1960s, Shell gave increasing attention to

secondary recovery techniques as a means of arresting the
normal decline in its land production from its existing wells,
as well as to improve the production position of the company.
Experiments on the use of new secondary recovery techniques
09. OIL & GASOLINE:

FUELLING A NATION
Over the past century, Trinidad and Tobago’s oil industry has Trinidad was an important source of aviation fuel for the fighter
been the basis of the country’s prosperity and has been the planes of the British Royal Air Force during the war years
mainstay of its economy in terms of both trade and revenue. 1939-1945. The Second World War would propel Trinidad
and Tobago onto the world stage (‘flying on Trinidad oil’, as it
From one barrel of oil, a little less than one half was used to was termed back then) and history records that the high octane
produce approximately 19.5 gallons of gasoline while the aviation fuel oils out of Shell Trinidad Limited downstream
remainder produced propane gas, solvents, diesel fuel, motor industries would greatly aid the United Kingdom in its war effort.
oil, lubricants, insecticides, fertilizers, gasoline etc. Fuel was also supplied to the Navy’s ships that were involved in
the conflict.
For decades Shell met a large portion of Trinidad and Tobago’s
fuel needs. During the 61 ‘onshore’ years from 1913-1974
it is estimated that close to 213 million barrels of oil were
produced while ‘offshore’ production via Shell’s one third share
in the Soldado Field operation yielded approximately 90 million
barrels of oil over an 18-year period up to 1974.
In the 1960s, more Shell Gas Stations were opened to serve the
increasing demand (there were Gas Stations since the 1930s) in
Trinidad and Tobago and by 1974 there were 86 such stations
across the country, including three in Tobago.
Shell Trinidad Limited became the major gas supplier of natural

gas found in Penal to industries in Trinidad and had long term
contracts to supply the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Company
(T&TEC), Federation Chemicals Ltd (Fedchem) and Trinidad
Cement Ltd (TCL).
Though fuel, oil, gas and diesel oil, kerosene and lubricating
oils were in demand, gasoline formed the bulk of sales. By the
1950s and 60s, Shell Trinidad commanded a significant portion
of gasoline sales in Trinidad and Tobago.
Shell Trinidad Aviation Services provided aviation fuel for aircraft

at Piarco Airport in Trinidad and at the Crown Point Airport,
Tobago.
Port of Spain Gas Station, 1973

Another aerial view of Shell’s Point Fortin Refinery with the

then new office building prominently shown
1970 advertisement
Cross Crossing Service

Station, San Fernando, in
1935.
And in 1970.
10. LUBRICANTS
Shell Trinidad’s Lubricants/Lube Oil Blending Plant at Point

Lisas Industrial Estate on the west coast of Trinidad, is a
highly modernized state-of-the-art plant which produces
a full range of Shell Lubricants including automotive,
industrial and marine oils. These products are available in
bulk, intermediate bulk containers, drums, pails and small
packs.
Shell Trinidad Limited is involved in the production and

marketing of these lubricants in Trinidad and Tobago
which are sold in the local market and are exported to the
Caribbean and Central America region and also supplied
to International customers.
Currently 3.3 million liters of lubricants per month are

produced at Pt Lisas for motor cars and other motorized
vehicles as well as for industrial machinery.
FT Farfan Limited is the local company contracted as

the macro distributor for the full range of Shell Lubricant
products which includes all industrial, marine and
automotive lubricants such as greases, hydraulic fluids,
compressor, bearing and turbine oils. These products are
used in a diverse range of industries such as oil and gas,
petrochemical, commercial transport, heavy and light
manufacturing, agriculture even food processing.
The Shell brand contains many outstanding global sub-

brands such as Helix gasoline engine oils and Rimula
diesel engine oils
Shell Trinidad Ltd. Products

Some of Shell Trinidad Limited’s Products

Go Shell!
11. PUBLIC SERVICE, COMMUNITY

AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT
Shell Trinidad Limited has been and continues to be an important and Balata (see map on page 47), Shell built better access
corporate citizen in Trinidad and Tobago, expressing its roads extending from the main roads which finally extended
Corporate Social Responsibility in every sphere of life toward to Rio Claro (some 15 miles long) where employees and their
sustainable development. Major social investments have been families were accommodated at a newly built camp.
made in the areas of infrastructure which accompanied oil
finds, the environment, education, agriculture, medicine and Shell has always maintained a vigorous health programme,
health, science, housing, sport, art, culture, and community from a modern hospital and industrial clinic to other health and
development. welfare facilities. The Shell Hospital was established at Point
Fortin, complete with operating theatre, X-Ray, physiotherapy and
With the oil finds eastward of Point Fortin, such as at Cat’s Hill
dental units. Today Shell Trinidad Limited is actively involved with in the 1950s and 60s, at Point Fortin and Penal, close to 800
the dissemination of information related to AIDS awareness and houses were built along with bachelors’ quarters, pavilions/
cancer and with the upgrade of the blood bank. club houses and grounds, e.g. Clifton Hill , Mahaica, Techier
Village, Penal and Rio Claro, comparable with some of the best
Communities developed around social clubs and recreational around the island. The housing and general building thrust led
facilities which were provided in all areas of the company’s to a flourishing brick and tile industry as well as lumber, labour,
operations as well as the aided self-help housing programme masonry, carpentry, electrical and a host of other ancillary
and later a more comprehensive housing aid scheme to assist all services.
levels of personnel. In the areas of housing and other facilities,
In 1962 for the country’s Independence from Britain, Shell

donated lands in Point Fortin for churches, a day nursery
and money and lands for a community centre. In the
1960s the company began to release land for agricultural
purposes, (e.g. 2,000 acres for food production and animal
husbandry), funding alternative employment for people solely
dependent on the oil industry. Agricultural programs were
designed to help develop home food production and save
on imports and therefore create a healthier balance of trade.
In 2013, assistance was given to acquire plants for the
green house at the Esperanza School in Pt Lisas.
Separate chapters are devoted to the areas of the

education, environment, sport and culture.
12. EDUCATION
The fact that a Trinidadian, Theodore (Ted) Manuel Figueira At the 10th anniversary of Shell Trinidad Limited’s Pt Lisas
was able to rise from “office boy” in the 1950s to become lubricating oil blending plant in 2003, the then Minister
the Managing Director of Shell in the 1970s is testament of Energy stated that “Shell has continued to develop local
to the opportunities given to employees to develop their energy professionals who are in demand worldwide and I
education and talents at Shell. The same applied to many offer commendations for your continued commitment to the
others including Maxwell Richards, former President of Trinidad transfer of know-how and technology to locals…..if you are to
and Tobago, Barry Barnes who eventually became Minister chronicle the history of Shell you would not only get a glimpse
of Petroleum & Mines and Basharat Ali who until 2012 was a into the development of the petroleum sector, but an insight
member of the Senate. into the beginnings of some of this country’s most talented
energy professionals. When Shell sold its operations in 1974
Maxwell Richards started in 1950 as a technical staff trainee it left behind a cadre of well-trained local professionals in a
directly out of high school and for 18 months was exposed wide range of fields within the energy sector, owing to its well
to all aspects of the refinery before being one of the first two established apprenticeship programs.”
employees awarded a scholarship, to pursue the Bachelor and
Master of Technical Science/Chemical Engineering degrees The early development of the oil industry meant the need for
at the University of Manchester in England. He returned to skilled craftsmen, previously mentioned. Training programs were
work at the refinery and held various positions such as Chief instituted to ensure a steady flow of skilled workers. Given the
Chemist and Plant Supervisor before heading off again relative underdeveloped nature of the island in the earlier part of
on another Shell scholarship, this time to pursue his Phd in UBOT/Shell’s existence, it followed that they needed facilities for
Chemical Engineering Science at Cambridge University until training their craftsmen and operations hence the setting up of the
1963. Upon his return he again held senior positions at the Trade School to train apprentices for jobs such as electricians,
Point Fortin refinery before eventually leaving to enter the world mechanics, welders, turners and fitters.
of academia at the University of the West Indies.
Research forms the foundation of Shell’s business, with new
Barry Barnes, who joined the company in 1953, earned his products and processes at the forefront of technological
Shell scholarship to attend England’s Loughborough College development. There is a lab at the Lube Oil Blending Plant at Pt
where he obtained a B.Sc in Mechanical Engineering. Prior Lisas, Trinidad.
to leaving he took part in Shell’s Regional Technical Training
Program. Shell Trinidad Limited has sponsored a variety of projects as part
of its Corporate Social Responsibility in the field of education.
Basharat Ali was also awarded a scholarship and studied Such projects included ‘Pan and Panmen’, a 1959 publication
Chemical Engineering at Manchester College of Science and by Austin Simmonds, produced by Shell Trinidad Limited and
Technology (UMIST) where he graduated in 1957. That year, the 1973 children’s book “Shell Book of Trinidad Stories” to
he returned to Trinidad and completed further training at the commemorate the country’s 11th Independence Anniversary.
Shell Refinery at Point Fortin. Another project was the funding of a book entitled “Flowering
Trees of Trinidad & Tobago” in 2011 commemorating the 45th
anniversary of the wetland habitat Wild Fowl

Trust which is located at Pointe-a-Pierre.
Recent projects include the grants given to

the ARROW Foundation to help improve
literacy skills at the Melville Memorial Primary
School. Shell also contributes to the upkeep
of the Esperanza school, its adopted school
in the Pt Lisas Industrial Estate.
Country Chairman Luis Prado presents cheque to

A.R.R.O.W.’s Christopher Bonterre, Cornelia Bonterre
and Nyila Warner
13. ENVIRONMENT
An environmental impact assessment study was carried out in financially on an annual basis.
compliance with the Shell Group policy guidelines, to ensure
environmentally acceptable construction and operation of In further efforts to maintain environmentally-friendly communities
the Lubricating Oil Blending Plant at Pt Lisas. Standards were committed to ‘going green’, Shell Trinidad Limited contributed
determined, procedures established and monitoring equipment towards Servol’s Junior Life, Pre-school and Day Care Centre,
installed to ensure that the standards and statutory requirements located at Freeport in central Trinidad which was officially
were met and maintained. opened in June 2013.
Shell has established standards internationally to maintain a

healthy environment. For example, all small packs (1L and 4L
containers) including closures and labels are made of 100
percent high density polyethylene and are therefore recyclable.
The following steps have been taken at the plant to preserve the
environment:
■■ A state of the art interceptor capable of controlling

effluent oil content in eater has been installed
■■ All oil storage and transfer areas are drained to the interceptor
■■ The company has in place a spillage control
Programme and a Waste Oil Disposal Plan
■■ Equipment has been installed to monitor ground
water and soil conditions at regular intervals.
■■ Contractors and suppliers are contractually
obligated to meet Shell’s Health, Safety, Security
and Environment (HSSE) Standards.
In terms of waste lubricants from garages, Shell Trinidad Limited

ensures that the company plays its part in responsible collection
of waste oil generated after usage of their products. To that end,
there are companies enlisted for this purpose.
The Pointe-a-Pierre Wildfowl Trust, now in its 47th year is an

environmental organization which protects a wetland habitat
encompassing two lakes and approximately 30 hectares of land.
Shell is committed to the preservation of this area and contributes
Country Chairman Luis Prado and a member

of Servol’s staff interact with some of the
children at Servol’s Junior Life, Pre-school
and Day Care Centre, located at Freeport in
central Trinidad (June 2013)
Shell management team of Sharon Dipsingh,

left, Kennedy Saunders, Victoria Singh, Nigel
Martin (background), Kathy Ragoobarsingh,
and Ramona De Bique look through
The Wild Fowl Trust’s publication, Some
Flowering Trees of Trinidad and Tobago,
Values and Linkages...sponsored by Shell
Trinidad Ltd (June 2011).
14. SPORT
Point Fortin, as it developed, became known as one of Caribbean Cup is the championship
the premier sporting towns in the country as a result of the tournament for teams in the region that are
establishment of various sporting and recreational facilities in members of the Caribbean Football Union.
the area. The Shell Sports Club of Point Fortin, inaugurated as
the UBAA (United British Athletic Association) in the 1930s, was Even more popular later on was the sport of
a force to be reckoned with in a number of sports, especially cricket with the “Shell Shield” becoming the
football (soccer), but also in cricket, tennis, basketball, netball, symbol of cricket supremacy in the region.
golf, swimming and athletics. In fact today so many years later it is still
referred to as the Shell Shield having been
Shell has had a long and illustrious association with the sport the most coveted sporting title while Shell
of football. The team was fondly referred to as U-Boots (a play Trinidad Limited was the sponsor from 1966
on UBOT) in the early days of their rise to prominence on the to 1987. Trinidad and Tobago captured the
field of play. Competing in the Southern Amateur Football title in 1970, 1971, 1976 and 1985.
League as well as the F.A. Trophy and the Gooden-Chisolm Cup
competitions, the UBOT football team (later the Shell team) won Not to be outdone, the Shell Trinidad Ladies’
many titles, 18 in the latter two competitions between 1936 and Cricket Team registered the first lien on the
1974, as well as eight runner-up titles. “Dunlop-Shell Ladies’ Windball Cricket
Trophy in 1973.
Shell Trinidad Limited has continued its association with the
sport donating footballs and training wear to the national team Shell Community Grants have been provided
prior to their historic World Cup bid in 2006 and more recently to local clubs and recipients during recent
donating T-shirts to an under-15 tournament. years. Under this social development initiative
many community clubs have received their
It was the creation of the Mahaica Oval by UBOT/Shell in financial grants to develop the sport of cricket
1936 that afforded players the opportunity to hone their skills in
football and cricket at the most modern facilities in the country Another significant sporting gesture on the
at the time. The Oval was also outfitted later with basketball part of Shell Trinidad Limited during its pre-
and tennis courts and even floodlights. Many of the nation’s 1974 era was the establishment of the Shell
top footballers have come out of Point Fortin including Warren Sports Club at Rio Claro in 1962.
Archibald, Steve David and Leroy De Leon, all of whom have
made a name for themselves in the sport locally, regionally and Today the company maintains a Corporate
internationally. box at the Queen’s Park Oval, the world
famous sporting facility in Woodbrook on the
For 10 years from its inauguration in 1989, Shell Trinidad outskirts of Port of Spain.
Limited sponsored the Shell Caribbean Cup for football which
Trinidad and Tobago won six years during that period. The
In this photograph Mr. M. C. ‘Joey’ Carew (2nd from right) poses with (r-l) Dr. the Rt. Hon. Eric Williams, Prime Minister, H.E.
Solomon Hochoy, Governor-General of Trinidad and Tobago and Mr. Terrence J. Gerald, Managing Director, Shell Trinidad
Limited after receiving the Shell Shield, 1971.
1992, Minister of Sport Jean Pierre presents the Shell

Caribbean Cup of football to Trinidad & Tobago’s winning
captain Clayton Morris
15. CULTURE
The steel pan musical instrument, or collectively, the steel band, is annual carnival celebrations, becoming a popular group for
the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago and was invented masqueraders and the public alike.
right here on our island.
Tobago All Stars
The oil industry and war time 1930s Trinidad would come became Shell’s third
together to take the innate rhythm of Trinidadians to another level sponsored steelband
of musical expression. The appearance of the large oil drums in 1972 following
in the oil industry, some salvaged after being discarded due to Shell Invaders in
wear and tear, would form the basis of the evolution of the only 1960 and Shell Sun
acoustic musical instrument invented in the twentieth century, Valley in 1971.
the steel pan. UBOT/Shell Trinidad Limited no doubt would
likely have been one of the suppliers of the “drums”, used in the Most recently, in
making of the steel pans, albeit indirectly since Shell’s health 2013, Shell Trinidad
and safety rules dictated that the drums could only be used for its Limited was a proud
products. associate sponsor
of the film ‘Derek
Given its deep involvement in all aspects of life in Trinidad Walcott, Poetry is
and Tobago, it was only a matter of time before Shell Trinidad an island’, a feature
became intimately involved in the Steel pan by sponsoring a steel documentary film
band. One of the original and most famous of steel bands, the about Trinidadian-
“Invaders” became the Shell Invaders Steelband/Shell Invaders St Lucian Nobel
Steel Orchestra in 1960, the name adopted as a result of an laureate, poet,
arrangement made between the members of the Steelband and playwright, and
the Marketing Division of Shell Trinidad Limited, announced in visual artist, Derek
the daily Trinidad Guardian Newspaper on 8th February 1960 Walcott.
under the title “Invaders Steelband Takes On a New Name.”
This was a harmonious relationship that lasted until 1973, just

before the acquisition of Shell Trinidad Limited by the government
in 1974.
At contracted performances and engagements as well as

company functions, the steelpan players wore the Shell logo
on their uniforms with the steel pans similarly emblazoned.
The Shell Invaders Steelband provided lively entertainment at
company functions. They also participated in the world famous
In the yard outside British Paints factory in Port-of-Spain, hundreds of drums of solvents and resins lie ready for use. Most of the
solvents used are supplied by Shell and among the resins is ‘Epikote’, a comparatively new Shell product which gives the paint
an extremely high resistance to wear and corrosion. (1959)
16. THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA, 1974,

AS GOVERNMENT PURCHASES ASSETS OF
SHELL TRINIDAD LTD.
The prevailing nationalization momentum of the early 1970s 21.4 million Barrels which now produces approximately
in the country was a major factor in the government-initiated 7,000 barrels per day. The Company also produces,
round of negotiations to acquire the assets of Shell Trinidad approximately 50 MNCF of gas for sale to industry
Limited, including its refinery at Point Fortin, its 84 gas stations and for use in its reservoirs and in the refinery.
and its lube blending plant in Sea Lots. These negotiations ■■ One third share of Trinmar’s production from the Soldado
were concluded in 1974 when a purchase price was finally fields in the Gulf of Paria amounting to approximately
hammered out. 17,000 barrels of crude oil daily (marine)
■■ The refinery at Point Fortin with a capacity of
This signaled the beginning of a new era, the marketing of Shell approximately 100,000 Barrels per day and a
products via a newly formed company, Shell Chemicals and productive capability for bitumen, fuel oils, middle
Services (East Caribbean) Limited. In addition to its marketing of distillates and motor and aviation gasoline.
Shell’s chemical products in Trinidad & Tobago, this company ■■ A 3½ % share in the East Coast Consortium for which
also provided services for other Shell companies in the region, Government was paid a bonus of $3.1 mn. in 1971
thus ensuring a continued and uninterrupted presence. ■■ The domestic marketing operations for motor gasoline
amounting to almost 15% of the local market
The following is an excerpt from the announcement by the and for lubricating oils and other products.
Government at the time through its Ministry of Petroleum and ■■ Shell’s proprietary knowledge and patent
Mines: rights for various refinery processes.
■■ Other matters agreed to by the parties included the purchase
On 20th August, 1974, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago from the Shell Group of specialized additives for aviation and
and the Shell Group settled the terms and conditions of an motor fuels and for lubricating oils for aircraft and marine use.
agreement to buy and to sell the shares of Shell Trinidad Limited, ■■ The consideration for the purchase and sale of the shares of
a company registered in the United Kingdom, and wholly owned Shell Trinidad Limited was agreed at $93.6 mn. of which
within the Group. 75% was to be paid before the vesting day of 30th August
1974 and the remainder to be paid in two installments on
All shares of Shell Trinidad Ltd were bought by the Trinidad & 28th February and 31st August, 1975 at 7% after taxes.
Tobago government following rounds of tough negotiations. This
followed the policy towards more local ownership. Shell Trinidad The last issue of SHELL TOPICS on August 29th 1974 had a
Limited, however, stayed on as a Marketing entity in the role as farewell feature splashed across its cover by then Managing
a buyer and seller of Shell lubricants and chemicals. Director Paul Bates. In it he notes “I think it is fair to say that if
The Agreement covered the following:- this Company leaves any legacy to the country of Trinidad and
Tobago it is that of a well trained efficient group of people”.
■■ The purchase of the Company’s land reserves estimated at
17. TWENTY YEARS AT PT. LISAS (1993-2013)…

SHELL TRINIDAD LTD. TODAY
In 2013, Shell Trinidad Limited also commemorates the Zero tolerance of infringements of safety and health practices
20th anniversary of its Lube Oil Blending Plant. For its 10th means a boost in productivity. At Shell Trinidad Limited there has
anniversary back in 2003, a gala celebratory function was held been an increased focus on safety standards and a culture of
to mark the milestone. safety and best practice pervades throughout the organization.
There are two senior management teams, the Country Shell Global Solutions provides technical services to Petrotrin
Coordination and Downstream Coordination Teams which are locally in both downstream and upstream operations and motor
made up as follows: sport sectors. It is also proud of its winning technical partnership
with the car racing Ferrari Formula 1 Team which provides the
Country Coordination Team: Luis Prado, Country Chairman, ultimate test track for its fuels and motor oil lubricants such as
and in alpha order, Nigel Martin, Financial Controller; Gerard Helix.
Mitchell, Regional Operations Lead; Ajith Murthy, Principal
Customer Account Manager; Nirupa Oudit, Principal Service The following is an excerpt from Nicholas Shorthose’s address,
Manager; Kathleen Ragoobarsingh, Human Resource Manager; Chairman, Shell Trinidad Ltd, at the 10th anniversary celebration
Darryl Ramsaywak, Plant Manager; Tat Chuen Wong, Manager in 2003:
ALNG Governance.
We recognize that despite globalization, all customers must
Downstream Coordination Team: Luis Prado, Country Chairman; be served locally. Each country has its own distinct character,
Ramona De Bique, Customer Service Manager; Nalini Maharaj- and business is about more than a transaction, it is about
Chatoor, Marine Account Manager; Nigel Martin, Financial relationships. Shell has had a relationship with Trinidad since
Controller; Kathleen Ragoobarsingh, Human Resource Manager; 1913 when a Shell owned subsidiary, United British Oilfields
Darryl Ramsaywak, Plant Manager; Victoria Singh, Distributor of Trinidad (UBOT) started oil exploration activities. Since those
Account Manager; Vikash Supersad, Supply Planning Manager, early days Shell has been involved in exploration, production,
North Latin America. refining, marketing and retailing of oil products in this country.
We have had at one point some 4,000 employees in Trinidad.
The Plant at Pt Lisas forms an integral part of Shell Trinidad’s At that time, we had E&P activities, refining, lubricants blending,
operations and is staffed by some 60 employees. retail stations, chemicals business. In fact, Trinidad served as
the head office for our Regional business in the Caribbean.
The blending process at the Plant is fully computer-controlled. Even now, Shell continues to actively seek new opportunities in
There is no manual intervention until the final stages of loading, Trinidad in the E&P business, in the downstream Gas business, in
testing and dispatch to the holding vessels or filling lines. The the Aviation fuelling business and in the fuels retailing business.
plant has a laboratory on site with state of the art equipment for Today however, our principal business in Trinidad is our lubricants
ensuring that the highest quality product is produced at all times. blending plant located on the Point Lisas Industrial Estate. There
The raw materials of base oils and the various additives as well we manufacture finished lubricating oils for customers throughout
as packaging materials are constantly monitored against strict the Caribbean and Central America. That blending plant has
product specifications. now been in successful operation for 10 years, giving us the
reason for our celebrations tonight.
The Employee Consultative Association

(ECA) of Trinidad and Tobago at its 50th
Anniversary Awards ceremony in 2009
awarded Shell Trinidad Limited one of its top
awards as Champion Employer for that year,
a testament to the company’s commitment to
fair and equitable employment practices.
Shell Trinidad Limited’s Administrative Building at Pt Lisas

Lube Oil Blending Plant at Pt Lisas.

Bulk direct container filling for export

Dr. Hamid Farabi, delivering the Opening Prayer at the Official Opening of the Shell LOBP on April 19th, 1993. Seated left to right are:
Mr. Denzil Crooke - Brand Manager, SLCL; Mr. Jalal Hosein - Marketing Director, SLCL; Prime Minister, The Hon. Patrick Manning; Mr.
Eli Santiago - Managing Director, SLCL; Mr. Tim Faithfull - Western Hemisphere Area Co-ordinator SLCL; Mr. Kiriti Bhattacharya, Project
Manager, SLCL.
Blending area
Packaging line
UBE OIL BLEN

L L DI
L NG
E
SH
PL
E
AN
TH
2003, 10th Year

Anniversary newspaper
supplement
Members of staff, March 2013, with then President of Trinidad and Tobago, George Maxwell Richards
18. THE NEXT 100 YEARS
The successes of Shell Trinidad Limited in the past 100 years have no doubt been due to the dedicated and diligent hard work of many
employees under the astute direction of the successive Managing Directors and Country Managers. As the current Country Manager Luis
Prado has stated in his Foreword, that had it not been for the sterling contributions of every employee of Shell Trinidad Limited, past and
present, the celebration of this momentous milestone would not have been possible.
The following are some of the names of the Managing Directors/Country Managers over the years: W. M. V. Ash, W. E. Madden, G. L.
Reid, W. M. Moore, Geoffrey Chandler, Terence J. Gerald, Paul R. G. Bates, Theodore (Ted) M. Figueira, Sherman Sadaphal, Andrew
Hepher, Alexis Garzon, Gordon Witt, Jalal Hosein, Andrew Hart and Gerard Mitchell.
No doubt Shell Trinidad Limited’s 20-year-old Pt Lisas Lube Oil Blending Plant will continue to grow based on its successes and strong
market position locally and beyond.
What does the future hold? Trinidad and Tobago has the potential to be a continuing base for gas-related business opportunities. To that
end Shell has engaged in negotiations and has made strides toward becoming a significant player in this area of the energy sector. Royal
Dutch Shell’s position as a world leader in liquefied natural gas (LNG) will be strengthened by its impending purchase (subject to regulatory
approvals) of Repsol’s LNG assets inclusive of its stake in Point Fortin-based Atlantic LNG.
Exciting times lie ahead as Shell Trinidad Limited enters its second century in Trinidad and Tobago.
19. REFERENCES & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
■■ UBOTOPICS and SHELL TOPICS, Shell Trinidad’s in-house magazine (1956-1974)

■■ InvesTT Limited (Welcome to Trinidad & Tobago chapter)
■■ Karen Eccles & Keeno Gonzales, UWI Library, West Indiana Section, St. Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago
■■ Wendy Moodie-Wight & Videsh Ramsahai, Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs, Port of Spain, Trinidad
■■ Conversations and interviews with current and past Shell Trinidad Limited staff members among them, Eric
De Verteuil, Jalal Hosein, Hugh Howard, Ram Maraj, Nigel Martin, Luis Prado, Kathleen Ragoobarsingh,
Harold Ragoonanan, Darryl Ramsaywak, ex-President Maxwell Richards, and Antoinette Stagg.
■■ History of Oil in Trinidad, W.F. Penny & J. Lonsdale, 1955
■■ Oil Pioneer, Arthur Beeby-Thompson, 1961
■■ History of Point Fortin , C. B. Mathison, 1962
■■ Shell Trinidad Limited, STL, 1966
■■ The Origins, Growth and Development of the Oil industry in Trinidad and its Impact
on the Economy, 1957-65, Vernon C. Mulchasingh, 1967
■■ Point Fortin and Deep South Times, 1970
■■ The Book of Trinidad, Gerrard Besson, 1986
■■ The History of Point Fortin 1900 to the 1930s, Addita Mohammed, 1991
■■ A History of Trinidad Oil, George E. Higgins, 1996
■■ A Century in Oil, Stephen Howarth, 1997
■■ A History of Royal Dutch Shell, Stephen Howarth and others, 2007
■■ Trinidad and Tobago, Celebrating a Century of Commercial Oil Production, FIRST/Ministry of Energy, 2009
■■ Dr. Jeanine Remy’s research on the Invaders Steel Band, 2013; Steelband photo courtesy Earl La Pierre
■■ FT Farfan Ltd: current products photos
■■ Current photos (Point Lisas Lube Oil Blending Plant) by Russel Dos Ramos, Dos Imagery
■■ Gerrard Wilson, Photograph of Shell Helix racing car
■■ Conversations with cousins Leonore Dorsett, whose father worked at Shell at Point Fortin, and
Margaret Lee, whose parents operated the Kim Far Chinese Restaurant in Point Fortin
Every effort was made to contact the holders of copyright materials. In some instances direct extracts were used from the resource materials.
I trust that the overall value of this publication will prevail. My sincere apologies to any persons or sources inadvertently omitted.
The Author
OTHER PUBLICATIONS BY THE AUTHOR
■■ Sonny Ramadhin, Commemorating his distinguished career, 2004

■■ It’s
A Funny Game, 2007
■■ The World Cup, 2007
■■ Know the Game, 2007
■■ The Cricket Match, 2007
■■ Fruits of Trinidad and Tobago Chart, 2010
■■ Vegetables, Root Crops and Herbs of Trinidad and Tobago Chart, 2010
■■ Fruits of Barbados Chart, 2011
■■ Vegetables, Root Crops and Herbs of Barbados Chart, 2011
■■ Fruits of St. Vincent Chart, 2012
■■ Vegetables, Root Crops and Herbs of St. Vincent Chart, 2012
■■ Fruits of St. Lucia Chart, 2012
■■ Vegetables, Root Crops and Herbs of St. Lucia Chart, 2012
■■ Profiles: Heroes, Pioneers & Role Models of Trinidad and Tobago, 2012

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Shell Trinidad 100 Years

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SHELL TRINIDAD

THROUGH THE YEARS

No part of this book may be reproduced or

■■ Covers designed by Johann Mahabir and

Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs

Committed to HSSE (Health, Safety, Security, Environment)

19 Timelines & Milestones: Shell Trinidad Limited, 1913-2013

57 Oil & Gasoline: Fuelling a Nation

The Beginning of a New Era, 1974, as Government purchases 86

Twenty years at Pt. Lisas (1993-2013)...Shell Trinidad Ltd today 88

The Next 100 Years 100

References and Acknowledgements 101

Many of the economic and

02. WELCOME TO TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

east coast of Venezuela.

Pt. Lisas The combined population

Before the arrival of

up to undergraduate level with private fee-paying

Backed by over 100 years of success in the

Currently the largest Caribbean exporter to the

Trinidad and Tobago maintains one of the most

03. COMMITTED TO HSSE (HEALTH, SAFETY,

From the starting point of full compliance with legislative

Shell Trinidad is committed to achieving and maintaining the

Our aerial photograph

04. TIMELINES & MILESTONES:

100 years ago, in 1913, the United British Oilfields of Trinidad

That UBOT/Shell Trinidad grew and developed to become a

1. UBOT/Shell Trinidad Ltd: 1913 to 1974 (crude oil

1913 1913-1919 1919

1928 1929 1930

1931 1932 1933

1934-1939/Pre-war years. 1936

1993 2003 2013

Shell Trinidad Limited’s 100 Year Anniversary in Trinidad and Tobago.

Company letterheads, then to now.

Shell Gas Station, San Fernando.

Shell Gas Station, Point Fortin.

05. THE POINT FORTIN ERA,

Before the advent of UBOT/Shell Trinidad Ltd and its

Imagine the landscape, especially of the southern “oil areas”

But development is not without its challenges. Oil camps had to

Main office, Point Fortin 1936-1958

be established with foreign

Shell Trinidad Limited was no

In later years as Shell moved further eastwards in search of more

With the influx of workers came the ancillary businesses such as

By the mid 1930s, in addition to the refinery expansion,

The successful operations of UBOT encouraged more people

As the population of the township grew, UBOT recognized

The history of Point Fortin therefore in the period 1900 to

The age of oil made an impact on Trinidad long before it

Shell’s Point Fortin Refinery and

country, the population in 1931

You may wonder how people

only two Government roads over which materials could be

The village grew, and expanded tremendously. It is interesting

Main Road, Point Fortin, 1960.

the village of Point Fortin felt the impact of this depression.

There was also a technical school for apprentices. Students for

Sports teams of Point Fortin have always been exceptional.

The latest manifestations of progress in this modern age was

The country’s independence from Britain in 1962 would find the

New Administrative Building built in 1958