PDV Caribe Dominica planning to go regional

PDV Caribe Dominica, the joint venture fuel company owned by Dominica and Venezuela under the Petro Caribe agreement, says its expansion plans include supplying cooking gas – what’s known officially as LPG, to other parts of the Caribbean.

That disclosure was made today by Minister responsible for Petro Caribe, Reginald Austrie, at the company’s customer appreciation day at the Fort young Hotel on Thursday, in keeping with the observance of the 7th anniversary of the Petro Caribe Energy Cooperation Agreement.

According to Austrie, there are strong demands for the supply of Petro Caribe’s LPG in the region.

He said exporting LPG in addition to the company supplying local demand was one of two priority projects in the pipeline.

The minister spoke of “the transforming of our LPG carry capacity from ISO tanks, those big tanks, to actually having a facility on the plant so we will no longer be transporting it by tanks it would be fed directly from the ship”.

He said that would mean being able to “double and triple the amount of LPG cylinders we can sell and also give us some export potential because there are countries in the region asking us to supply them with LPG”.

The Petro Caribe Minister also announced plans to begin the local distribution of fuel.

“Our two gasoline tanks that have not yet been commissioned there are plans on the way to get those tanks going,” he indicated.

“So we will not only be doing the LPG and diesel but we will also move into gasoline very soon,” the minister disclosed.

The company’s General Manager, Guillermo Lozza, told a Petro Caribe function on Wednesday that to date the company had imported from Venezuela, 600,000 barrels of petroleum products valued at an estimated US$60 million to supply local demand.

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17 Comments

  1. July 1, 2012

    Good Move, kudos to my Government, I dont care what people say. LABOUR ALL THE WAY.

  2. Malatete
    June 29, 2012

    There is one thing I find rather puzzling. If it is the avowed aim of our government to become totally independent of fossil fuels in the long run why expand the activities/capacity of PetroCaribe in Dominica?

  3. Farmer's son
    June 28, 2012

    We note that minister Austrie did not give any time line for these two ‘priority projects’. Now let’s see how many times he will repeat this supposedly good news story. Will we hold his feet to the fire on this one?

  4. Mr Gouty
    June 28, 2012

    some thing is not right the minister could not answer such an easy question and by the way is now people can not pay for light. they tell us to take payasyougo and is now we cant buy light. some thing is not right with their light in DA

  5. ROSEAU VALLEY
    June 28, 2012

    This Petro Caribe Agreement seems to have brought some respite to Dominicans. It has generating a lot of extra cash for government to spend on this and that including on “social projects” (red clinic) and strengthening the cash port folio of certain individuals. There may be reasons to commend the administration, Venezuela and Chavez for this one. One cannot be critical all the time –just for the sake of being critical when gas is made cheaper and more affordable and supplies are more reliable etc. Yeah!-any reduction in the cost of energy is a win for all.

    But in this environment of secrecy in the use of public funds, the lack of accountability of public officials and in an era of personal/private enrichment from public resources, some questions still linger in the polluted carbon-filled air. The fact is the Petro Caribe Agreement will not make Dominica fuel independent or self-sufficient – It can’t. We are not an oil/gas producer- we depend on the import of a raw material from elsewhere but the Agreement is blocking a significant hole, helping the poor and contributing in some way to the development of our struggling economy. If properly managed with transparency and accountability as the guiding light on matters related to the disclosure on the true debt of the programme, the full extent of the revenues raised and the purposes for which the funds are utilized- the Agreement could be a shining light in the darkness in which we have found ourselves.

  6. xxx
    June 28, 2012

    Why is fuel so expensive if the country is part owner?

    • Malatete
      June 29, 2012

      It is because there is a big difference between the cost at which the fuel lands in Dominica and the price at which it is sold. This generates a considerable profit, not only for PDV Caribe Dominica Ltd. but also for the Dominica National Petroleum Company, which owns 45% of PDV Caribe. The Govt. of Dominica, in turn owns 100% of Dominica National Petroleum, a company headed by Hon. Austrie, under the direct control of the Min. of Finance and its profits are used at that Minister’s discretion. To my knowledge, no accounts of that company have been filed since its incorporation in 2005.

      • Anonymous
        July 1, 2012

        Really?! Hmmph!

  7. GOM
    June 28, 2012

    Is this the same Petro caribe we were told would relieve us of all our energy worries?
    Wonder how poorer it has made the country!

  8. June 28, 2012

    Very interested,them Labor fellars want to export LPG to the Caribbean Regions but they unable to get ships to help the farmers to ship their produce. Skerrit promised the farmers at least two boats which he never kept,now we are told that the people in the region are requesting supplies of LPG.I am sure many of the people in the region would rather fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers then LPG.

  9. T
    June 28, 2012

    Why is it that this particular minister follows Petro caribe wherever it goes?
    what is the size of the Petro Caribe Debt?

    • Malatete
      June 29, 2012

      He is both a board member of PDV Caribe Dominica Ltd. and CEO of the Dominica National Petroleum Conpany ltd. in addition this position as a cabinet minister. Wonder if he gets three salaries….?

  10. Anonymous
    June 28, 2012

    you mean venezuela will be moving into gasoline soon and making more than 60 million in sales. We’re just housing the goods.

  11. ????????
    June 28, 2012

    Can anyone tell us what is the quantum of the Petro caribe debt?
    Dominicans are really catching their tail under this regime!

  12. Infomaniac
    June 28, 2012

    @capacity, don’t u listen to your parliament….

    http://www.cbi.dm/audio/petrocaribanswer.htm

  13. capacity
    June 28, 2012

    what is our Petro Caribe Debt….not the technical arrears. Why did Minister Austrie form two companies on our behalf to order fuel from Venezuela just to sell to domlec. where is the audited statements from Petro Caribe.

  14. SuWIE
    June 28, 2012

    Yes I! Gwan van, Petite vwel!

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