Publication: Weekend Nation / Extra
Paper Section And Page: 3
Paper Date: Fri, Nov 16, 2001
EXPLORATORY drilling for oil by American company, Conoco, between Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago will take place well within waters controlled by Barbados. Minister of Economic Development Reginald Farley gave this assurance recently noting that the operations would be conducted in accordance with a "1979 median line agreement" between the two countries.
The agreement, based on international conventions, stipulates where two countries 200-mile Economic Exclusion Zones overlap, as exists in the case of Barbados and Trinidad, the median point should mark boundaries. Farley said at a Press conference with the American company that drilling would take place 70 miles off the St Philip coast, well within the median limit. Farley said the median line was agreed on by the governments of Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados to identify the boundaries between the two countries for the purpose of exploiting ocean resources.
"We are satisfied that we are on our side of the standard median line of demarcation. Whatever future agreement we may reach with Trinidad will be consistent with the area for which we have granted the licence to Conoco and which they are proposing to explore," Farley said.