00:00Nutrien announced on Monday that it would indefinitely shut down its Trinidad nitrogen operations at the Point Lisa's facility, citing
00:08ongoing natural gas constraints and uncertainty.
00:12Economist Mariano Brown said the decision highlighted the difficulty facing companies that needed certainty over their gas supply before committing
00:21to continued operations.
00:23What the energy sector company wants, long-term, what they want is a long-term supply of gas. They don't
00:29want to contract for three months and six months, which is what NGC is offering.
00:34Brown said the National Gas Company could not guarantee the long-term supply that Nutrien needed.
00:40He said companies had to make decisions based on the supply they could reasonably expect, rather than assurances that additional
00:48gas would eventually become available.
00:50He said the issue was particularly important because companies had to plan for their operations and employees.
00:58Brown said the situation was a signal that this country's gas supply was inadequate and that there was no firm
01:05date for resolving the problem.
01:08Brown pointed to the existing arrangements involving Promon, saying the company's contract was due to run until December 31st.
01:17What they're signaling is they're not prepared to open. Quite frankly, they're prepared to close their operations.
01:23That's what the signal is. The signal to the rest of the rest of San Lanzibago is, well, everybody's saying
01:30that gas come in.
01:31But the moral of the story is I have to make a plan and I have to know when it's
01:34coming by.
01:35And quite frankly, it's not coming by a time that is sensible.
01:38He said the prospect of additional gas coming into the country did not resolve the immediate problem faced by companies
01:46that needed to make operational and employment decisions now.
01:51Brown's comments came after Nutrien announced that it had determined that an indefinite shutdown was the appropriate course following what
01:59it described as an extensive review of strategic alternatives and engagement with stakeholders.
02:05The company said the decision was driven by ongoing natural gas constraints and uncertainty.
02:12Nutrien had previously announced a controlled shutdown of its Trinidad nitrogen operations in October 2025, citing a lack of reliable
02:21and economic natural gas supply, as well as port access restrictions.
02:25Brown said the latest developments should therefore be viewed as a signal about the adequacy of the country's gas supply
02:33rather than simply as an isolated corporate decision.
