PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC -On Monday, the Trinidad and Tobago government put up for sale this vessel on an “as is and where is” basis. In early February, it overturned off the Coast of Cove in Tobago, carrying up to 35,000 barrels of fuel oil.
The spill, first spotted off Tobago’s Atlantic coast on February 7, damaged some of the island’s mangroves and threatened its tourism and fishing sector. It also entered the Caribbean Sea, threatening nearby Venezuela and Caribbean islands, including Bonaire.
The Gulf Stream was refloated last month under the supervision of a team from T & T Salvage Inc., an internationally recognized salvage company, and later towed to Trinidad.
In August, Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley said his government was continuing its search for the people responsible for the abandonment of the Gulf Stream. In a statement Monday, the Ministry of Works and Transport said it is inviting tenderers regarding the “request for proposals for the purchase as is and where is of the capsized barge “Gulf Stream” to be disposed of.
It said solicitation documents may be requested from the ministry’s Procurement Unit and that the award will be executed according to the pre-defined evaluation criteria outlined in the Solicitation Document.
“The services to be provided will be governed by the terms and conditions outlined in the respective Solicitation Document.”
The government is also requesting proposals for the sale of the barge, adding that submissions must be deposited no later than October 1, 2024.9.16
“Tenderers are advised that the opening of tenders will be conducted via MICROSOFT TEAMS,” the ministry said, adding that “late tenders will not be considered in any circumstances.
”The Ministry of Works and Transport (MOWT) does not bind itself to accept the lowest or any other tender and reserves the right to cancel the present notice in its entirety or even partially, without defraying any cost incurred by any firm in submitting their tender,” the ministry added.
Rowley had said that the oil spill had occurred because of the activities of “people who did not want others to know that they were involved in what was happening there.
“The ocean is a huge place, and a lot of things go on there, and that’s why an international body exists to come to a country’s aid if you find yourself being damaged by an oil spill of that nature or similar nature.”
Rowley did not name the international agency, but Energy and Energy Industries Minister Stuart Young said Port of Spain had made representations to the United Kingdom-based International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPCF) for compensation ranging from US$14 million to US$20 million.
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