PETROCARIBE UPDATE #27: EVERYTHING ON TRACK FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRIDGETOWN 001931 SIPDIS SIPDIS SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/23/2016 TAGS: ENRG EPET EINV PREL PGOV DO VE XL SUBJECT: PETROCARIBE UPDATE #27: EVERYTHING ON TRACK FOR DOMINICA, MAYBE REF: BRIDGETOWN 1801 Classified By: CDA Mary Ellen T. Gilroy for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) The first Petrocaribe delivery is set for mid-November 2006 and is expected to include a variety of fuel products, including diesel and liquid petroleum gas. However, subtle signs point to possible delays in the shipment. On October 9, Acting Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Housing, Lands, Telecommunications, Energy, and Ports Lucien Blackmoore told PolOff, albeit with some uncertainty in his voice, that everything was on track for the mid-November shipment and he did not foresee any delays. When responding to follow up questions on October 31, Blackmoore, still with uncertainty in his voice, changed his answer to "sometime in November." In his meeting with Ambassador Kramer on October 18, Acting Prime Minister Ambrose George also stated that mid-November is the target for the first Petrocaribe delivery, but, like Blackmoore, hinted that there may be delays. ¶2. (C) Blackmoore and George also disclosed that on October 10, 48 Venezuela Petroluem Company workers arrived in Dominica to begin technical exploration for a new Petrocaribe-related storage facility in Mahaut. According to Acting PM George, a site for the storage facility was located but engineering changes would be necessary. He complained to Ambassador Kramer that the bureauracy was slow, but the project was moving along. However, according to Blackmoore, this new storage facility was not necessary for receipt of the November shipment. Fuel delivered in November would go straight to Dominica Electric, the sole power company in Dominica. ¶3. (SBU) In addition to energy through Petrocaribe, Blackmoore told PolOff that Dominica is currently researching geothermal energy as an option (reftel). According to Blackmoore, Dominica's geothermal potential may be great enough not only to meet Dominica's energy needs, but also to market to the neighboring islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe. Currently the Organization of American States and United Nations Industrial Development Organization are supporting research on the geothermal potential in Dominica. OURISMAN