Venezuela Says T&T Responsible For New Oil Spill In Region — Heritage RESPONDS

The Venezuelan Government is accusing Trinidad and Tobago of being responsible for a second oil spill that it claims is larger than the one reported in May, warning that the incident is threatening marine ecosystems, fishing activities and coastal communities after pollutants allegedly drifted into Venezuelan waters. 

Venezuelan authorities said satellite imagery confirmed the presence of the spill and alleged that it surpassed the magnitude of the previous incident that sparked tensions between both neighbouring countries. It also said monitoring and mitigation measures have already been activated to protect affected coastlines. 

Caracas is now demanding that Trinidad and Tobago “fully assume its responsibility” by taking immediate steps to prevent further incidents and providing full transparency regarding the cause, scope and impact of the alleged spill. Venezuela also warned that it reserves the right to pursue action before international bodies to determine liability and seek compensation.

In a Media Release, Heritage Petroleum Company Limited (Heritage) said it was informed of a possible marine sighting of hydrocarbon today (Friday 12th June, 2026) at 8:48 AM. “In response to a statement from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela regarding a possible incident originating in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Heritage confirms that immediate actions were taken to investigate the allegation.”

Heritage said it conducted field checks throughout its operations. “No abnormalities were reported, and a review of the SCADA (online monitoring system) confirmed all parameters were normal. Other operators along the West coast were contacted; no reports of any irregularities were received. Additionally, vessel surveillance was immediately dispatched across all company assets, resulting in a report of no abnormalities.”

The company notes that it is “also liaising with the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard on their surveillance. No abnormalities have been reported from their survey.”

According to Heritage, “Currently, there is no evidence to support the presence of large amounts of hydrocarbon in the sea. We continue to investigate and await further information from the dispatched aerial, vessel, and ground-based surveillance. Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.”

Meanwhile, Minister of Energy and Energy Industries, the Honourable Dr. Roodal Moonilal, MP, has confirmed that the Air Guard, Coast Guard, Heritage and drone teams have been deployed to conduct reconnaissance operations at sea in an effort to verify the reports. Moonilal also revealed that Trinidad and Tobago has requested the exact coordinates of the alleged spill from Venezuelan officials and has engaged diplomatic channels for additional information. 

More on this as it becomes available.

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