Dr the Honourable Roodal Moonilal, M.P., Minister of Energy and Energy Industries and the Honourable Ernesto Kesar, M.P., Minister in the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries have welcomed the announcement of a successful development drilling operation by Touchstone Trinidad Central Block, marking a significant milestone for the country’s energy sector.
The Carapal Ridge-3 Development Well represents the first drilling activity in the onshore Central Block in nearly two decades, with the last such operation taking place in 2006.
According to the announcement, the well was drilled to a depth of 8,200 feet and successfully penetrated the target Hererra sands, which were confirmed to be gas bearing. Completion operations and testing of these sands are currently underway, with production from the well expected to be connected to the Central Block gas processing facility during the first quarter of 2026.
In addition to the primary discovery, Carapal Ridge-3 also encountered gas-charged Karamat sands, which are now being evaluated as a standalone prospect for potential future development.
Touchstone acquired the Central Block in May 2025 and has since conducted comprehensive evaluations of the remaining resources in the area. The company’s assessment led to the decision to drill Carapal Ridge-3, and the operator is now evaluating three additional development opportunities for drilling, incorporating lessons learned from this initial well.
The Energy Ministers emphasized that the successful drilling aligns with the Government’s priority to bring much-needed natural gas to market.