Young, Imbert dismiss questions on Quanten
Trinidad and Tobago
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley yesterday knocked UNC Senator Wade Mark’s “outrageous” remarks regarding Quanten LLC.
“The Minister of Finance/Corporation Sole has responded in protection of the public interest. It is now for you (Express) to obtain from Wade Mark the facts surrounding his usual outrageous undermining efforts so as to prevent yourself and your profession from being used as an echo chamber for ambitious speculation and outright lies and UNC conspiracy theories,” the Prime Minister said via WhatsApp in response to questions from the Express.
Quanten LLC, the company interested in buying the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery, has also won bids to operate refineries in Aruba and Angola.
Energy Minister Stuart Young, in rubbishing questions that Mark raised about Quanten LLC on Sunday, has confirmed that the American company is engaged in the RFP process for the refinery and it is being handled by Trinidad Petroleum Holdings Ltd (TPHL).
In a statement, Young said various arms of the United States government have communicated with him with respect to Quanten LLC, indicating its (Quanten’s) interest in the RFP process for the refinery and there has been support for the company as being an American-based entity.
Young stated that the company is engaged with TPHL and has to go through the standard and required processes in these types of matters and there is nothing further to be said at this stage.
Finance Minister Colm Imbert stated that the procurement process for the refinery has been closely monitored by the ministry as he, too, dismissed questions about Quanten.
125 years experience
On Sunday, Mark raised concerns about Quanten LLC, saying he was unable to locate the company’s headquarters except that a company “Quanten Inc” operated out of a “suite” in San Jose, California.
Mark said records at the California State Registry state that the company was owned by two brothers who are qualified electricians and who also owned Quanten Electrical Contracting Inc.
Two companies carrying the same name, he said, were also found registered in Texas.
These two companies, Quanten Angola Consortium LLC and Quanten Aruba Consortium LLC, were both registered by the same agent and attached to a house in Texas.
Mark expressed concern that Quanten LLC was bidding for this country’s billion-dollar Pointe-a-Pierre refinery and its official address is registered to a house.
Online searches by the Express yesterday showed up results for three companies with the Quanten name, in the US, Aruba and Angola.
According to quanten.us, Quanten LLC has a combined experience of over 125 years.
The company’s website stated that its work includes both small and large-scale business and project management in “high technology and power-related” projects.
This experience is in Japan, China, USA, Europe, India, Africa, Curacao and Southeast Asia and including more than 80 solar farms in the USA.
Jeff Meyers
The website lists two brothers as being co-founders of the company.
Jeff Meyers is the founder and board chairman of Quanten LLC and Quanten Electrical Contractor, Inc. (QEC), which provides electrical services for large commercial and industrial projects.
It stated that QEC collaborates with Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) utility in the USA in projects involving grid connection, and retrofitting buildings with energy-saving solutions utilising incentive funds as designated by the State of California.
The website names Jerry Meyers as co-founder of Quanten LLC and Quanten Electrical Contractor, Inc. (QEC) and stated he has more than 30 years’ experience from electrician to design-build and project management. He most recently has been heading up the project oversight of all operational projects with Pacific Gas & Electric.
Aruba refinery
There are online reports about the company’s bid to operate in Aruba and Angola.
According to arubanative.com, since 2020 Quanten Consortium Aruba, LLC was ready to invest up to US$3.5 billion in a 100-year-old refining tradition in Aruba.
The report stated that Quanten Consortium Aruba, LLC (QCA, LLC) was selected to finalise the due diligence process, and negotiate and sign a binding contract to refurbish, upgrade and operate the Aruba Refinery and Terminal Complex.
The report quoted Jeff Meyers speaking about the project: “This day marks the beginning of a new chapter. Together with our participating companies, in the long term, we intend to support the refinery to significantly improve its financial performance. The closing of the deal will be a remarkable achievement for QCA and for the Aruban citizens.”
Angola refinery
Quanten Consortium Aruba LLC is listed as being head-quartered in San Jose, California.
Quanten also won the bid to operate a refinery in Angola.
The Oil and Gas Journal report, dated March 2021, stated that Angola’s Ministry of Mineral Resources and Petroleum (MIREMPET) had awarded the country’s previously announced tender for construction of a 100,000-b/d grassroots refinery in Soyo, Zaire Province, to US-based Quanten Consortium Angola LLC.
It stated that as the winning consortium of eight groups of competitors vying for the project, Quanten will design, build, own, and operate the proposed deep-conversion refinery at Soyo, which will play a critical role in Angolan President João Lourenço’s programme of strengthening the African nation’s economy by helping reduce the country’s current reliance on expensive refined product imports.
The report stated that alongside construction of the refinery—which will have flexibility to process a variety of crudes for production of consumer-ready end products such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and asphalt—Quanten separately said it will also:
*Design, build, own, and operate a tank farm and marine terminal for feedstock (including crude oil) delivered to and products exported from the refinery.
*Design, build, own, and operate all associated infrastructure, including an electric power generation plant, potable water plant, wastewater treatment plant, as well as all access roads and surrounding environmental developments at the site.
*Establish robust local content and economic development initiatives for Soyo City and Zaire Province.
The refinery is currently scheduled for start-up in 2024.
image: pexels-johannes