Trinidad and Tobago provides a recent example. In August, state-owned National Gas Company (NGC) acquired a 20% participating interest in the Manakin field from bp Trinidad and Tobago, aligning its stake in Manakin with its existing 20% interest in the Cocuina licence on the Venezuelan side of the cross-border resource.

The Manakin-Cocuina gas field straddles the maritime boundary between Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela and contains about 1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Around 66% of the resource is located on the Trinidad and Tobago side. Under plans outlined by bp and NGC, about 70% of future gas production is expected to be marketed to Atlantic LNG, with the remaining 30% directed toward petrochemical production. A final investment decision is expected by the end of 2026.

Guyana is also seeing a substantial increase in the economic value it receives from its rapidly expanding offshore oil sector. In August, President Irfaan Ali said the government's entitlement from the ExxonMobil-led Stabroek Block had risen to 39.8% of crude production from the original 12.5%, following the consortium's recovery of its project investment costs. The change increases Guyana's production entitlement, but does not represent an increase in the country's equity ownership of the block.

That distinction is important as Guyana's production continues to expand. Uaru and Whiptail are expected to add significant new capacity, while Hammerhead is scheduled to begin production in 2029 and Longtail remains under regulatory review.

At the same time, Guyana's local-content framework is being used to increase domestic participation in the wider oil and gas value chain. More than 40 companies received approval for their 2026 local-content plans in June, while government data shows that more than 1,200 local businesses were participating in the sector by early 2026. The country's local-content policy explicitly includes ownership participation alongside employment, supplier development and value addition.

These developments point to a broader discussion about how Caribbean producers can retain more economic value as international investment accelerates. The focus extends beyond equity stakes in producing assets to local ownership, procurement, workforce development, infrastructure and the use of energy revenues to support wider economic activity.

That transition will be a key theme at Caribbean Energy Week 2027, taking place in Georgetown, Guyana, from July 13–15 under the theme “Unlocking the Caribbean Energy Corridor: Oil, Gas, LNG & Investment for a New Global Hub.”

The event will bring together governments, national oil and gas companies, international operators, investors, financiers and local businesses to examine opportunities across the Caribbean's oil, gas, LNG, power and infrastructure sectors, with a focus on regional integration, investment and value creation.