Eni has withdrawn from the offshore North Coast Marine Area 1 Block (NCMA 1) and Block 9 (part of the NCMA 1 unitised area), according to industry sources in mid-November 2018. It is not wholly understood if this deal is subject to government approval. Eni's departure leaves Shell as the main stakeholder. Eni's 17.31% interest gives the Royal Dutch supermajor's total WI of 80.5%. National Oil Company, Petrotrin holds the remaining 19.5%. As part of the state-mandated process to replace debt-laden Petrotrin, Heritage Petroleum is stated to replace Petrotrin as the new state E&P company once it is fully operational by 1 December 2018. Previously in May 2017, Shell had also acquired 17.31% WI from Centrica, in a transaction involving a number of blocks including NCMA 1, Block 9, Block 22 and NCMA 4. This deal involved Centrica's disposal of it's remaining gas assets in Trinidad and Tobago to Shell for US$ 36 million, Shell has been improving its strategic position in gas in Trinidad in recent years, through its purchase of BG in 2016, its stake in LNG plants in Trinidad, its purchase of remaining Centrica interest in 2017, acquisition of Chevron's offshore gas assets in late May 2017, and now capitalising on Eni's withdrawal from NCMA 1.The NCMA 1 Block, contains the Hibiscus, Poinsettia and Chaconia gas fields. The President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, and the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), Keith Rowley signed a joint declaration on 25 August 2018, for the execution of the Dragon Field interconnection project. The delayed project will transport gas from the Dragon Field via a planned 30km subsea pipeline to Shell's Hibiscus platform in Trinidad and Tobago territorial water, before entering Trinidad's gas grid. 
NCMA 1