Pointe-à-Pierre
Encyclopedia
Pointe-à-Pierre is a town in Trinidad and Tobago
. It lies north of San Fernando
and south of Claxton Bay
. It is most famous as the site of the country's largest (and now, only) oil refinery
which is run by Petrotrin
, the state-owned oil company.
The town was built for and is populated by employees of the company. Facilities provided for the residents include a primary school, a yacht club and a staff club equipped with a pool, tennis courts and squash courts (and in the mid 1960s an 18-hole golf course and a secondary school, of which only the golf course remains).
The oil refinery was originally built by Trinidad Leaseholds Limited (TLL) and expanded by Texaco
. It was transferred to Trintoc when the government purchased the land-based assets of Texaco Trinidad Limited, and then incorporated into Petrotrin.
The town is also the home of the world famous Pointe-à-Pierre Wild Fowl Trust
, a wildlife reserve for waterfowl
located within the secured premises of the Petrotrin oil refinery.
Pointe-à-Pierre is separated from Marabella
by the Guaracara River
and from Gasparillo
by the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway
. It lies on the Gulf of Paria
and is an important port for the export and import of petroleum
products. At the southern edge of Pointe-à-Pierre lies Guaracara Park, known for its cricket matches.
The name is locally pronounced "point-ah-PEER" (ˌpɔɪntəˈpɪər).
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
. It lies north of San Fernando
San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago
The City of San Fernando with a population of 55,419 according to the 2000 census, is the larger of Trinidad and Tobago's two cities and the second largest municipality after Chaguanas. It occupies 18 km² and is located in the southwestern part of the island of Trinidad...
and south of Claxton Bay
Claxton Bay
Claxton Bay is a community in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located in west-central Trinidad, and is administered by the Couva-Tabaquite-Talparo Regional Corporation.-References:...
. It is most famous as the site of the country's largest (and now, only) oil refinery
Oil refinery
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas...
which is run by Petrotrin
Petrotrin
Petrotrin, the Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobago is the major State-owned oil company in Trinidad and Tobago. The company was established in 1993 by the merger of Trintopec and Trintoc, two state-owned oil companies. A third company, Trinmar was later merged into the company...
, the state-owned oil company.
The town was built for and is populated by employees of the company. Facilities provided for the residents include a primary school, a yacht club and a staff club equipped with a pool, tennis courts and squash courts (and in the mid 1960s an 18-hole golf course and a secondary school, of which only the golf course remains).
The oil refinery was originally built by Trinidad Leaseholds Limited (TLL) and expanded by Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
. It was transferred to Trintoc when the government purchased the land-based assets of Texaco Trinidad Limited, and then incorporated into Petrotrin.
The town is also the home of the world famous Pointe-à-Pierre Wild Fowl Trust
Pointe-à-Pierre Wild Fowl Trust
Founded in 1966, the Pointe-à-Pierre Wild Fowl Trust is a not for profit environmental non-government organisation dedicated to environmental education and the conservation of wetlands and waterfowl...
, a wildlife reserve for waterfowl
Waterfowl
Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans....
located within the secured premises of the Petrotrin oil refinery.
Pointe-à-Pierre is separated from Marabella
Marabella
Marabella is a former town in southern Trinidad, between San Fernando and Pointe-à-Pierre . Originally a separate town, it was incorporated into the City of San Fernando in the 1990s....
by the Guaracara River
Guaracara River
The Guaracara River, located in south Trinidad, runs westward out of the Central Range and drains into the Gulf of Paria. It forms the boundary between the city of San Fernando and the Couva-Tabaquite-Talparo Regional Corporation...
and from Gasparillo
Gasparillo
Gasparillo is a town in southern Trinidad. It lies east of Pointe-à-Pierre and northeast of San Fernando. The population is approximately 16,000. The name Gasparillo is applied not only Gasparillo proper, but also the surrounding communities including Bonne Aventure and Whiteland. Trinidadians do...
by the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway
Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway
The Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway is the major north-south highway in Trinidad and Tobago. It connects Chaguanas with San Fernando. It meets the Uriah Butler Highway at Chaguanas. The highway was named for Solomon Hochoy, the first Caribbean-born Governor of Trinidad and Tobago and the first...
. It lies on the Gulf of Paria
Gulf of Paria
The Gulf of Paria is a shallow inland sea between the island of Trinidad and the east coast of Venezuela. This sheltered body of water is considered to be one of the best natural harbours on the Atlantic coast of the Americas...
and is an important port for the export and import of petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
products. At the southern edge of Pointe-à-Pierre lies Guaracara Park, known for its cricket matches.
The name is locally pronounced "point-ah-PEER" (ˌpɔɪntəˈpɪər).
People from Pointe-à-Pierre
Famous residents / past residents of Pointe-à-Pierre include:- Floella BenjaminFloella BenjaminFloella Karen Yunies Benjamin, Baroness Benjamin OBE DL is a British actress, author, television presenter, businesswoman and politician...
- Trevor McDonaldTrevor McDonaldSir Trevor McDonald OBE is a Trinidadian-British newsreader and journalist. He had a long career as a news presenter with ITN...