HMS Trent diverted to Guyana as Venezuela renews border claim over oil-rich region
HMS Trent has visited Guyana as Venezuela renews its border claim on the now oil rich Essequibo region.
Nearly 60% of Guyana lies in the region, but the discovery of large oil deposits off the shore of Essequibo has reignited Venezuela's claim to the region.
Experts have estimated more than 11 billion barrels of oil and natural gas could be within the region.
HMS Trent was diverted from the Caribbean, where she had been hunting drug smugglers, to Guyana to support the South American nation.
The ship anchored off Georgetown, Guyana's capital, and welcomed aboard the country's Chief of Defence Staff and the British High Commissioner to Guyana, as well as other dignitaries.
Forty members of the Guyana Coast Guard and Defence Force also toured the ship, before training and combined manoeuvres concluded the visit.
HMS Trent is the third of the five Offshore Patrol Vessels being built to replace the current River-class vessels.
She is usually on station in the Mediterranean and off the west coast of Africa as part of a long-term security mission.
However, she replaced destroyer HMS Dauntless in the Caribbean in December - which included travelling through some rough seas during her winter crossing of the Atlantic Ocean.
The reward for sailors at the other end was some downtime once they reached Bridgetown, Barbados' capital – including the ship's first ever 'hands to bathe' - the opportunity to swim in the ocean from the ship - and a Christmas BBQ on the flight deck.
The respite was short-lived however, when Trent was tasked to sail to Guyana.
After her urgent tasking to Guyana, HMS Trent returned to Bridgetown for a crew rotation before heading to Puerto Rico to welcome a US Coast Guard team.
HMS Trent is now on patrol, with the ship deploying on operations across four continents and 14 nations in the last year.
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