A comprehensive new field assessment of the former Mobil Oil Refinery site at Needham’s Point has been completed, as the government renews efforts to transform the contaminated area into productive use, Barbados TODAY can reveal.
The work, which was done last month, sought to gauge the scale of contamination of the ground by leaked oil, Minister of Energy Kerrie Symmonds said on Monday. The assessment “included the gathering and assessment of sub surface information, so as to identify the extent, if any, of seepage and possible subsurface spread,” he said.
“A site characterisation study is currently being prepared for the ministry with regard to its current condition.”
Works are also scheduled to be conducted on the old oil tanks and “once that process is finished, recommendations will follow”, he added.
The contamination issue dates back to the refinery’s closure a quarter-century ago, with evidence of crude oil pollution raising environmental concerns. The site’s proximity to two prominent hotels – Hilton Barbados Resort and Radisson Aquatica Resort – and the popular Pebbles Beach has heightened anxieties about potential hazards.
A scientific analysis conducted in June 2002, in preparation for the construction of the new Hilton hotel, revealed the extent of the contamination.
The report, examined by Barbados TODAY, stated that although a site assessment was not originally part of the mandate of Fiton Technologies Corporation – the firm initially retained by Needham’s Point Holdings Ltd – the company determined the full area and depth of contamination and found any additional sources of contamination other than the leakage of fuel oils from the tanks used to operate the original Hilton hotel’s boilers.
The report, prepared under the Owen Arthur administration for the Ministry of Physical Development and Environment, recommended that the site’s soils and groundwater be cleaned up to Dutch ‘C’ cleanup standard or better – a globally recognised benchmark for environmental remediation.
Fiton Technologies Corporation was initially retained by Needham’s Point Holdings Ltd — the Hilton’s state-owned holding company — to apply its proprietary biocatalysis process for the clean-up. Their assessment uncovered multiple sources of contamination, contrary to previous investigations.
The analysts discovered four underground pipelines originating from the former Mobil Refinery, traversing the Needham’s Point property boundary. Three of these pipelines were found to contain dark heavy petroleum oils under pressure, while the fourth held thick, highly viscous oily residues.
Alarmingly, two of the pipelines were discharging their contents directly into areas being cleaned up, undermining remediation efforts. The contamination was found to have spread beyond the immediate site, affecting the nearby Military Cemetery at Gravesend and the Barbados Light and Power Company headquarters.
But Jamar White, Director of Natural Resources in the Ministry of Energy, has sought to make clear that previous studies, including one dating back to 1998, are now obsolete.
“It was important to understand the current-day level of contamination present at the site and how it could impact surrounding areas,” White explained.
The government commissioned a new international environmental firm to undertake a modern site characterisation. The process, which began in November 2025, has included extensive consultations and the installation of specialised monitoring wells and borings.
(EJ)
