Lake Asphalt of Trinidad and Tobago is a company based in La Brea in

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

involved in the mining, processing and exporting of

asphalt Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term a ...

products from the

Pitch Lake The Pitch Lake is the largest natural deposit of asphalt in the world, estimated to contain 10 million tons. It is located in La Brea in southwest Trinidad, within the Siparia Regional Corporation. The lake covers about 100 acres (0.405 squa ...

History

The business was founded in 1851 by the tenth Earl of Dundonald who took out a patent for the use of asphalt from the Lake at La Brea.History of the Company
Lake Asphalt of Trinidad and Tobago J.W. Previte and A.L Barber later joined the team and in 1888 secured a 21-year concession for the exploitation of the Lake. In 1949 the business was renamed ''The Trinidad Lake Asphalt Company''. Ownership remained with the ''Previte Company'' based in the UK which comprised a network approximately 24 public companies around the world through which the asphalt was sold.First Magazine
Lake Asphalt of Trinidad and Tobago The '' Limmer & Trinidad Lake Asphalt Company'' became the first contractor to use asphalt from the Lake for road surfacing. In the early 1970s, when the UK market switched to

Coal tar Coal tar is a thick dark liquid which is a by-product of the production of coke and coal gas from coal. It is a type of creosote. It has both medical and industrial uses. Medicinally it is a topical medication applied to skin to treat psoriasi ...

, asphalt became a much less popular product and the Government of

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

took ownership of the asphalt extraction business in 1978.

Operations

Asphalt from the Lake is currently sold throughout the world as a modifier for refinery

bitumen Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term a ...

References

External links

Official Trinidad Lake Asphalt website
{{authority control Mining companies of Trinidad and Tobago Government-owned companies of Trinidad and Tobago Asphalt lakes Non-renewable resource companies established in 1851 1851 establishments in the British Empire 1850s establishments in the Caribbean