WILLEMSTAD – MFK Member of Parliament Gilbert “Gibi” Doran has called for a change in the leadership of 2Bays, arguing that promised projects at Curaçao’s refinery facilities have failed to materialize while concerns are growing about the company’s finances, commercial activities and the future of hundreds of CRU employees.
Doran made the remarks during the parliamentary meeting on Refineria di Kòrsou (RdK) and 2Bays, where he questioned the management about the status of several projects and disputes involving the former refinery and Bullenbaai.
One of the issues raised by Doran was the status of Oryx/VIGOR and legal proceedings involving 2Bays. He said Parliament needs a clear explanation of where the matter currently stands and what consequences the dispute could have for 2Bays and Curaçao.
Doran also questioned what has happened to the asphalt project previously announced by 2Bays. According to him, the company publicly stated that it intended to continue with the project, but as of August 2026 there has been no visible progress involving the asphalt facilities.
He said other projects had also been announced for the refinery grounds with promises that they would generate employment, but argued that these plans have yet to produce tangible results.
At the same time, Doran said he has received information that 2Bays is working on a restructuring plan for Curaçao Refinery Utilities (CRU) that could significantly reduce its workforce.
According to the parliamentarian, CRU currently employs approximately 238 people, and between 120 and 150 positions could potentially be eliminated. Doran presented those figures as information he had received and asked 2Bays to clarify what is actually planned. No final decision on such layoffs was established in his remarks.
The MFK parliamentarian also raised questions about the sale of petroleum products stored at Emmastad.
Doran claimed that most of the products have already been sold but that a dispute has emerged concerning one of the remaining tanks. According to his account, a buyer allegedly refused to pay after determining that the product contained a significant amount of water.
He specifically referred to “slops,” mixtures of residual petroleum products that can include gasoline, kerosene and gasoil and which can still have commercial value.
Doran argued that if a product is sold as slops, its composition and water content are important to determining its value. He therefore wants 2Bays to explain exactly what was sold, how the transaction was handled and whether the company — and ultimately Curaçao — suffered a financial loss.
He also referred to 2Bays executives Patrick Newton and Hans Visser, claiming that relations with an intermediary involved in the transaction deteriorated after management believed the company had been misled. These allegations were raised by Doran during his parliamentary intervention and have not been independently established.
The parliamentarian ultimately directed his criticism at the leadership of 2Bays.
Doran told Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas that, in his view, the time has come to “rejuvenate” the company's management and bring in people with a new vision, greater energy and a stronger focus on turning announced projects into actual operations.
His criticism comes as Parliament is seeking greater clarity about the financial sustainability of RdK, 2Bays and CRU and the government's efforts to attract new commercial activity to the refinery and Bullenbaai.
For Doran, the central concern is that Curaçao has heard repeated announcements about new projects and employment opportunities without seeing sufficient results on the ground. He is now asking 2Bays to provide concrete answers about the Oryx/VIGOR dispute, the asphalt project, possible CRU restructuring, the sale of petroleum products and the financial consequences for the country.