The national oil company of Trinidad and Tobago (Petrotrin) has more than 5,000 idle wells. The company initiated a procedure for leasing these idle wells to small independent operators in July 1989 through a program known as the "lease operatorship" program. This paper reviews the status of lease operatorship activities, examines the benefits and the strategies adopted by the operators as well as some of the important issues involved, describes the requirements for external operatorship, and outlines plans for the future of the program.