MARITIME STUDENTS UNDERGO OFFSHORE OIL TRAINING (PAGE 31, OCT 3)

OIL industry players operating offshore in the country’s Jubilee Oil Fields have joined forces to train Ghanaians to properly manage the oil resources for the benefit of the country.
Tullow Oil and Swird Pacific Offshore, West Africa are currently collaborating to offer practical training to 20 students from the Regional Maritime University (RMU) on board Pacific Aurora, an offshore service vessel owned by Tallow.
Tullow has also put Pacific Aurora at the disposal of the RMU, which had hitherto not had a resident training vessel for the training of its students.
At the inaugural ceremony in Takoradi, Tullow assured Ghanaians that with its track record of collaboration with its partners and contractors it would ensure that there were appropriate, sustainable levels of local content in every aspect of its operations.
It would also help equip Takoradi Polytechnic and other selected tertiary institutions in the country to enable them to produce employable manpower for the country’s oil industry.
According to the President of Tullow Oil and the General Manager of the group, Mr Dai Jones, the company also had a training programme with Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) where currently 14 trainees had been sponsored to the UK.
The programme would equip the trainees with technical and managerial skills to lead in every aspect of oil industry.
“Today’s cadets programme signals another dimension to our partner effort. We and our partners on the Jubilee Field are providing opportunities for young Ghanaian mariners to acquire the practical training that will equip them not only to add value to their academic programmes but also make them world class resources,” he said.
Mr Jones said, “The Jubilee field is a sea based programme which requires Ghanaians to man the various vessels without which the oil resources cannot be exploited.”
He said as the company was on its promise for first oil next year, “It is crucial that we engage with all stakeholders to address the expectations. One of the expectations is that Ghanaians must fully participate in the industry at all levels of our operations.”
He said Tullow would be in Ghana for the next 30 years and that it would ensure that the real impact of the oil find would be the creation of new business opportunities nationally.
“We at Tullow recognised that entrepreneurial spirit of the Ghanaian and we are looking to their creativity and ingenuity to partner us in overcoming the challenges that we share,” he said.
He said the opportunities did not only exist on the rig but in agriculture as people need to provide for 10 to 12 vessels on the field at any time and other areas such as fresh water, laundry among others.
The Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo commended the training collaboration.