1st batch of trainee technicians graduate from oil and gas institute

The first batch of students to enter the Guyana Technical Training College Inc (GTTCI) which is referred to as the ‘Oil and Gas Institute’ have graduated.
Twenty-four trainee technicians graduated on Friday from the Port Mourant, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) facility having completed courses in instrumentation, production, electrical, and mechanical.
Natural Resource Minister Vickram Bharrat, who delivered the feature address referred to the oil and gas sector as being a very important one to Guyana’s development.
“This is why the government is striving to ensure that Guyanese play an integral role in the sector. You will be the envy and the inspiration for many young Guyanese and you are setting an example. When you actually go into the workforce, it means that you would be representing not only yourself, you will be representing Guyana,” he told the graduates.
He took time out to thank SBM Offshore Guyana, ExxonMobil, Hess, and CNOOC for their contributions towards the success of the venture.
The first phase of the state-of-the-art facility was commissioned on February 9 – an initiative largely led by SBM Offshore Guyana, Stabroek block partners ExxonMobil, Hess and CNOOC, and the Government of Guyana. US$13 million has been invested in the facility simulator dubbed FacTor.
FacTor is a fully functional plant that mirrors the operation of real offshore platforms using water and air, designed to accommodate a batch of 24 students.
Minister Bharrat pointed out that the most important resource in Guyana is not its natural resources but its human resources.
“Especially our young people who are entering into the workforce.”

Unprecedented growth
Speaking about the growth Guyana has seen in the oil and gas sector, Bharrat said it is unprecedented.
“Where you discover oil in 2015, you have ‘first oil’ in December 2019, and today as we speak, an average production of 650,000 barrels per day. It has never happened anywhere in the world; worst yet in deep sea. We have never seen that onshore but we are seeing that in deep waters in Guyana,” he pointed out.
He noted that the success rate of exploration is more than eighty percent which is also higher than the success rate of exploration seen on other parts of the world.
Speaking of the transitioning to renewable energy, the Natural Resources Minister noted that the government does not mind the criticisms claiming that Guyana is moving too fast in harnessing fossil fuel and producing too much too fast.
“Because there is only a small window that exists for fossil fuel in the world; that is the reality of the situation. How wide that window is, no one can actually predict,” he said
Nevertheless, Minister Bharrat noted that the transition is not happening as fast as it should because many countries cannot meet their commitment to transition to one hundred percent renewable fuel but those commitments are not being met.
“This is mainly because of external issues and challenges that are happening around the world and the resources needed to transition fully to green energy while at the same time, the resources for exploration and production of fossil fuel has been dwindling.”
Meanwhile, General Manager of SBM Offshore Guyana, Martin Cheong, noted that its partnership with GTTCI underscores the company’s commitment to nurturing local talent and fostering a highly skilled workforce in Guyana.
“We believe that investing in education and training is the cornerstone of sustainable development and progress,” he said.
President of ExxonMobil Guyana Alistair Routledge pointed out that one of the company’s priorities is investing in people.
“This is critical for the long-term future of the country that we continue to invest in people and that you are willing to take that on and invest in yourselves,” he said as he congratulated the graduates.
Director of the college, Professor Clement Sankat pointed out that the first batch spent nine months at the college, however, future batches will only spend six months.
He told the graduates that they are special to Guyana and that much is expected of them. “You represent a very special group of young technicians who will build a future for Guyana’s oil and gas industry. Some of you will become the leaders and managers of this sector as you grow and develop.”
He urged the group to stay focused.
Two members of the graduating class have already been called to work offshore and were not at the graduation exercise.
Meanwhile, GTTCI is a part of a bigger picture that will see a campus being constructed at Port Mourant.
The campus will be designed to facilitate oil and gas training (Track One) funded by ExxonMobil, Hospitality and Tourism Institute (Track Two) funded by the government with the Caribbean Development Bank, and the Port Mourant Training College (Track Three) which falls under GuySuCo and the Ministry of Agriculture. (G4)