Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d), the Honourable Mark Phillips, said the Government intends to continuously bolster investments in human capital to build local content capacity and foster a sustainable future for all Guyanese.

He made the remarks while attending the official launch of the US$20m 3T EnerMech Guyana Training Centre of Excellence and graduation ceremony at the company’s headquarters in Lusignan, East Coast Demerara.

The launch of the petroleum training facility, the Prime Minister noted, would enhance Guyana’s human resource development.

“A crucial factor to the success of our nation lies in our people. We must ensure that we utilise the benefits of the oil and gas sector to build a bright future for this, the next generation of Guyanese and beyond. To do that, we must undertake a culture of ownership, a culture where our local content – our people – can thrive and that includes within the workforce itself.”

The training facility, Guyana’s premier in-country, state-of-the-art facility is a collaborative venture between 3t EnerMech, Orinduik Development Incorporated and Windsor Technologies.

Persons will be taught through blended learning software and technology, and via fully immersive simulators for high-hazard activity learning.

CUTTING EDGE DEVELOPMENT

Prime Minister Phillips, during his address, lauded the drive and innovation of the facility and those responsible for its establishment.

“As the first entity with approval to deliver OPITO (Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation)-accredited training to the oil and gas sector in Guyana, our human resources are now strengthened at a global standard to actively and competently participate in the building of this new and abundant area of the country. With an industry that requires high skills and knowledge, it is reassuring to know that these capacities can be imparted to our people without having to leave their home soil.”

LOCAL CONTENT AT WORK

The Senior Government Official added that the “benefit of strong partnerships can never be understated, for these are the binds that allow goals that may otherwise seem unattainable to be achieved”.

He said that the Government would collaborate with 3t EnerMech to offer a blended technical and vocational training programme for Guyanese interested in careers in the oil and gas industry through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL).

“Our Government has continually engaged in the training of our workforce to be able to occupy positions in the oil and gas sector and contribute to the building of this sector, which extends to the development of Guyana. In the past, much of this training was conducted away from home, but today, and from hereon, our people will be able to access such training right here in Guyana.”

In conjunction with the launch, the graduation ceremony, for the first group of students, was also held.

To this end, the Prime Minister charged the graduates to put their skills to use.

“I congratulate the first cohort of participants who underwent training at this facility. May you take your skills and put them to their fullest use as you proceed in your daily tasks of helping to build a better Guyana.”

He said that as a people, Guyana’s success depends on proper resource management, transparency and accountability.

The training programme provides a level one qualification from the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) and is divided into three phases: pre-learning assessment and safe passport, which are completed online, and the technical pathway, which is the practical journey, which is completed at the 3T EnerMech headquarters.

The first session during the morning on the second day of the International Energy Conference and Expo Guyana 2023, featured presentations by the Honourable Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, Vice President of Guyana, as well as the Honourable Vickram Bharrat, Minister of Natural Resources of Guyana.

Vice President Jagdeo shared a bit on the history of the Low Carbon Development Strategy project, investment deals that were made at the time of the project’s creation and other deals that have been made in recent times. He elaborated on the importance of Guyana’s indigenous communities and their role in the LCDS. The Vice President stated that this is “our contribution to the global fight against climate change but we are monetizing these resources and utilizing these resources for the development of our country”

Minister Vickram Bharrat voiced during his speech that Guyana has a thriving future on the horizon, but multiple steps still need to be taken before reaching to that point. He highlighted that there is an open policy for foreign investment in any sector of Guyana. Minister Bharrat mentioned that Guyana currently has the second highest growth rate in the non-oil economy, and the Government of Guyana is committed to growing this non-oil economy even further. A commitment to make sure every Guyanese benefits from the new revenue stream was also an important point that was shared. Despite being small, Minister Bharrat stated that the creation of an educated and skilled population is also vital for a developed Guyana. He concluded his speech by announcing that there are currently 14 offshore blocks that are up for auction.

SBM continues its relationship with ExxonMobil through the signing of a new MOU.

SBM Offshore has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with ExxonMobil Guyana for construction of a multi-purpose floater hull for use on a future floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) project.

ExxonMobil and SBM Offshore have a long history of working together, with multiple FPSO projects underway.

Exxon has previously indicated that at least six FPSOs will be in service by 2027. They have also signaled that the resource base in Guyana has the potential to support up to 10 FPSOs.