Oscarline Onwuemenyi
19 October 2016, Sweetcrude, Abuja – The newly appointed Executive Secretary, Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), Bello Aliyu Gusau, has said besides training, the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurum, Warri, Delta State is supposed to be a money spinning institute because of the efficiency of the equipment available to the oil and gas sector.
Speaking during a visit to PTI, Gusau said with the calibre of equipment available to the institute, it would be encouraged not only to train personnel in the sector but also positioned to generate revenue for the country, a statement from Mr. Kalu Otisi, head press and external relations has said.
“I must say that these are facilities I have not seen anywhere except in PTI, in fact, I was arranging to send some of my PhD and Masters Students from South Africa to come and get experience. And when I see this here, I know PTI is supposed to be money spinning because these are money spinning machines.
“With these not only will you graduate masters for the university, you will be servicing the oil companies because before they start their own rig, all the parameters can be verified and tested here, everything is in place in PTI and we are going to market them aggressively,” the segment stated.
The PTDF undertook to upgrade PTI infrastructure to enhance the teaching, research and learning capacity of the Institute, in order to effectively produce the middle-level manpower requirement of the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.
The upgrade project which commenced a decade ago, include the construction of a laboratory block, library, welding and mechanical workshop and data centre building renovated and equipped with state of the art facilities. The laboratory block is equipped with facilities for research and training in diverse areas of onshore and offshore operations as well as exploration, drilling and production amongst others.
The PTDF boss on the visit also inspected the Metalographic, Corrosion, Polymer, Drilling, Cementing, and Chemistry laboratories. urged the management of PTI to explore the possibility of forming academic partnerships with PTDF Researchers and Chair holders in the universities, with the possibility of using the facilities for sample testing for their research works.
One of the landmark achievements of the comprehensive upgrade project executed by the PTDF at the PTI is the rehabilitation and restoration of a dormant and disused demonstration training rig. PTDF not only made the rig and the flow stations functional but transformed it to be the only demonstration land rig in Africa where International oil companies send their personnel for hands-on training.
The Fund also provided to the Institute the latest drilling simulators known as B5000 and C6000. These drilling and well control simulators are requirements for accreditation by the international well control forum, thus making PTI the only centre in Africa globally recognised to administer training programmes for oil and gas personnel employed in drilling and well control, well intervention and work-over operations.
In his remark, the Acting Registrar of the institute, Abubakar Saddiq Tanimu described the Executive Secretary’s visit as a new dawn that signifies a new beginning in the collaboration between PTDF and PTI to chart a course that will be for the collective good of the industry.
Some of the issues raised during the tour include poor maintenance of the infrastructure and facilities provided by the institution, incomplete installation of some of the facilities on the ground and the lack of technical training of personnel to handle some of the equipment already installed at the workshops and laboratories.
The PTI, Effurum, was established in 1973 by the Federal Government of Nigeria as a requirement for the membership of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
With the massive upgrade by PTDF, It is expected to become a leading oil and gas training Institute with the mandate of producing middle-level manpower for the Industry.