CNOOC trains Ugandan employees in China

The team of Ugandan after they completed their training.

What you need to know:

Getting ready. As the country prepares to start drilling commercial scale oil, the need for skilled labour is prominent.

Getting ready. As the country prepares to start drilling commercial scale oil, the need for skilled labour is prominent.

Monitor Reporter

In an effort to assist its employees meet their career development needs and bridge the human resource gap in the local oil and gas sector, CNOOC Uganda Limited has started conducting hands-on training for its Ugandan staff.

The first group of staff to benefit from the training programme completed an intensive four-week training at CNOOC Limited’s Tanggu base in Tianjin, China on November 7.

CNOOC Uganda Limited is a subsidiary of CNOOC Limited, China’s largest producer of offshore crude oil and natural gas and one of the world’s largest independent oil and gas exploration and production companies.

Training components

The training focused on Health Safety Environment (HSE), Geological and Geophysical study, drilling and completion and oil field development among others.

The course was attended by seven of CNOOC Uganda staff from the Exploration, Drilling & Completion and Production and Development departments. “The training was aimed at broadening the participant’s professional knowledge in the oil and gas sector,” according to Mr Chen Kai, head of human resource department of CNOOC Uganda Limited.

CNOOC’s on-job training programme comes at a time when Uganda is preparing to move towards the commercial production of its oil and gas resources.
However, the key challenge for the sector and economy is the acute shortage of skilled and semi-skilled manpower to drive the industry to the next phase of development.

Therefore, such training programs come in handy to prepare the available professionals to manage and oversee the critical processes in the oil and gas sector.

Commenting on the programme, Mr Dennis Nambale, an Explorations Engineer at CNOOC Uganda Limited said, “Through this training, I have gained experience in exploration related skills such as seismics, petrophysics, mud and wireline logging. I have acquired knowledge in the other disciplines of the oil and gas industry like drilling and
production development.”

Ms Pamella Nakimera, a Geologist Trainee of CNOOC Uganda Limited, said the course on Health, Safety and Environment opened her eyes to the importance of following safety rules and regulations to avoid causing harm to not only herself but people in the vicinity. “I have received knowledge in drilling and well completion and other
technical courses that have now enabled to have a much clearer interpretation of my work,” Nakimera said.

Nakimera and Nambale are part of the group of 60 Ugandan nationals who have been recruited by CNOOC Uganda Limited to support its operations in the Kingfisher area in the Albertine Graben.

In addition, more site technical and supporting positions will be recruited before the commercial production of oil starts.

Since starting operations in Uganda, CNOOC Uganda Limited has conducted more than ten training programs focused on the basic understanding of the oil industry, oil and gas safety measures, emergency handling, oil and gas industry accounting, Uganda and Chinese culture, among others.

In the near future, CNOOC Uganda Limited will actively cooperate with the universities and institutes in Uganda to create a sound environment for delivering the Oil & Gas training in the country.