Ministry of Natural Resources sponsors University of Trinidad and Tobago-administered Basic Petroleum Technology short-course for its staff and those of other Government Ministries and Departments

GEORGETOWN, Guyana – 20 participants drawn from various Ministries and Agencies recently engaged in an intense five-day training workshop entitled ‘Basics of Petroleum Technology’, which was administered by the University of Trinidad and Tobago and facilitated by the New Guyana School.

As part of its ongoing effort to ensure that Guyana stands ready for the oil and gas sector, the Ministry of Natural Resources sponsored the training while extending an invitation to other Ministries and Government Departments. Participants came from the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), the Ministry of Finance and its entity, Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), the Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MoPI), the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) and the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS).

The programme took place at the New Guyana School at Lot 1 Houston Gardens from March 28, 2017 to April 1, 2017.

The University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) collaborated with the New Guyana School on the new programme given the current mode of preparation in the country with regards to the upcoming oil and gas production.

The aim of the training was to give technical and non-technical staff an excellent introduction to petroleum technology with a view to familiarising them with key terms, concepts and processes in the oil and gas sector. The course sought to trace the life of petroleum from its generation to the point of sale and to assist participants in understanding and appreciating the various processes which are involved in petroleum mid-stream and down-stream production for sale to the customer.

Senior Lecturer in Petroleum Engineering at UTT Mr Indar Narace, an industry veteran who has worked as a Petroleum Engineer at the Ministry of Energy in Trinidad and Tobago, delivered the knowledge in a relatable and practical manner. He employed the use of pictures, videos, charts and other forms of data to deliver the teaching. Further, his use of practical real world examples from his experience at the Ministry of Energy allowed participants the ability to grasp the concepts, which in many cases were new. Participants now have a better understanding of the relevance and applicability of petroleum processes to Guyana as our country is now poised to become an environmentally friendly oil and gas producer.

Among the topics delivered were:

  • Origin of Petroleum
  • Chemistry of Petroleum
  • Petroleum Geology
  • Geological Features
  • Petroleum Reservoirs
  • Petroleum Reserves
  • Surface Exploration Methods
  • Geophysical Exploration
  • Structure Contour Mapping
  • Subsurface Exploration Methods
  • Well Logs
  • The Drilling Process
  • Well Completion
  • Production Equations
  • Hydrocarbon Recovery Mechanisms
  • Remedial Well Work
  • Processing of Hydrocarbons

As part of the training, the participants learnt about current best practices in well safety and environment, including the use of Blowout Preventers (BOP) in both onshore and offshore oilfields.

The Ministry of Natural Resources will continue to seek opportunities to ensure that staff at various levels of the governance architecture have a thorough understanding of the oil and gas sector and how it can be sustainably managed.

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