60 graduate in oil and gas training

Jun 06, 2013

Sixty Ugandans graduated in advanced oil and gas management essentials training, a development that further enlarges the local pool of Ugandans acquiring skills for the budding industry.The two month training now in its third session is conducted by Makerere University Business School in partnershi

By David Mugabe

Sixty Ugandans graduated in advanced oil and gas management essentials training, a development that further enlarges the local pool of Ugandans acquiring skills for the budding industry.

The two month training now in its third session is conducted by Makerere University Business School in partnership with Quest Energy, a local entity.

During the award ceremony at Hotel Africana in Kampala, state minister for energy Peter Lokeris urged the graduants to position themselves in the industry and become relevant so as not be left out of its fortunes. He reiterated that the oil resources will be used to build infrastructure to support other industries like agriculture.

“Very soon after the enactment of oil and gas laws, there will be need for new institutions like the national oil company, they must be run by people who I see here today,” said Lokeris. The course sets out basic detail of the industry capturing the history of the industry, stakeholders, business intricacies, opportunities as well as legal implications among others.

Lokeris saluted Quest Energy for being one of emerging local entities that have put one foot in the industry that still has doubters especially about the skills levels of Ugandans.

Patrick Ruharuza, chief executive of Quest Energy said the training team has expanded while the content is being refined. He said they are now targeting a post graduate, Bachelors and Masters of Science in oil and gas by mid 2014.

Quest is looking to partner with some foreign universities to introduce accredited courses. Most of the training has been done in Europe denying local institutions the opportunity to develop the needed skills sets. Lokeris said government will continue to emphasize that the oil companies employ local people unless special expertise is needed.

A common understanding between government and the oil companies on the commercial development especially a basin commercialization plan of the Albertine Graben has been reached following a stand-off that lasted years.

“We are now making a MoU which has taken us two months to agree upon certain sentences,” said Lokeris.

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