American Firm Launches New Technology for Nigerian Petrochemical Industry

Ejiofor Alike

The US Commercial Service Nigeria held a Single Company Promotion event in Lagos recently to launch a new training simulation solution by New Jersey, USA-based Simulation Solutions, Inc., aimed at strengthening the skills of process operators working in Nigeria’s refinery and chemical industry.

Simulation Solutions is a leading provider of PC-based dynamic simulation training programs for process operators in the refinery and chemical industries, as well as for government and academia. The company’s INSTO™ 5-Step Process Technology Operator Training for professionals has been used by downstream oil firms all over the world to improve significantly plant efficiencies.

US Consul General F. John Bray said in his opening remarks that for Nigeria to overcome its current economic challenges, it must find ways to diversify its economy while improving firm-level productivity. He encouraged participants to actively engage with Simula- tion Solutions to improve their organisations’ bottom-line profitability.

Simulation Solution’s Nigerian partners Benel Energy and Hommaston Limited stressed why this training is absolutely critical for the economic wellbeing of Nigeria’s refinery and chemical sector. Don Glaser, President of Simulation Solutions, Inc., and Matthew Garvey, Project Engineer, showcased the Simulation Solution’s patented training programs, which combine collaborative classroom techniques with innovative simulator exercises to achieve a “Hands-On/Minds-On” work ethic among students.

Over 60 representatives from across Nigeria’s petrochemical sector, including officers from Nigeria’s national oil company, regulatory agencies and parastatals, as well professionals drawn from private refineries, training institutes and academia, learned how companies can effectively operate their plants without accidents and downtimes, saving costs and improving profitability. US Commercial Service Counsellor Brent Omdahl anchored the event.

Audience participants expressed keen interest in establishing a partnership with Simulation Solutions, so as to find ways to adapt the simulator training program for their individual operations. Academic speakers encouraged a gradual introduction of the training program into technical and executive skills curricula. In the coming months, the U.S. Commercial Service in Nigeria will continue its support for Simulation Solutions and its Nigeria partners as they roll out training programs at interested organisations across the country.