15 Guyanese trained to work on Exxon’s drillship

Last Tuesday, 15 Guyanese from JSL International completed the Basic Safety Training (BST) and Ship Security Awareness (SSA) courses at the MATPAL Marine Institute.

The courses are part of the requisite training and certification needed to qualify them to be employed on the Noble Bob Douglas Drillship.

According to the MATPAL, BST is a one-week modular course, which is done in accordance with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978 as amended. It comprises Basic Firefighting, Basic First Aid, Personal Survival Techniques, Personal Safety and Social Responsibility and Ship Security Awareness.

According to JSL International, these candidates were chosen from a list of applicants who responded to an advertisement published by JSL International on their Facebook Page and in local newspapers.

The JSL International Group of Companies has been given the job to provide the labour force for the drill. The drillship has been contracted to provide drilling services for ExxonMobil offshore in Guyana for a three-year period. Their first drilling is expected to commence in the first half of 2018 with the Liza Phase 1 development wells.

“The MATPAL Marine Institute has been providing the nation with training and certification for over 18 years in both locally and internationally recognized courses in the maritime field. Even as Guyana is on the verge of launching into the Oil and Gas Industry, the Institute will continue to stand as the provider of these services to ensure that Guyanese are able to access the necessary training to start their careers at sea.” MATPAL is operating from Critchlow Labour College.

(Kaieteur News)