Muscat: Committed to enhancing the capabilities of the national workforce in the oil and gas sector and in line with its dedication to contributing to the country’s ICV agenda, Daleel Petroleum, in cooperation with a number of local institutions operating in the sector, launched an ambitious program to train and empower the country’s workforce in a critical and highly specialised area of operation. 

Daleel Petroleum initiated this campaign in an endeavour to provide a sustainable solution to address the challenges faced in obtaining specialised international expertise when managing the electrical interconnection of petroleum wells. Acknowledging the need to be self-sufficient and reduce dependency on international companies, Daleel Petroleum, under its supplier development plan, launched a comprehensive training program to empower the team at Marmul Falcon Company, thereby enabling the company to be the local service provider of this highly technical and complex operation. 

Daleel Petroleum’s training program was conducted keeping international standards and protocols in mind and placed increased emphasis on various technical aspects, ensuring that each employee had the necessary skills to effectively carry out assigned tasks. The program will play an instrumental role in achieving increased operational independence in the oil and gas sector while lowering costs and enhancing the efficiency of workflows.  

Appreciating the initiatives taken by Daleel Petroleum, Mabkhout Saad Mokaddam Al-Mahri, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Marmul Falcon Trading and Contracting Company, said, “Daleel Petroleum has demonstrated utmost keenness in nurturing the national workforce and their efforts toward training the team at Marmul Falcon are indeed commendable. They have not only followed exceptional levels of professionalism in adhering to the health, safety and environment guidelines but have remained unfaltering in their commitment to guiding the team in all administrative and technical aspects of operations.”

Meanwhile, Mohammed Nasser Al Hinai, Principal Project Engineer at Daleel Petroleum, said, “This idea was conceptualised and implemented in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic when it was difficult to find an international crew to carry out such operations. Direct electrical connections are vital to the operation of the electrical network as it facilitates quick connections and avoids the closing of electrical lines. Having this service available locally will greatly benefit the petroleum production operations.”

In addition to the periodic maintenance tasks for the electrical network, this year, Daleel Petroleum was able to implement approximately 14 direct electrical connections to boost petroleum production operations by about 7,000 barrels. The presence of a local company like Marmul Falcon Company, which is skilled in carrying out such complex technical operations, will ensure an uninterrupted flow of work in the petroleum and gas sector. In addition, it will also give an impetus to the country’s ICV. This thoughtful initiative has come at a time when there exists an increasing need for additional companies in the market who have the required capabilities to improve the quality and optimise the cost of direct electrical connection operations.

It is important to note that Daleel Petroleum’s efforts to contribute to the oil and gas sector, boost national competencies, and support LCCs are part of a well-planned strategy that is divided into two phases. The first phase focuses on empowering local institutions with the needed skills, expertise, and knowledge to efficiently handle the direct electrical connection operations in the oil and gas field. With the team from Marmul Falcon successfully executing a number of related tasks, the company will, under Daleel Petroleum’s guidance, also help to propagate this proficiency amongst other SMEs and local companies. This further attests to the ability of homegrown companies to provide the required service, thereby eliminating the need to rely on expertise from abroad.   

Supported by Daleel Petroleum, Marmul Falcon Company has also developed the first local training center for direct pneumatic electrical interconnection with standards that comply with the regulations for working in medium voltage lines (33 kV).

The second phase of the strategy includes the establishment of a calibration and measurement laboratory, which is an integral component of the electrical interconnection service. The laboratory helps to evaluate the safety and suitability of tools used to perform tasks. It also highlights the importance of providing continuous and accurate maintenance services for the equipment – a step that will significantly reduce costs in the long run.

The achievements of Marmul Falcon Company are a reflection Daleel Petroleum’s dedication to consistently supporting Omani engineers and companies in the oil and gas industry. This step will open new horizons for suppliers and operators in the sector.