Oman opens the most advanced oil and gas training institute in the region, equipped with the industry’s latest technology, including drilling simulators and virtual reality technology that replicates the real work environment on site. Muhammed Nafie reports.

The new oil& gas training institute inaugurated yesterday by HH Sayyid Shihab Bin Tariq Al-Said, adviser to His Majesty the Sultan, is going to open a new chapter in the Sultanate’s hydrocarbon and energy sector, by equipping Omani professionals to meet the industry’s high standards.

The institute (instOG) opened at Innovation Park Muscat (IPM), Oman’s new hub for scientific and technological development inside the Sultan Qaboos University campus, will cater to the growing demand for skilled engineers and geoscientists in this crucial sector.

The RO7mn state-of-the- art facility, spread over an area of about 12,000sqm, will be the most advanced oil and gas training institute in the region, equipped with the industry’s latest technology, including drilling simulators and virtual reality technology that replicates the real work environment on site. The institute includes a number of facilities including a technical training centre, lecture halls and workshops, besides simulation halls, libraries and a service building.

Takatuf Oman, the human capital solutions provider, wholly owned by Oman Oil Company (OOC), in partnership with Schlumberger Oman, are the shareholders of the institute.

instOG will provide structured, long-term career development programmes for petro technical professionals in the disciplines of geology, geophysics, petro physics, reservoir engineering, drilling and wellsite engineering, as well as production engineering.

Says HH Dr Fahad Al-Said, assistant secretary-general for innovation development at The Research Council, “IPM was created with the aim of making research and innovation one of the pillars of the economy in the Sultanate. Today, with instOG opening, we accomplish an important milestone in our plan. We believe instOG will make a significant contribution to the development of human resources and capabilities, to employ scientific research and innovation in addressing the industry’s challenges and taking it a step further.”

Eng Isam Al Zadjali, CEO of OOC adds, “Oman Oil Company facilitates the transfer of expertise and technology to build a knowledge-based economy through building strategic partnerships with petroleum industry leaders, and invests in training programmes to raise the skills of the national workforce. Oman Oil group of companies contributes to achieving sustainable development goals in the area of human capital, as one of the main focus areas of the company.”

Immersive training, development 
A unique training institute not only in Oman, but across the region, instOG integrates state-of-the-art simulation technology that enables immersive training and development to take place, replicating real world situations. Programmes were designed to cover the full range of upstream activities in the Oil and Gas industry, from subsurface to surface and production activities.

Says Eng Mohsin Al Hadhrami, managing director of Schlumberger Oman, “These integrated programmes and technology avoid the creation of silos around each discipline and promote a broader and integrated vision of the professionals on site, leading to improved performance.”

Sheikh Ibrahim Al Harthi, managing director of Takatuf Oman, adds, “These advanced courses aim to focus on mid-career oil and gas professionals looking for an upskill and fresh university graduates of Engineering and Geo-Science looking for practical training that will significantly increase their autonomy once they join the labour market.”

instOG was conceptualised to prepare Omani professionals for the industry’s high standards, where even the engineering, procurement and construction contract of instOG were significantly allotted to Omani companies to stimulate the development of ICV and actively encourage the country’s ambition to achieve its objectives. The institute will add further value by responding to Oman’s workforce development needs by offering innovative human capital solutions for the oil and gas sector.