Seventy-one young Omani jobseekers qualified to work as assistant drillers with PDO contractors after successfully completing a vocational training course provided by the Company’s National Objectives programme.

The group officially graduated at a special ceremony at the InterContinental Hotel in Muscat held under the auspices of His Excellency Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Oil and Gas.

Their completion of the PDO-funded course, which lasted for up to 15 months, means they are certified to diploma standard with both the International Well Control Forum (IWCF) and International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC).

The recruits will work with contractors Dalma Energy LLC, Great Wall LLC and Abraj both in the PDO concession area and beyond, as assistant drillers, supervising the work done on the drill floor and all other tasks in connection with well drilling operations.

PDO Managing Director Raoul Restucci said, “All of those who have graduated now have accreditation from reputable international organisations and are fully conversant with the technical, operational and process safety demands of being an assistant driller. The graduation of these young men marks the latest success for our National Objectives programme, which has now created more than 20,000 employment, training and re-deployment opportunities for Omanis since 2011.”

“This programme is based on training jobseekers for skilled positions with low Omanisation levels but a high industry demand, so that they can build good careers in their chosen area, and work either in the Sultanate or abroad. The assistant driller training was provided by the Dalma Training Institute, consisting of a combination of the on-the-job and classroom training in Muscat, and the RAY Skills centre in Halban, which is equipped with a simulation rig,” he added.

PDO National Objectives programme also covers vocational training for a range of other jobs, such as scaffolding, carpentry, lifting and hoisting, and mechanics.  Recently, 195 young Omanis graduated as 6G welders, the highest international level, to work on PDO’s Rabab Harweel integrated project.