Petroleum Africa
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Thursday, August 21, 2014
Drum Cussac has teamed up with Tanzania’s government to promote entrepreneurs who cater to international oil and gas companies operating in the country. Drum Cussac is focusing on helping these entrepreneurs meet the requirements of the international operators as part of its own Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative and a Tanzanian government vocational scheme.
In the southern city of Mtwara, Drum Cussac liaises with students at one of the country’s many Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA) centers, facilitating the provision and refurbishment of security panels for the offshore platform supply vessels serving the nearby oil rigs operated by BG Group.
The company was contracted by BG to be responsible for maintaining the protection measures on the supply vessels, and to that end Drum Cussac says the students’ work is invaluable.
“This is a business opportunity for local, semi-skilled, workers,” stressed Drum Cussac’s CEO, Andrew Littlejohns. “These VETA students benefit directly from the presence of the oil and gas companies in Tanzania, and Drum Cussac and BG Group get a timely, professional service in the local area. This will have lasting, tangible and quantifiable benefits in the years to come. The local community has ownership of the whole project.”
Drum Cussac’s project manager on the ground in Mtwara, Chris Smith, explained how the students assess the requirements for each vessel and then make the panels and replacement panels for the BG Group, under the tutelage of their Tanzanian teachers and a volunteer expatriate welding advisor.
Dickson Alloh, one of the VETA trainees, says: “I enrolled on the course because I wanted to learn about welding and metal fabrication, and I thought it would give me good employment prospects. Doing practical work for BG Group has been very interesting. They provide all the material and tools so we can do the job for them. I am looking forward to setting up my own business eventually, but equally I may decide to get more experience and teach others.”
Fellow student Petro Matase said he had opted for learning welding over a business marketing course. “When BG Group moved into the area I decided to enroll on this course. It is great to be learning a professional skill and I am proud that I will be able to provide for my family. I look forward to being able to serve the oil and gas conglomerates offshore and onshore for many years to come.”
Drum Cussac has been able to participate in the upgrading of workshop, modernizing it and bring it up to a “very high standard”. Briton Paul Burbidge an expert expatriate guiding and mentoring the students in their newly-found skills for the past two years said that the modernization took place thanks to the cooperation between Drum Cussac on behalf of the BG Group, and some extra funding from Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO). VSO is an international development charity which helps fight poverty using expert volunteers.
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