At 50, PTI appraises role in oil, gas sector

Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, Delta State, has urged oil and gas firms to take advantage of latest training facilities and equipment the institute.

Speaking during the 50th anniversary celebration of PTI, the Principal of the institute, Dr. Henry Adimula, said the institute was saving Nigeria foreign currency by domesticating critical training in the petroleum industry with up-to-date facilities.

PTI was established in 1972 by the Federal Government in fulfillment of Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) directive to member countries to train indigenous middle-level manpower to meet the labour force demand of the industry in Nigeria and West Africa sub-region.

Adimula, while listing the achievements of the institute, said: “The Institute was responsible for the training of the take-off staff for the Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company (WRPC), Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company (KRPC), and Eleme Petrochemical Company Limited (EPCL), now Indorama Petrochemical Company.”

He commended past and present executive secretaries of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) for sponsoring the institute’s upgrade project, which culminated in infrastructure upgrade and procurement of the facilities that uniquely positioned PTI as the only institute in Sub-Sahara Africa with training facilities that can address training of workers of the oil and gas industry in the continent.

“The last 50 years of the life of the institute were glorious years of exceptional delivery of training, innovation and technological development.

“From its establishment in 1972, till date, the institute has graduated well over 50,000 technologists and technicians and other technical personnel in various areas in oil and gas and allied Industry operations.

“The Institute is equally fully engaged in manpower development for deep offshore diving and deep offshore operations through mounting of specialized courses in underwater operations,” he said.