The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, has charged the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, Delta to come up with a model to achieve a zero loss of crude oil.
Sylva made the call on Saturday at the 2019 Graduation Ceremony and Award of Diplomas, Certificates and Prizes of PTI in Effurun, Delta.
The minister was represented by Mr Kamaru Busari, Director and the acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources at the event. He also urged the PTI to synergise with the oil companies in the areas of research on how to increase crude oil production in the country. “As the hub for training and re-training of personnel in the oil industry in Nigeria and Africa at large, I charge you to come up with a proposal to assist this administration. “I charge you to assist the administration in its agenda of zero loss of crude oil output and reduction in the cost of crude oil production. “Also, in the eradication of gas flaring and the development of our enormous gas reserve. “Most importantly to bring up initiative towards the realisation of Mr President’s June 12 promised to take one million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years,’’ Sylva said.
In addition, the minister urged the institute to synergise with oil companies to increase oil production. “You should synergise with oil companies in the area of research on how to boost the nation’s crude oil output from about 2.2 million barrels per day to three million barrels,” he said. Sylva said that the Federal Government would continue to support the institute to enable it to fulfil its mandate of providing competent technological manpower in the oil and gas sector.
Also, Mr Ahmad Shakur, Chairman, Governing Council of PTI, appealed to stakeholders in the oil and gas industry to always look inward and collaborate with the institute in the areas of research and training.
“PTI has the technical experience and expertise to handle oil and gas training required. “The continuous restructuring and remodelling of the academic curriculum of the institute in line with the demands in the oil and gas industry is yielding positive results,” he said.
In his address, the Principal of PTI, Prof. Sunny Iyuke, said the institute had introduced International Professional Certification in line with the global best practices. “PTI printing press has been operating below capacity as a result of non-arrival of printing machines acquired by the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) for the upgrade of the printing press.
“I appeal to the Secretary of PTDF to assist the institute in acquiring the license and expedite the arrival of these printing press machines for the institute,” he said.
Iyuke also said the institute had completed the preliminary design for the modular refinery, adding that the next stage would be the development and equipment procurement. He said that the stage of development and procurement of equipment had been hampered by paucity of fund. Also, Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta, said that the state government would continue to partner with the institute in the area of skills acquisition. Okowa was represented by the Delta Commissioner for Oil and Gas, Mr Emmanuel Amgbaduba at the event.
