Gas technicians to get hands-on experience

By SHIRLEY MAULUDU
PAPUA New Guinea will have a simulated gas processing plant for gas technicians to use for training.
The safe live gas processing plant (SLPP) was recently brought in from Philippines.
It will take about three months to install and set up at the Kumul Petroleum Academy in Port Moresby.
During a tour of the site yesterday, lead trainer David Podmore, who is also in charge of mechanical training, said the first batch of trainees at the academy would help install the plant.
“It’s all going to come to a big one which is going to be at the front of the main office. There’s going to be the control room, the permit office – just like a real plant on a smaller scale,” Podmore said.
“It was only the last two weeks that we’ve got all these equipment free from the port. It’s made in the Philippines and brought here.”
It is an exact replicate of a full-size gas processing plant with live process systems, emergency protection systems and a centralised control room.
The plant has an electrical distribution centre which will provide real-life training scenarios and an assessment facility.
Anna Tubuio, from the Human Resource Division at the academy, said: “We have a specialised team – the Site Group International. We will have these people come in (and help us put the plant together). They are the ones who put this together over there (Philippines), packed it and sent it over. It’s a team of specialised technicians.”
The trainees are on a 15-month training. Gas technicians will no longer have to go overseas for training on the SLPP.
The batch now at the academy are sponsored by ExxonMobil PNG Ltd and Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited.