— Ministers Bharrat, Hamilton concluded during visit

NATURAL Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat and Labour Minister, Joseph Hamilton, on Tuesday, visited the facilities and staff at oil services provider, Schlumberger, in Houston, East Bank Demerara.

The ministers, who visited the facility, were taken a tour by Managing Director of Schlumberger GTC, Ernesto Cuadros. Minister Hamilton was also accompanied by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Board of Industrial Training (BIT), Richard Maughn and Occupational Safety and Health Consultant, Gwen King.

Minister Bharrat noted that the visit was an important one as it provided the government a first-hand look at the magnitude of the operations at the facilities, facilitated a meeting with the Guyanese staff and a discussion about the company’s future in Guyana.

“It’s important that we understand what services they are offering, what type of technology they bring into the country; also to have a chat with our locals who are working there and to look at what systems the company has in place for knowledge transfer, technology transfer, capacity development, capacity building and to understand, too, how the industry really works,” Minister Bharrat said.

Schlumberger, a renowned Fortune 500 company, is the world’s leading provider of technology and digital solutions for the oil and gas industry. In 2017, this company made a decision to invest significantly and establish a long-term footprint in Guyana.

In 2021, the company designated Guyana as the location for its regional base, with the construction of a modern facility.

“What I’m particularly impressed about is their plan to make Guyana a regional hub. That is in keeping with our plan as a government. We’ve always said that we want Guyana to be a hub in the Guiana shield and regionally as well and I think Schlumberger is in sync with what the government is doing,” Minister Bharrat commented.

Over 150 Guyanese employees are currently working for the company, which has already invested over US$75 million in its Guyana operations.

Many of the Guyanese staff have received international training or worked at Schlumberger’s facilities in Trinidad and Suriname. Minister Bharrat noted his satisfaction that Guyanese are filling key technical positions in the company, and it’s not just about Guyanese working in lower-level positions.

IMPRESSIVE
“It is not only employment or training to work in the sector. I spoke to a few locals at the company; they’re not only security guards, they’re not only labourers but are being trained to do highly technical operations in the facility which is impressive. And we need more like that. And we need other companies as well to do similar,” Minister Bharrat said.

Minister Bharrat was able to interact with several of the Guyanese staff during his visit, and noted that the employees all commended their time at the company.

“All of them that I spoke with said they are very comfortable with the environment, and most of them were sent to be trained in other countries. They gained that experience and knowledge and now they’re back in Guyana working. That is a big take away that they’re exposed to the international environment in the oil and gas sector, and then they can bring back that skill to Guyana,” Minister Bharrat noted.

Meanwhile, Minister Hamilton noted that his visit focused on checking up on the employees as well as developing a relationship with the company for future collaborations on training programmes at the BIT and Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency (CRMA).

“From the engagement with the young Guyanese who are now working with this company I could see the excitement in their faces when they are speaking about the activities and the work that they are doing. I think it’s a good thing and I will continue this relationship,” Minister Hamilton said.

The visit by the ministers to the facility came following Schlumberger´s donation of 30 laptops to the teachers of the Houston Secondary school as part of its programme to give back to the community it is located within.