ATLANTIC Marine, a leading player in the marine and offshore industries in Guyana, announced substantial investments totalling almost US$10 million, reaffirming its commitment to excellence, innovation, and safety in the oil and gas sector.

Following a comprehensive tour of its facilities, Lancelot Gordon, the Business Development Manager of the Atlantic Marine Group of Companies, outlined the company’s strategic focus on core operations, partnerships, and future growth.

Gordon explained that since 2019, his company has formed six strategic partnerships with both foreign and local companies to bring much-needed expertise to Guyana’s oil and gas sector.

According to Gordon, the Atlantic Marine Group of companies has streamed its focus, concentration, and strengthening of core operations and existing partnerships.

Lance said, “our strategies are not to widen our scope currently, but to solidify and enhance what we currently excel at. We are planning to transform this 10-acre plot of land into a commercial hub for the oil and gas industry. This includes centralising our operations and moving to our brand-new building, creating a one-stop destination for all oil and gas needs.”

While Atlantic Marine currently houses three of their partners, they also provide housing services for key contractors in the oil and gas industry.

“With investments of nearly US$10 million to date, Atlantic Marine, as a local company, has been at the forefront of the marine and offshore industries here in Guyana. Our focus is on providing not only the highest quality products and services, but to provide our customers with reliable solutions aligned with our commitment to excellence and innovation. From 2019 to present, we have forged six strategic partnerships with both international and regional companies, bringing much-needed expertise to Guyana in support of our oil and gas industry.”

Lance also provided an update on a few of the companies that are in collaboration with Atlantic Marine, while detailing their respective roles.

“Some of these partnerships include Atlantic JZ Energy, which provides instrumentation training for technicians on board the FPSO vessels (the Liza Destiny and Liza Unity), NTS Amega Atlantic, and Relia New Tech… which are the providers of certified offshore training and courses that include tropical basic offshore safety induction and emergency training (BOSIET), shallow water compressed air emergency breathing systems, and initial deployment training,” he explained.

The business development manager further stated that his company ensures that the safety and security of every individual employed are of utmost importance, and they are currently erecting a pool with a depth of 12 feet.

According to Lance, safety plays an integral role in ensuring that relevant personnel are equipped to work on the rig or the FPSOs by going through the Basic Offshore Safety Induction & Emergency Training (BOSIET) training.

Lance noted that the training simulates the individuals being in a helicopter that would have capsized. “An example of the training, you will be tossed upside down while you’re in the pool, and you have to unbuckle and swim your way to the surface. The facility is set to be commissioned in Q1 of 2024. The rig and lift Guyana is a wire rope manufacturer shop which will also offer visual inspection and non-destructive testing services. We are also expecting that this facility will be fully commissioned by the end of Q1 of 2024.”

Finally, Lance emphasised that the safety culture in Guyana has taken off since the discovery of oil and gas. According to him, “prior to oil and gas, we were up to par with our safety approach, now everything that we do has to be edited and approved in order for us to do business with ExxonMobil and their contractors. We are not taking safely lightly, it is at the forefront of what we do, ensuring that our employees get home safely to their families.”

Meanwhile, the country manager of NTS Guyana Pablo Villagra explained he is happy that his company is a joint venture with Atlantic Marine.

Pablo asserted that the NTS Amega Group is a multinational organisation with operations spanning from Singapore to Guyana, with its headquarters located in Dubai in the Middle East.

According to him, “We are specialised in manufacture repair, and we are also specialised in welding procedures, especially for non-magnetic processes. These non-magnetic tools / parts that we repair, and manufacture are focused on the directional drilling. As you are well aware, Guyana now is one of the key players in the oil and gas industry globally, and deep water is not an easy place to drill. It requires high technology, new engineering development, new materials…”

Pablo also added that they have brought to Guyana all the knowledge that they have gained globally. “Here, our personnel are focused on the joint venture to fulfil all the needs for the local contents. Most of our employees are scheduled or have been already trained overseas in order to understand how critical the parts and the processes are in Guyana.”