Honeywell UOP and the Gulf Downstream Association (GDA) are planning to deliver a series of industry courses, catering to entry-level chemical engineers, as well as engineers from various disciplines moving into the refining and petrochemicals industry.

These courses are being delivered at a time when regional governments in the Middle East are striving to address a growing industrial skills gap.

The first course on refinery process fundamentals was held in two batches in the Kingdom of Bahrain during August and September of this year. A total of 45 delegates from Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO), Saudi Aramco, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Company(KIPIC) benefitted from the course.

“The refinery process course provides a broad overview of the fundamentals of refinery operation and production,” said Jim Moshi, regional general manager, Honeywell UOP, Middle East. “Using the refinery schematic, key processes are examined as individual units and in the context of the whole refinery.”

“This course is part of Honeywell’s investment in building up engineering talent in the Middle East,” he added. “By working with GDA we aim to reduce the industrial skills gap prevalent within the Middle East so younger talent can continue to improve the productivity and efficiency of the oil and gas industry.”

The three-day course illustrates how downstream units function, the effect of temperature and pressure parameters on unit performance, and the impact each unit has on the refinery’s profitability.

“At the Gulf Downstream Association (GDA), we are committed to developing young talent in the Middle East and giving them the chance to explore specialist fields such as the refining and petrochemicals industry,” said Audah Al Ahmadi, secretary general, Gulf Downstream Association. “We are delighted to collaborate with Honeywell UOP, a company that has been a trusted advisor to the Middle East oil and gas industry for many years.”

“This collaboration offers an academic experience to the younger generation of engineers looking to advance their careers in the oil and gas industry and supports GDA’s mission to provide a platform for sharing knowledge, experience and best practices,” he added.

“We are delighted to host participants from across the wider Middle East region and mentoring them to harness their interest and abilities within the industry.”

Honeywell UOP is a leading international supplier and licensor of process technology, catalysts, adsorbents, equipment, and consulting services to the petroleum refining, petrochemical, and gas processing industries.

The Gulf Downstream Association (GDA) was founded as a non-profit organisation that aims at exchanging information, experiences, and outstanding technical practices, and raising the efficiency of employees in the sector of refining, distribution and associated facilities. – TradeArabia News Service