The percentage of Bahrainisation in the oil and gas sector has reached 85, which is a highly creditable achievement and one that stands out in the region, said Dr Abdul-Hussain Bin Ali Mirza, Minister for Oil and Gas Affairs and chairman of Noga.

The National Oil and Gas Authority (Noga) is working closely with other government ministries, oil and gas companies, and with the Economic Development Board to ensure that the skills needs of the oil and gas industry are taken into account in the ambitious new plans that Bahrain has for the future in line with the kingdom's Economic Vision for 2030.

“Human resources development is at the heart of Bahrain's strategic positioning and our industry is playing an important part in this process,” he said opening the second getenergy conference for GCC countries.

One of Noga’s strategic objectives is to maximise efforts to develop national manpower in the petroleum industry, he said.

“We are aware however, that these plans need international engagement. I believe that no single country has the resources to address all these issues alone. And, certainly in the oil and gas industry, we are part of a global operation and we all have to take into account, and learn from, what other countries, companies, and individuals are doing. That is also why gatherings like this are so important,” he said.

The gathering provides a forum for sharing information about learning and education.

“This sharing applies to all the areas of education and training that affect the way our industry works, it includes engineering and technology. It should also include the business and financial skills required, as well as communications, information technology, supervisory and management skills, language, and the ability to work together in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams,” he said.

There have been a number of important developments in Bahrain since the last getenergy event here in 2008, the minister said.

On the oil and gas side there are new partnerships with international oil companies in offshore oil explorations. Occidental of the US and PTT of Thailand have been carrying out, their surveys and studies in the four offshore blocks awarded to them.

It is expected that Occidental will drill its first exploratory well by the end of next month and PTT will drill its in the second half of next year.

Dr Mirza said: “This year we are celebrating 77 years of oil discovery in Bahrain. Concurrent with this anniversary we are also celebrating the conclusion of a development and production sharing agreement with Occidental and Mubadala and the formation of a new joint venture company called ‘Tatweer Petroleum’. This initiative will halt the decline in our 77 year-old Bahrain oil field production and will also increase our crude oil production three folds during the next 20 years.”

“We are also currently evaluating the bids received from IOCs for our deep gas exploration project. In addition to these major upstream projects we have also a refinery master plan for the next 10 years with an estimated investment cost of $5 billion,” he said.

“All these projects require trained and skilled workforce and that is why we have included in these agreements a provision requiring international oil companies to train and develop Bahrainis as part of the projects,” he said.

“It is also true to say that, over the past year and a half, the global recession has had its impact on the oil and gas industry, but I would like to take this opportunity to say how impressed I have been to see those oil and gas companies who have maintained their investments in education and training. This is not the case with all of them, I know, but those who have, will surely reap many benefits in future,” he said.

“One of the key areas I understand you will be discussing over the next two days is the sustainability of education, training, and workforce development at all times, and this is, I think, is a big part of the challenge before us: how to create and nurture the kind of relationships between the two 'industries' (the oil and gas industry and the education and training industry) that will safeguard the future. We have to work together more closely and to recognise the mutual benefits of doing so,” he added.

UK’s Business Ambassador Lord Digby Jones said the Gulf is going to be the fulcrum for the economic balance of the world for the rest of the century.
How that fulcrum acts, behaves and uses its influence will define the future of the people.

In the Gulf, one country that is at the top of the thought leadership is Bahrain, he said. – TradeArabia News Service