A Guyanese crew member working on the Noble Bob Douglas drillship that will soon depart the Gulf of Mexico to begin development of the Liza oil field in the South American nation is calling on his countrymen to get on board and start positioning themselves to benefit from opportunities in the industry.
Rickford Gillis, speaking to OilNOW from Houston Texas, said he has received extensive training and knowledge over the months and came aboard the Bob Douglas after being qualified as a Radio Operator/Communications Officer.
He said on arriving he was told that based on the knowledge and experienced gained, he would now be operating in the more senior capacity of Rig Clerk.
Rig Clerks manage the operational documentation of rig activity with duties that include; Material & Equipment Tracking, Logistics Notifications, Aviation/Marine Transportation, among others.
“In the event of any drill or any emergency my position is such a key one that I’m one of the persons who will convene on the bridge with the OIM (Offshore Installation Manager) representatives and all key emergency response personnel to plan and assess the risks,” he said.
The Guyanese crewman says this is an indication of the knowledge and extent of the training he has received which has enabled him to hold the current portfolio.
Mr. Gillis said he has already started to encourage his friends in Guyana to strive to be part of this new industry and position themselves so that they too can benefit from the opportunities that exist. “It is something that we – young people – even my friends within my neighbourhood need to consider. I have been encouraging them to get onboard since it is an opportunity that is worthwhile,” he said.
JSL International Group of Companies which currently has operations in Guyana is recruiting persons to work onboard the drillship. The Company’s Corporate Communications Adviser for its local operation, Renatha Khan, told OilNOW on Monday that is a very proud moment for the company since it has been able to successfully train a number of Guyanese and prepare them for work offshore. “We are very fortunate to have gotten the opportunity to provide the Noble Bob Douglas with a full catering crew which will be arriving with the vessel. We want to say thank you to both Noble and ExxonMobil for affording the Guyanese personnel an opportunity to be part of this historic moment for the country.”
JSL has to date recruited and trained 36 Guyanese nationals, 14 of which are currently in the US and will sail to Guyana with the Noble Bob Douglas.
ExxonMobil’s Senior Director, Public and Government Affairs in Guyana, Kimberly Brasington, speaking at a recent event to mark the occasion said the arrival of the vessel in Guyana will mark the commencement of a significant phase of the Liza Phase 1 development.
Oil production is set to get underway in the South American country by March 2020.
