UG Prepares for First Oil and Beyond

Professor Ivelaw Griffith, C.C.H, Tenth Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Guyana is please to make the following announcements as part of the university's preparation for the First Oil and Beyond.

The Faculty of Technology 

has been renamed the

Faculty Of Engineering & Technology

Additionally:

A new department of Pertroleum and Geological Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering and Technology is being planned for operation from January 2019.

A Consortium for Post-secondary Institutions The Higher Education Consortium on Engineering and Mining - is being established to streamlined and strengthen education delivery and

New Associate and Masters degree programmes in Petroleum Engineering will be offered from January 2019 in conjunction with the University of Trinidad and Tobago and the University of the West Indies.

New Programmes

The University will also be offering several new degree programmes:

 - Bachelor of Nursing (Berbice Campus, September 2018)

 - Associate of Civil Engineering (Berbice Campus, September 2018)

 - Bachelor oh Psychology (September 2019)

 - Masters in Psychology (September 2019)

 - Bachelor in Youth Work (January 2019)

 - Masters in Medicine - Orthopaedics and Traumatology (September 2018)

 - Bachelor of Science in Food Safety (January 2019)

Start conversation on gas marketing plan

— University of Trinidad and Tobago petroleum expert

UNIVERSITY of Guyana (UG) Faculty of Technology students along with other stakeholders including lecturers of the university on Wednesday participated in a two hour professional engagement seminar titled “an overview of the Liza Field Development Phase 1” facilitated by petroleum expert Lugard Layne.

The discourse which was held in the boardroom of the Faculty of Technology saw Layne, a senior instructor on petroleum engineering at the University of Trinidad and Tobago, examining Phase 1 of the Liza Field development.

In his presentation, the Guyanese lecturer who now resides in Trinidad said the government of Guyana needs to start its discourse on gas market utilisation now.
He stressed the need for a gas market utilisation plan while adding that the natural gas industry can have significant benefits to Guyana.

“Right now it is not in ExxonMobil’s interest to discuss gas utilisation but as a country we should be planning for when that day arises. I am saying that in terms of developing a gas market, the government of Guyana ought to be planning, not tomorrow, not next year; but those set of plans should be going right now. That is one of my concerns; I am not hearing a discourse on the gas market,” he said.

In terms of the development of the gas market, Layne said it is not wise to reinvent the wheel. As such, he suggested a partnership which would allow the government to get initial counts on, aid in the marketing of the gas, how to negotiate the contracts and how to set up the infrastructure.

“Don’t wait until ExxonMobil comes to tell you what they want to do with the gas and then you now trying to come up with a plan. You need to be strategising before they come to you; not after they come to you.”

It should be noted that Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson has repeatedly made it clear that his government will not be rushed into any arrangement with respect to natural gas.

The government had contracted Energy Narrative to conduct a study on the utilisation of natural gas for electricity generation. Guyana Chronicle understands that other companies are also exploring the prospect of utilising natural gas to meet the country’s energy needs.

Wednesday’s discourse is part of a series of talks being facilitated by Vice-Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Professor Ivelaw Griffith.

Article adapted from: https://guyanachronicle.com/2018/06/22/start-conversation-on-gas-marketing-plan

UG gets $10M worth of refrigerant, equipment

THE University of Guyana (UG) Faculty of Technology has received $10M worth of refrigerant and air-conditioning equipment and a new refrigerant management course to aid in the elimination of harmful ozone gases. This presentation was held on Tuesday at the Faculty of Technology and was made possible through collaborative efforts by the Ministry of Agriculture and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The kind gesture comes as a result of the HCFC Phase-Out Management Programme (HPMP) under the Montreal Protocol, which operates through the Hydromet Service of the Ministry of Agriculture. Hydrochlorofluorocarbons or HCFCs are gases used worldwide in refrigeration, air-conditioning and foam applications, which are known as Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS).

In August 1993, Guyana ratified the Montreal Protocol which aims to systematically phase out the use of HCFCs and strengthen its global position on environmental protection. By adhering to the Montreal Protocol schedule, the complete phase-out of HCFCs is expected to be realised by 2030. However, in order for Guyana to successfully meet this goal, individuals must be trained in new and emergent technologies, which will replace the substances and equipment being phased out.

As such, the 8-10 week Refrigerant Management Course will target electrical and mechanical engineering students, as well as industry professionals who wish to acquire additional certification. Meanwhile, the equipment donated, which include Visual and Automotive Refrigeration and Air-conditioning training units, as well as several other tools, will help students to better comprehend the course. Support for this initiative was provided in part by the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol, while the UNDP, UN Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture partnered to execute the project.

Delivering the keynote remarks was Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Delma Nedd, who said that the undertaking is a part of the government’s long-term plan for sustainable development. Between 2011 to present, more than 125 technicians were provided with training on good refrigeration practices and alternative technologies, while some 80 technicians are trained annually through the HCFC Phase-Out Management Programme. This has contributed to a significant reduction in the number of untrained service personnel operating in the sector.

“The Ministry of Agriculture is pleased to be partnering with the Faculty of Technology through this initiative, which is expected to accrue significant long-term benefits for both the environment and human development in Guyana,” she remarked. Nedd said Guyana’s strategy to phase out the importation of HCFCs includes the introduction of an import licensing system, as well as a national standard for the safe servicing of refrigerants and conditioning equipment. Meanwhile, UNDP Representative Mikiko Tanaka, said implementation of the training programme and the acquisition of equipment will increase Guyana’s capacity to successfully manage and eliminate ODSs.

She re-affirmed the UNDP’s support for Guyana and commended UG for incorporating the training in its curriculum. Dean of the Faculty of Technology, Elena Trim, told the gathering that as Guyana moves steadily ahead into the oil and gas era, buildings which will spring up will require central air-conditioning systems. As such, she said that both mechanical and electrical engineers must be fully aware of how to deal with the new equipment in the sector.

Article adapted from: https://guyanachronicle.com/2018/04/25/ug-gets-10m-worth-of-refrigerant-equipment

UG holds Stakeholders Oil and Gas Symposium

Today, the University of Guyana began consultations on identifying and meeting demands for engineering and operations management skills in the oil and gas industry.

The one-day symposium was held at the Marriott Hotel, Georgetown. Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, in commending the university for its resourcefulness, noted that this stakeholder engagement advances the local content narrative.

“I see this initiative by the University of Guyana as another pillar that builds on the firm foundation we wish to create by helping us to continue our conversation of local content generally and the demands for engineering and operations management skills within the emerging sector specifically,” Minister Trotman said.

Industry representatives from ExxonMobil and Repsol along with academics from the University of the West Indies (UWI) and University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) gave their perspectives on the limitations and opportunities for human resources in the industry for UG’s consideration. The private sector, university faculties, and students were also part of the discussions.

The symposium seeks to provide initial orientation for training institutions towards the operation management of the oil and gas companies operating in Guyana.

However, Minister Trotman cautioned that focus must also be placed on the supporting sectors since there will not be large numbers of direct employment in the industry. “As you shift, think also of enhancing skills that are transferable to other sectors, example, fabrication which can be utilised in mining and shipbuilding, IT and telecommunications,” he said.

UG is also seeking to understand and align itself with government’s priorities, while also identifying and filling gaps in engineering skills for the industry.

This stakeholder engagement comes on the heels of a recent $100 million grant from the Ministry of Natural Resources to help the University build capacities in oil and gas.

Article adapted from: http://gina.gov.gy/ug-consults-industry-other-stakeholders-on-building-capacity-for-oil-industry/

UG's Technology Faculty to be among key beneficiaries of $100M GGMC grant

The Guyana Geology and Mines Com-mission (GGMC) through the Ministry of Natural Resources has awarded a grant for a total of $100 million to the University of Guyana (UG) for the Faculty of Technology, supporting programmes, research and scholarships.

Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman, who engineered the grant, and UG Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ivelaw Griffith signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the grant, described as one of the biggest the university has received, at the latter’s office yesterday.

According to Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Paloma Mohamed-Martin, the grant was negotiated over an 11-month period as the GGMC had to satisfy certain conditions under its Act in order for the money to be disbursed.

A cheque for $45 million was handed over by the minister and Mohamed-Martin explained that the remaining $55 million would be used to purchase needed equipment and supplies for the Faculty of Technology.

Another $15 million will go towards training and scholarships at the institution and $16 million will go towards the improvement of classrooms and teaching facilities for allied and supporting programmes in the faculties of Health Sciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Agriculture, the Institute of Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE) and the Tain Campus in Berbice.

Funding will also be channeled towards supporting the School of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation programmes, with an emphasis on the natural resources sector and to support research, curriculum review and development processes, marketing, media and stakeholder consultations.

UG yesterday said that the GGMC has been a longstanding partner of the faculties of Technology, and Earth and Environmental Sciences. In particular, the Geology Department, to which the commission has granted significant sums in the past, has been the main beneficiary.

The new MoU provides for the design and execution of geology, mining engineering and geological engineering programmes; re-tooling and equipping of the geological laboratory to the tune of $55M; curriculum design and enhancement, and provision of laboratory services to the mining sector; collaboration with other government agencies or private entities on areas of common interest for the purpose of participation in research projects for various areas, particularly in the geology, mining engineering and geological engineering programmes; collaboration on students’ internship attachments with GGMC; sharing technical publications based on assignments of the programmes done by scholars of GMMC; and collaboration on annual renewal of the agreement.

In brief remarks at the signing, GGMC Commissioner Newell Dennison said the commission will continue to support UG as it would like to see a university grounded in research and scholarships. He said while Minister Trotman had promised the support, it was for the commission to figure out how this could be provided for.

Trotman, on the other hand, pointed out that by supporting the university, the ministry is investing in youths, who are the future. He described the new MoU as the basis for a renewed and enhanced relationship between GGMC and the university and added that it is also a testimony of their pride in the institution and the fact that it is in good hands.

The minister also noted that while Guyana is going to soon be an oil producing state, the other pillars of the economy, such as gold and diamond mining, should not be forgotten.

Article adapted from: https://www.stabroeknews.com/2017/news/stories/10/24/ugs-technology-faculty-to-be-among-key-beneficiaries-of-100m-ggmc-grant/