- A holistic view of the oil and gas industry

“How does the strategic interest of an oil company differ from that of a host country?”

This was one of many topics at Petrad’s two-week course in November. More than 20 professionals participated in the advanced course on National Management of Petroleum Resources. They came from ten different countries. The professionals were nominated through the Oil for Development programme.

Petrad’s two-week course is more limited in scope than it’s 8-week programmes. Still, they are just as demanding. The shorter duration makes the course accessible for managers and staff who are not able to be absent for training purposes for two full months. 

Knowledge is key

The course covers regulatory instruments, petroleum life cycle management and principles of good governance. Knowledge of the sector is key to address issues within a highly technical industry.

- We learn to appreciate the entire value chain, and that a decision at one particular point in time can influence decisions at a later stage in the value chain, says Paul Wambi Bagabo from the non-profit organization «Natural Resource Governance Institute» of Uganda.  

Diverse backgrounds

The two-week course combines expert lectures with team practices. Participants draw on their diverse experiences. The participants have experiences from public ministries and agencies, national oil companies and NGOs.

- We get a holistic view of the industry, which together with the experiences of the other participants and the lecturers really is valuable learning. Later I will also use the network established during the course as a source of good and bad experiences to draw upon, Bagabo continues. 

Building institutional capacity  

- It will be very valuable to use the background of the course as a reference when LPA continues to build its governance structure, and by this manner also creating a good example in Lebanon based on transparency, says Grace Rachid in the Lebanese Petroleum Administration (LPA).

The participants aim to use their training for developing institutional capacity in their countries. 

- I will transfer my knowledge to LPA to capitalise on the course without having to send many persons to same venue, Rachid ensured.  

The internet has lots of sites offering reports and other information on petroleum related issues. Petrad shares some favourites here.