SBM Offshore, a Dutch-based global group of companies selling systems and services to the oil and gas industry, has opened its Corporate Office on Sheriff Street, Georgetown.
It comes as the company which was key in the construction of the country’s first Floating Production Storage Offloading (FPSO) vessel – Liza Destiny – also celebrates five years of operations in Guyana.
A recurring promise in the addresses of company officials at the official opening ceremony on Wednesday was about the growth and development of its local staff.
General Manager, Francesco Prazzo said the development and upscaling of staff is essential for the growth of the company’s operation.
“When entering a new country, success does not only depend on our own capabilities, integrity and discipline but also the right partnering strategy. We believe successful and inclusive initiatives must deeply involve local actors,” Prazzo said.
He said there are in excess of 500 staff employed full time of which 46 per cent are Guyanese.
“Our company promotes the culture of learning, upskill and reskill are central to moulding young talents,” Prazzo added.
SMB has over 60 years of sustaining, pioneering, designing and operating FPSOs around the world. The group of companies has also been awarded the contracts for the Liza Unity, Prosperity and One Guyana FPSOs, President of ExxonMobil Guyana Alistair Routledge revealed.
“We have heard that SBM continues to engage in technology, recently the Liza Unity FPSO was awarded the Sustain 1 Notation by the Classification Society and it is the first FPSO in the world to receive that notation; this deems it as an energy-efficient sustainable approach to a project,” Routledge said.
Meanwhile, Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat urged that more locals be employed.
“As a government, we want to achieve benefits for our people, we want our people to be trained and employed in the oil and gas sector and I am happy to hear that our people are being trained at university and institutes along with other nationals so they have that same skillset and abilities to work in the oil and gas sector,” Minister Bharrat said.
The construction of its corporate office here signals SBM’s next level of commitment to Guyana. Since operating in Guyana, SBM has given support to the agriculture and fishing industry, mangroves restoration, and vulnerable and Amerindian communities.
SMB has laid a solid foundation for the local and international growth of its operations.
The opening ceremony was attended by President Dr Irfaan Ali, officials from the oil and gas sector and the local private sector.
