Petrobas contracts Perth safety trainer

Tuesday, 27 March, 2001 - 22:00
WA-BASED safety trainer Marine & Offshore Group has won a five year contract to manage and operate two large fire, emergency and marine safety training centres for Brazilian oil company Petrobras.

The company has been operating in Brazil for some time, operating a small safety training facility for Petrobras.

Marine & Offshore Group is working with Singapore-based Rutledge Oilfield Services. Rutledge operates several safety training centres around the world including Montrose, RGIT UK and Survival Systems Canada.

The contract began in November and more than 2,500 people have been through specialised offshore safety train-ing. Another 9,000 are expected to be trained before the end of 2001.

Following the major fire and explosion that led to the sinking of the 40-storey high Petrobras Platform 36 – which produced 5 per cent of Brazil’s oil – the focus on safety training has intensified.

M&O managing director Rick Parish said plans were in place to build a training centre in Nigeria later this year.

The company’s $500,000 Middle East Safety Training centre is due to be completed next month.

Companies such as BP Amoco and Occidental have signed contracts for training at the centre.