Source - The Nation Website (Eng)
May 05, 2006


A ceremony held earlier this week ushered in an unprecedented era
of collaboration between academia, government and the petroleum industry
that will expand expertise and the number of qualified personnel in the oil
and gas industry in Southeast Asia.

The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) signed an agreement with
the Mineral Fuels Department, the Petroleum Institute of Thailand, PTT
Exploration and Production, Chevron Thailand Exploration and Production,
CUEL, Thai Nippon Steel Engineering and Construction Corp, Worley Parsons
(Thailand), Technip Engineering (Thailand), Foster Wheeler International
Corp, and other joint project members.

The AIT will offer a one-year professional master's in Offshore
Technology and Management and short-term professional training courses, with
on-the-job experience from the oil and gas industry.

Pipop Pruecksamars, executive director of the Petroleum Institute
of Thailand, said manpower would become tighter and could affect sustainable
development of exploration and production in the future. "The objective of
this programme is to develop our people in this area and to make sure we
have enough personnel and competency in the exploration and production
industry," he said.

PTT Exploration and Production president Maroot Mrigadat said the
company must encourage students to pursue science and technology careers.
One way it can achieve this is to collaborate with institutions such as the
AIT.

The course begins in August at AIT's School of Engineering and
Technology. Specialisation in Geo-exploration and Petroleum Geo-engineering,
Offshore Structure Design and Construction, and Offshore Operation and
Management will be offered via curricula derived from courses taught by
experts working in the industry and those taught by academic partners.
AIT president Said Irandoust said this would serve as a model for
similar ventures.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com

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