Guyanese subsea oil and gas company launched

-focusing on remotely operated vehicles, diving services

The Guyanese owned subsea oil and gas support training services company, Orinduik Marine Services (OMS) was yesterday launched as President Irfaan Ali underscored that with continued similar investments this country can position itself to compete regionally and globally for jobs in the sector.

“I want Guyanese companies to be competing for these opportunities, whether in Europe, whether in the Western Hemisphere, where are we at. We are building the most skilled human capital that will go after every global opportunity. We are not building a local operation. We are building local companies with the best international partners to go after every world class opportunity. Watch out for Guyana!” the President yesterday said in his address at the launch of OMS, located at Plot B Market Road Lusignan, East Coast Demerara.

“We are coming after every opportunity, and we are not boastful about it. We are humble in where we are approaching but we are not shy about it. We’re not shy about it. We are part of CARICOM, and if we have this capability, then our Jamaican brothers and sisters will have to give us the opportunity, our brothers and sisters in Suriname would have to give us the opportunity. That is how we will build an economy that is forward looking, but global in its output,” he added.

Ali said that OMS was developed “without the promise of a contract or a contract on hand” because its investors believed in the country and had confidence in the system and economy.

Founder of OMS Harrychand Tulsi gave an overview of the company which he said focuses on two critical subsea areas – remotely operated vehicles (ROVS) and diving services.

Currently the company operates a fleet of seven ROVS globally through its subsidiaries in the United Kingdom and the United States.

“While our reach is global, our reach is local,” the company’s slogan details. “It is our aspiration to provide these services to the international oil and gas companies regionally, especially in the Guyana/Suriname basin. We further intend to use our current team of international experts to train and develop local capacity for future operations,” the company states.

General Manager of OMS (Dive Operations) Kenneth Vorster explained that the services that would be provided are in keeping with international standards. The company is strict on compliance to laws and best practices and Vorster said that OMS would also be audited to ensure it complies with the highest standards that are set by the International Standards Organization, the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) and the International Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP) before they could be hired by companies such as ExxonMobil, TOTAL and SBM.

“This process has already started and we have not even secured any contract or work or promises of work. Such is the belief in this company that we will grow and succeed,” he said. 

Training and apprenticeship programmes would be provided to identify persons for positions of divers, dive technicians and dive supervisors. He explained that all candidates would be internationally qualified and recognised, opening the possibility for them to work globally. “The top thing about it is that they will be earning international rates no matter where they go even if they work within Guyana,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer of OMS Subsea (UK), Mike Arnold said the company was working with a Norwegian company to bring innovations such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to Guyana. Arnold explained that the objective of incorporating those technological initiatives were so that it could be used and make easier work pertaining to  pipeline surveys, inspection and the processing inspection results “to cut down the cost and to cut down the time it takes to turn it around.”

In addition, OMS was exploring the possibility of using fully autonomous vehicles to do seabed mapping, pipeline mapping and inspections. “They can be operated right here from this facility 20 miles offshore or around the world. They could be operated in another state driven and piloted by Guyanese students and technicians,” he said.

In May of 2021,  sister companies  Orinduik Development Inc. and OMITC Training Centre Guyana Inc., announced that a centre would have been created by the end of that year.

“Orinduik Development Inc. and OMIC Training Centre Guyana Inc. have teamed up to provide the first HUET/BOSIET training centre and Polytechnic drilling/aviation school in Guyana,” they had stated.

In 2020, Orinduik Development established the aviation polytechnic, which it said would cater for the emerging oil and gas sector here. The facility was the vision of veteran aeronautical engineer Lieutenant Colonel Charles Hutson, who had said that he still plans to play an active role in giving back to this country.

When the institute was launched a year later one of its aviation consultants, Frankie Francois, had informed the gathering of its purpose. “The Guyana Aviation Polytechnic proposes to offer aviation technology programmes and courses to satisfy the base, middle, and upper level manpower needs for the growing industry.”

Orinduik Development Inc. had boasted that it is a one hundred percent Guyanese-owned company, which Director Brian Backer assured is designed with the development of “all of Guyana in mind.” He stressed that the project is “for all Guyanese.”

The company had also opened a 20 helicopters capacity heliport. The primary objective of the proposed heliport, according to the company, is to provide an independent facility for helicopter operations in close proximity to Georgetown, and to facilitate the growing need for such air transport services coming from many sectors, including the extractive industries.

Its Offshore Marine Industry Training Centre (OMITC) partner company was founded in 2014, to provide technical training for the oil and gas segment, with authorisation from the National Institute of Employment and Professional Training, the company explained.

“OMITC offers offshore industrial and maritime survival training and operates as a training facility recognized by OPITO, SCTW and ROSPA (UK) for oil and has service companies,” the release stated.

 “The investment which will see over US$5M invested into both OMITC and Polytechnic Center to train a substantial number of local Guyanese and international personnel within the oil and gas and aviation sectors. The survival facility features a helicopter underwater escape training (HEUT) installation alongside polytechnic state-of-the-art aviation and on/offshore-related HSE safety drilling, mechanical handling equipment and survival training facilities”, it said.

 Both centres, Orinduik contends, will deliver world-class training, in accordance with global industry standards. OMITC and the polytechnic centre will employ both local Guyanese HSE instructors and international instructors to provide internationally recognised and accredited training courses for onshore and offshore sector.