Engineers From South Sudan Were Provided With Training On Raw Petroleum Pipeline Operation10

Through the efforts of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency Directorate 46 engineers working in the South Sudan Ministry of Petrol and Mining attended a vocational training course at the BOTAŞ Ceyhan Petrol Operations Regional Directorate on July 20 – August 1, 2013.

In the request of the South Sudan’s Embassy in Ankara a 2 week training course was organized through cooperation between TİKA, the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and BOTAŞ. During the course that took place at the facilities of the Ceyhan Petrol Operations Regional Directorate, the unit which monitors the raw petroleum Iraq-Turkey, Ceyhan-Kırıkkale and Batman-Dörtyol pipelines of BOTAŞ information on the subjects of pipeline hydraulic principles, the transport, storage and measurement of raw petroleum and loading onto tankers was provided.

According to the introduction leader of the committee Engineer Papiti Okwaci, after Sudan was separated from South Sudan in 2011 a major portion of the petrol wells remained in South Sudan while the knowledge about extracting, transporting and processing raw petrol mostly remained in the north. The South Sudan Petrol and Mining Ministry which is left in the position of recreating all of this accumulation in knowledge is trying to train young engineers through similar courses to be able to use natural resources more efficiently. South Sudan produces 300 thousand barrels of raw petrol per day and this product is sent to the Red Sea with a pipeline that passes over the Sudan borders. Due to the conflicts between the two countries the transport of raw petrol is frequently disrupted. There is a plan to transport the raw petrol produced in South Sudan to the Indian Ocean through a pipeline that will be constructed passing through Kenya.

The number of developing countries in which petrol plays an important role is increasing every day. Petrol and natural gas are vital resources that hold promise for economic and social development. However, as seen in many examples, the income derived from petrol does not return to the public as prosperity. Many countries in the process of developing that are rich in natural resources still remain low on indications of development.

In this context 46 engineers working with the South Sudan Petrol and Mining Ministry have completed in-service courses provided at the BOTAŞ Ceyhan Petrol Operations Directorate through the contributions of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency Directorate and obtained certification. Certificates were presented to the participants by the South Sudan Embassy to Ankara and BOTAŞ officials.