Azerbaijan's integrated drilling and well services management company SOCAR AQS opened the Baku Drilling School (BDS) on Friday with the aim of becoming the most advanced Drilling Training Center in the Caspian Basin.
According to SOCAR AQS, the school will support the training of drilling professionals in the region by international experts using the most innovative drilling rig simulators.
To this end, the school will unite leading oil and gas companies and educational institutions for this training.
The BDS, as the first training center accredited by the International Well Control Forum (IWCF), the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) and the Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organization (OPITO) in the Caspian region, offers more than 40 training programs in various fields of the oil and gas industry.
According to the BDS, it will "use modern training material and facilities while making a significant contribution to combining the theoretical and practical knowledge of young specialists."
Commenting on the opening, SOCAR AQS General Director Ramin Isaev hailed the contribution that his company is making by training qualified personnel in the region’s oil and gas industry.
"With the latest simulators and professional instructors, we support the creation of competitive organizations in the region. I hope the Baku Drilling School will soon contribute to the recognition of the leading role of Azerbaijani drillers in the world," he said.
In addition, Nariman Mustafayev, director of Baku Drilling School LLC and vice president of the European branch of the IWCF also acknowledged the important role that SOCAR AQS has played in the foundation of the center, which he described as "an example of innovativeness."
Prominent representatives of local and international oil and gas companies attended Friday's opening ceremony for the center that was established on Oct. 23.
By Gulsen Cagatay
Anadolu Agency