Saipem, Petrofund launch Namibia upstream skills partnership

Italian engineering and construction group Saipem (BIT: SPM) and Namibia’s Petroleum Training and Education Fund (Petrofund) have signed a memorandum of understanding to expand technical training and develop local skills for the country’s emerging upstream oil and gas industry, The Brief reported on September 22.

The agreement establishes a framework for workforce development and knowledge transfer, covering on-the-job training, internships, scholarships, technical training, supplier development and support for educational institutions.

“A central element of the collaboration is the creation of opportunities for young Namibian professionals, university graduates and TVET graduates to gain practical industry experience,” the parties said in a joint statement.

The agreement also provides for mentoring, curriculum development, research and innovation, and cooperation with education and training institutions.

“By combining Petrofund’s mandate for skills development with Saipem’s international expertise, the parties aim to contribute to building a sustainable pipeline of talent capable of supporting Namibia’s rapidly expanding upstream oil and gas industry,” the statement said.

The agreement comes as Namibia seeks to increase local participation in its petroleum industry following a series of offshore oil discoveries.

Major offshore discoveries have been made since 2022 by international oil companies including TotalEnergies (EPA: TTE; LSE: TTE; NYSE: TTE), Galp Energia (ELI: GALP) and Shell (LSE: SHEL). TotalEnergies is targeting first oil from the Venus development around 2030, subject to final investment approval.

Chevron (NYSE: CVX) and TotalEnergies recently supported a training programme for Namibian officials on negotiating and administering international oil and gas agreements, facilitated by the Association of International Energy Negotiators and covering areas including petroleum granting instruments, stabilisation clauses, sovereign immunity, joint operating agreements and liquefied natural gas sales contracts.

The scale of the Saipem-Petrofund programme remains unclear: no funding commitment, number of training places or start date has been disclosed.