Mozambique Oil & Gas: RBR Group wins Anadarko’s nationwide skills assessment contract

Labour hire and training specialist RBR Group (ASX: RBR) has won what it calls a “pivotal” contract to conduct a nationwide skills assessment program in Mozambique.

The contract has been struck in preparation for construction of the giant Anadarko Petroleum-led liquified natural gas (LNG) project in the country.

RBR announced that it would hold a “skills roadshow” directed by the CCS Joint Venture, a consortium of contractors acting on behalf of US petroleum and natural gas exploration giant Anadarko Petroleum.

Anadarko received official approval from the Government of Mozambique for its highly anticipated Golfinho/Atum Field development plan in March this year and has been avidly preparing a range of logistics to advance the onshore LNG project ever since – including the preparation of suitably trained personnel.

The signed deal represents a significant step in RBR’s strategy to play a key role in supplying assessment, training and labour hire services to the impending LNG construction boom in Mozambique.

Earlier this year, RBR signed a binding memorandum of understanding with global manpower services supplier Kuiper International, in order to expand the database of staff it can offer to companies such as Anadarko.

The move is designed to verify, and where required, raise the competency of personnel working on Anadarko’s exploration projects.

All staff employed on Anadarko’s project must meet prescribed Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) standards, a target RBR has been tasked to help achieve with its skills assessment programme.

At the current time, RBR has around 250,000 Mozambicans on its database – the largest database of its kind in the country.

RBR has confirmed that it intends to use this database to identify potential candidates for employment on LNG projects within Mozambique to “address any skills gaps via training and assessment, and then match them with employment opportunities”.

“This is crucial because the use of Mozambican labour is a prerequisite for businesses operating in-country, and a key metric in their overall local content obligations,” the company said.

Raising training standards

The initiative announced this morning is reportedly a joint venture put forward by the Mozambique Government and Anadarko, as US resources company looks to make headway in developing significant LNG resources and open up a critical source of supply for Mozambique.

The venture was officially launched last week after a joint announcement by the Mozambique Government and Anadarko Petroleum, at an event held in the Mozambique capital Maputo.

Under the contract, RBR will play a key role in the skills roadshow which will see job applicants assessed in five core technical disciplines – namely scaffolding, rigging, pipe-fitting, steel erecting and noncritical welding.

To complete its remit and carry out the skills initiative, RBR has said it will deploy mobile training units for a period of around 3 weeks, transporting them across Mozambique as the company conducts various personnel assessments early next year.

News of RBR’s confirmed role in conducting its skills roadshow helped the company’s shares add 25% up to $0.015 per share.

By George Tchetvertakov

Source: Small Caps