Twenty-four people have graduated from the first certificate programme to be offered by the Ableman Drilling Careers Academy (ADCA) in Malta, an entry level course for people coming into the oil and gas industry.

The trainees attended an intensive seven-week course, developed and delivered by lecturers from the Lone Star College of Houston, Texas, at the academy’s purpose-built training facilities in San Ġwann.

Paul Abela, chairman of the Ablecare Oilfield Services Group, the parent company of the academy, said at the graduation ceremony at Verdala Palace that the students were the first in the world to receive this type of accredited certification, recognised globally by the International Association of Drilling Contractors. The IADC represents more than 1,650 drilling contractor companies worldwide and is the authoritative body in the drilling industry.

The academy took two years of preparatory work to set up. By the end of this year it will have invested in a state-of-the-art drilling and well as control simulator suite, equipped to train 12 candidates per course, and an offshore crane operator training simulator.

Ablecare is the preferred bidder for the Marsa Shipbuilding site and is currently negotiating with the government on the concession terms.