RasGas Qatarization Takes One More Step Forward (Qatar)

RasGas Company Limited, a world-leading energy supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG), has enrolled a select group of Qatari Operation and Maintenance engineers in GE’s world-class Field Engineering Gas Turbine Training Program in Schenectady, New York, USA.

The 10-week training course at GE’s Energy Learning Center (ELC), which began in August 2010, is designed to provide RasGas engineers with high quality training in power plant planning and operations. The Qatar National Vision 2030 encourages and facilitates comprehensive social and economic development for the progress and prosperity of our people and for generations to come.

As one of the pillars of Qatar’s energy industry, RasGas strongly supports the vision of His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar.

RasGas Maintenance Manager, Omar Al-Misnad, said on behalf of RasGas: “RasGas strives for providing development and training opportunities for Qataris and this course is the first of its kind in the Middle East. RasGas has established a long and successful relationship with GE and has worked in conjunction with GE’s Leadership and Training Teams to co-ordinate and develop a tailored training programme.

The 16 Operation and Maintenance engineers will receive the practical skills and product knowledge needed for further success in their chosen profession while further guaranteeing the continued development of Qatar and its people. With its dedication to quality and training, GE has designed this training program specifically for RasGas, reflecting the ongoing commitment and long-standing relationship between the two companies.” GE’s Field Engineering Program utilises classroom, field, computer-based, and hands-on training.

This allows for a training programme that combines theory and practical, undertaking tasks in disassembling turbines and generators, diagnosing elusive power system problems, and performing all to the highest degree of safety and quality. Courses and workshops in the programme cover a wide range of aspects for field engineers such as Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) training, which focuses on the importance of personal protection and the inspection, procedures, the proper use of tools, equipment, and materials used in the tasks associated with safe turbine/generator operation and maintenance.

Some of the disciplines covered during the training programme include precision measurement, shaft and coupling alignment, rigging, hydraulic systems, gaskets and gasket applications, and understanding GE drawings. The engineers will also have the opportunity to visit the GE Gas Turbine (GT) manufacturing plant in Greenville in South Carolina for one week. GE instructors will introduce the students to the precision, engineering, fabrication, and quality of Gas Turbine components and assemblies.

There is also classroom time devoted to GT construction and operation. The next phase of training is devoted to bearings, turbine accessory modules, accessory systems tracing, bolting, foundation plates, and borescope inspection. The training concludes with a four-week turbine outage, where the turbine is disassembled, inspected and reassembled to simulate an actual outage.

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Source: RasGas, October 25, 2010