Oil and gas sector growth opening jobs prospects

Growing exploration and interest in sub-Saharan Africa for fossil fuels are creating an opportunity for new businesses and jobs, especially in specialist capacities within the industry.

As the most developed country in Africa, South Africa is playing host to an increasing number of oil and gas services and production facilities for the entire Southern African region.

“Africa is endowed with vast quantities of both fossil and renewable energy-resources. Further, it is the leading continent in the world with frequent and substantial new findings of oil and gas. “In the last 20 years, oil reserves in Africa grew by over 25%, while gas grew by over 100%. Africa’s rich oilfields and the prospect for more discoveries have transformed it into an important player and a key target in global oil production and resource extraction,” says workforce solutions provider Manpower South Africa MD Peter Winn.

“Oil production on the continent is expected to continue to rise at an average rate of 6% a year for the foreseeable future. “This will open up significant demand for positions in the oil and gas industry, as well as create new businesses around services for the industry. South Africa represents a significant gateway for businesses to the rest of sub-Saharan Africa and, as the industry grows across Southern Africa, more personnel will be required, from part-time rig workers to staff transportation companies,” says Winn.

The US Energy Information Administration states that South Africa has the world’s fifth-largest recoverable shale gas reserves. Using these could, potentially, lead to significant job creation as well as lower the dependence on imported oil and the current methods of energy production.

Further, the offshore area from Saldanha up to the Orange river basin is an important area for oil and gas exploration and shows great potential for development. South Africa’s West Coast could become a significant oil and gas hub for the entire sub-Saharan Africa region, says Winn.

The West Coast offers growing work opportunities in the support, services and equipment trades for the exploration and production required in the oil and gas industry. Supply industries can be labour intensive, requiring large amounts of human capital with specialisation in diverse areas, such as ship repair.

“Another area seeing growth within South Africa is downstream and refining operations. These are catering to the growing demands for engineering, logistics, shipping and other services to the West African oil and gas industry.

“In addition, the Cape Town harbour is no stranger to the servicing of oil rigs and is well suited to the task, having worked on a number of drilling rigs over recent years. South Africa’s first fabrication yard for an offshore oil and gas platform was completed at Saldanha Bay in 2007.

“Being the deepest and largest natural port in Southern Africa makes Saldanha a prime choice for these tasks. All these services will require more skilled labour as the industry expands.

“It is often more lucrative for companies to employ local labour when required on a large scale, such as with the oil and gas industry.”

Source: Engineering News - 9 December 2011.