By Deep Earth
Students pursuing oil and gas studies at Makerere, Kyambogo and Nkumba universities have reason to smile following the donation of costly specialized education software and computer hardware by TotalEnergies EP Uganda and SLB, recently.
TotalEnergies provided each institution eight computer hardware stations comprising eight tower servers, sixteen monitors and peripherals, all worth over $200,000 (over UGX 770,000,000). SLB on the other hand, donated four specialized training software licenses (Petrel, Techlog, Eclipse and Petromod) installed and configured on each computer hardware station.
In addition, SLB intends to conduct training sessions for the respective university users next month to ensure effective utilization.
The donation is of great significance seeing that most oil and gas courses require access to specialized software for tasks like reservoir modeling, drilling planning, analyzing well log data and geospatial analysis, yet the software packages often come with high licensing fees (in the tens of thousands of dollars).
Additionally, practical training may involve using physical equipment like drilling simulators or specialized machinery, which can be expensive to acquire and maintain.
Similarly, the tower servers needed to support such software and oil industry tasks are way more expensive than regular desktop PCs – even those with similar specifications – as they are built with higher-quality, more robust components designed for nonstop operation and long-term reliability.
They also often include advanced features like redundant power supplies and storage, as well as robust management and security features, all of which contribute to the higher cost (upwards of UGX 15m to over UGX 30m).
It follows that a shortage of skilled personnel in Uganda’s oil industry has partly been attributed to the high cost of specialized training; the industry’s relatively recent development notwithstanding.
This is despite national content regulations compelling stakeholders to prioritize the hiring of Ugandans before they consider hiring foreign nationals – who may only be considered when a Ugandan with the required skillset cannot be found in the country.
While significant strides have been made in training Ugandans, the demand for specific skills, particularly in specialized areas like engineering and geosciences, still outpaces the available workforce.
Groueix (3rd R), Pfrimmer (2nd L) and Betty Namubiru (3rd L), PAU’s National Content Manager pose with the universities’ representatives
Now with First Oil expected in 2026, it is practical that TotalEnergies, which operates the Tilenga project and SLB – a TotalEnergies subcontractor offering drilling, completions and production services at Tilenga – have deemed it fit to support the skilling of youthful Ugandans.
“Over the years, we have placed great emphasis on supporting education institutions like the Uganda Petroleum Institute Kigumba (UPIK), Makerere and Kyambogo universities to develop the capacities required to train more Ugandans in oil and gas disciplines,” said Philippe Groueix, General Manager, TotalEnergies.
Adding, “This donation is aimed at augmenting this support in line with our commitments to national content development and youth inclusion and education. Currently, over 1,500 Ugandans have been trained in various transferable technical skills with international certifications that enhance their employability in Uganda and abroad.”
His company is also overseeing several other ongoing capacity building initiatives including The Tilenga Academy, the Tilenga Train the Trainer program, the Makerere University Emergency Medicine Simulation Training Centre plus internship, graduate trainee opportunities and scholarship programs.
Valerian Pfrimmer, SLB’s Managing Director for East and South Africa said: “By donating four of our industry-leading software platforms, we are bridging the gap between classroom theory and field application. These platforms cover the full spectrum of exploration and production and are essential to real-world operations. They not only enhance petroleum geoscience and engineering education but also serve as strategic enablers for national development.”
SLB (formerly known as Schlumberger) is a renowned hi-tech company in the global energy industry, with a strong focus on digital solutions and software development targeted towards optimization of operations from exploration to production.
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