Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate ONGC Sea Survival Centre at India Energy Week 2024.

ONGC Sea Survival Centre has been developed as a one-of-a-kind Integrated Sea Survival Training Centre to advance the Indian sea survival training ecosystem to global standards. It is expected to train 10,000-15,000 personnel annually. Exercises in simulated and controlled harsh weather conditions shall enhance Sea Survival skills of trainees and thus potentially increase the chances of safe escape from real life disasters.

ONGC has invested Rs. 250 crore to take ONGC - IPSHEM safety training facility to an international level.  

Talking about the infrastructure, Sanjeev Singhal, Executive Director & Head, ONGC - IPSHEM said, "Presently, we are creating infrastructure for certain elements like offshore and onshore operations. We are setting up onshore training facilities so we are putting a drilling rig and workover area and taking up operations safety courses. We have a process safety plant which is for onshore operations. We have an offshore operations platform also and nowhere in the world you will find a training institute where you will find an offshore platform which will provide hands-on training. We are going to create world class classrooms once the whole set up is ready."

"We will have helicopter facilities within the campus and nothing is on the sea as this is the beauty of this training center. Otherwise people simply avoid and they will not train any offshore person on the land because they cannot create something like what we have created. We have got an offshore underwater training program, then have got an offshore platform, and created an oil spill management facility (which is another unique thing which nowhere you will find because they take you to the sea for this exercise) because we have created a big pool which is inside the campus and will be a big attraction for the industry people. They will look forward to such a facility. We will get the trainer, equipment, and all facilities inside the campus. Lot of people from different industries have been asking for these kinds of training," said Singhal. 

"We will have a helicopter underwater escape training process which is world class. There are many training institutes but they do not match our level. Our quality and our level of scenarios are comprehensive in nature and world class. This training involves putting the trainees into the helicopter and we create a scenario in which if the helicopter ditches into the water during drilling in the offshore platform they will survive. They will be put into different kinds of scenarios for e.g. waves are created, rain, fog, and others. That is unique as we have shells which accommodate different kinds of possibilities and different kinds of helicopters which are in service," added Singhal.

"It is going to be an unique training centre which will provide training in safety across all platforms which covers all elements of upstream and in future will also cover downstream. We are open to any kind of training which caters to requirements of the chemical sector. We have partnered with the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) and had different sessions. We are open to partner with any industry for initiatives on transport safety and chemical safety. Also for other industries we can customize courses as per their requirement. We are in a position to hold any type of safety training programs at our place and it will provide an unique experience to anybody who is coming here," commented Singhal. The Institute of Petroleum Safety, Health and Environment Management (IPSHEM) was set up in 1989 by ONGC in Goa for promoting safety, occupational health, and environment practices & standards in the petroleum sector. Initially, the institute started at a rented place and in 1997 started functioning from its own campus at Betul village in South Goa when land was allotted and the company constructed its own campus.