By JANETH MESOMAPYA

Interns and field students at the Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority (PURA) recently visited production sites and processing plants of natural gas in Mtwara and Lindi regions.

Along other PURA staff, they visited the Kinyerezi Gas Receiving Facility, Mkuranga 1 well, Mnazi Bay production facility, Madimba processing facility and Madimba gas receiving facility.

The team also visited six geological sites including Wingayongo and Makukwa oil seeps which are located alongside Southern coastal area.

According to PURA’s Geologist Faustine Matiku, the tour aimed at exposing the students to practical side of what they study in class as well as showing them projects that the Authority is mandated to regulate.

“The team also included none geological and engineering professionals who were collectively exposed to activities of oil and gas production,” he added.

Mentioning some of the geological sites visited, Geologist from the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) Adam Sajilo explained that both the interns and students learned the types of rocks found in the Southern Coastal area in Tanzania and how they are formed.

“They have learned that rocks have age and you can tell the age of a particular rock by looking at features surrounding them,” he added.

For her part Geologist Bahati Mohammed who is an intern said the tour helped her learn practically about the formation of rocks and oil and gas resources underneath the ground.

Moreover, Naomi Mwakibolwa, a fourth year student of Petroleum Engineering at the University of Dar es Salaam said she’s grateful to have visited processing plants and sites and learn the practicability of what she’s been studying in class.

Procurement and Supply intern Winston Kayona expounded that the tour exposed him to the importance of procurement and supplies in the value chain of oil and gas sector.