News Archives: Shell Canada donates Learning Lab to GPRC Fairview Campus
Friday, September 21st, 2012
The landscape at GPRC Fairview College was transformed recently when equipment and buildings from a former Shell Canada pilot project arrived and called the campus home. The equipment in the Shell Canada Learning Lab was previously used in a pilot project on Shell's Peace River oil sands leases and consists of a flare separation building, multistage oil and gas separator building, a compressor building, a glycol heating/pump unit, coupled with a large aerial cooler. Don Gnatiuk, President and CEO of Grande Prairie Regional College (GPRC), made the announcement to the delight of a large delegation, including Power Engineering, instrument technicians and steam/pipe fitter students. The donation of the equipment - appraised at over $500,000 - is one of the largest gifts in kind donations ever received at Fairview Campus. Shell also covered the cost of moving the buildings and equipment from its Peace River operating site to the Fairview Campus. "This is a clear signal by industry that GPRC Fairview Campus has arrived as a first class training facility for the Northern Alberta and North-eastern BC," says Gnatiuk. "GPRC Fairview is a technical training institute, so students benefit when they get hands on training in learning labs such as this one. It means our graduates leave with the necessary training, skills and opportunities to start work in a variety of oil and gas related careers. Thanks to substantial donations like this one from Shell Canada and other industry leaders, our graduates get the hands on training needed and wanted by industry." Malcolm Mayes, General Manager of Shell's In Situ Operations, was on hand for the announcement and said, "Supporting universities, colleges and technical schools is a key focus of Shell's social investment program. This support can take a number of forms - financial contributions, scholarships, and in-kind donations. We are delighted that equipment that was used at our Peace River operating site will now get a second life as part of the Shell Canada Learning Lab here at the GPRC Fairview campus." As Oil & Gas (O&G) related careers continue to be in heavy demand, GPRC will respond by using this facility to help train power engineering students, instrumentation technicians and steam/pipe fitters initially. Future plans for the Shell Canada Learning Lab include offering training for O&G plant operators, field operators, and various industry safety training courses. The practical skills being offered will enhance the training experience for all students.