As a result of the importance of having trained staff contributing to the growth of the maritime industry, postgraduate students in Business and Operation of Bunkering at the Panama International Maritime University (UMIP) made a working trip to Slop Oil & Recovery Company, Inc. and the Caribbean Yacht Club of Colon.
In Panama, the bunkering industry is experiencing a rapid growth, so that the UMIP has created the Graduate Certificate in Bunker Business and Operation to provide participants with a broader spectrum of the country’s oil infrastructure, the need for human resources, operations and control of pollution.
The tour was linked to oil spill control and international agreements, and was conducted as part of program requirements which call for the implementation of field practice for each participant to appreciate and carry out postgraduate learning in the classroom. The teacher responsible for the tour and the module was Engineer Ruben A. Merel.
The program is structured for those who work in the growing maritime, port and industries of the coastal areas to provide them with analytical and specialized tools.
In addition, the graduate course provides a constant update on local regulatory issues and quality control, loss of control, marketing, control of spills and environmental responsibility in bunkering.
It also offers tools to optimize the business and identify measures to improve productivity, efficiency, effectiveness and competitiveness.
According to data from the Panama Chamber of Shipping, there are more than 30 companies in Panama dedicated to storage of fuel or bunker.
The business handles more than one billion dollars a year and moves 3.5 million metric tons of product, according to the Panama Maritime Authority.
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