By Susana Lima

A new modern training simulator for drilling will be installed in the western province of Matanzas by Cuban and foreign experts.

The equipment is currently located at 150 kilometers from Havana, in the municipality of Cardenas, which according to Joaquin Abradelo, sector specialist, is one of the most advanced of its kind in the world. Their incorporation into Cuban territory is due to new policies and strategies designed to strengthen the drilling of oil in Cuba.

The Cuban government invested a large amount of financial and material resources for the installation and operation of the equipment to ensure the training of operators in the oil exploration and production.

The new drilling simulator is not as simple as the portable drilling simulator that existed before; the new device is permanent, is broader and allows students to gain a better and more thorough preparation.

The state-owned CubaPetóleo (Cupet) with an institution based in the territory of Cardenas, will participate in education, training and certification of personnel working in the hydrocarbons sector.

Minister of Basic Industry, Tomas Benitez, announced that for the fifth consecutive year, the production of crude closed 2011 with approximately four million tons of oil, over 98 percent of the projected plan for this year and the slight breach of this target was due to technological complexities and negative results in some wells.

During a meeting in the Committee on Energy and Environment of the National Assembly, Benitez said the onshore production is close to reaching its limit, due to the amount of output achieved and the weakening of some wells that have over 30 years of exploration.

Cuper stressed in the Parliament that in order to maintain current production levels in land, 23 measures will be approved with important aspects of drilling and training in this work.