Dolphin Geophysical Improves Offshore Training with Oilennium ConTrainer

Offshore eLearning System Provides Quality Training in Remote Locations Without Internet Access

Oilennium™ Ltd., a Petrofac Training Services (PTS) company that provides eLearning training services to the oil and gas industry, announced that since Dolphin Geophysical deployed the ConTrainer™ on its global fleet of seismic vessels, the company has experienced a dramatic improvement in its ability to deliver quality, consistent Health, Safety and Technical training to its crews offshore. The ConTrainer, a standalone Learning Management System (LMS) that features comprehensive training content for the oil and gas industry on a small computer system, is the only one of its kind to offer eLearning modules offshore and in remote locations.

Developed by Oilennium, the ConTrainer was created in response to demand from oil and gas companies seeking to provide interactive learning for employees working in remote locations where access to the Internet is intermittent.

Internet captive no more

Norway’s Dolphin Geophysical, which supplies marine geophysical services with its fleet of seven new-generation high capacity seismic vessels, recognised a need to reliably train its crews consistently, whether offshore or docked in harbour.

Mike Hodge, Vice President of QHSE for Dolphin Geophysical commented: “Before we began using the ConTrainer, our efforts to train crews on vessels via eLearning systems were compromised by constrained VSAT access to the internet, which most eLearning systems require. To test the effectiveness of the ConTrainer, we conducted a three-month trial on two of our new 3D vessels Polar Duke and Polar Duchess, in international waters. We were able to monitor learners’ progress from our global headquarters in Bergen, Norway. We were impressed by the rapid uptake by our crews. The compelling, media-rich quality of the programmes really engaged them, and fuelled their desire to progress, which in turn enhanced retention.”

Because the ConTrainer is not dependent on unbroken connectivity to the Internet, it has meant that during downtime caused by bad weather, for example, our crews can take advantage of that time to progress through some of the 50 courses available on topics ranging from leadership and management to those with a technical or HSE focus. With the ConTrainer, downtime is never “lost time.”

During the past two years, Dolphin Geophysical installed ConTrainers at its Bergen base and throughout its entire fleet. Approximately 424 registered users have access to 50 courses that can be viewed any time. The training programme has been so successful that Oilennium has been commissioned to provide another 20 modules, including two bespoke courses dedicated to a Company Safety Induction, that are scheduled for installation on every Dolphin Geophysical ConTrainer in 2015.

Learning progress monitored daily

In addition to delivering consistent Health, Safety and Technical knowledge, Dolphin Geophysical’s training department is kept up-to-date on the progress of every user. This is achieved through a custom, graphic online dashboard, which provides a snapshot and long-term results in an easy-to-view format. Every day at the same time, each of the eight ConTrainers sends a report on user progress, allowing training managers to assess the level of eLearning on a vessel-by-vessel basis.

Samantha O’Hara, General Manager of Oilennium, commented: “Dolphin Geophysical’s experience with the ConTrainer is the rule, rather than the exception. Across the board, the increased speed and uptake of eLearning by employees working in remote locations using the ConTrainer is typical of our customers’ experience. They respond extremely well to the highly interactive nature of the courses, vibrant visuals, and varied approach. The fact that every employee, regardless of location, can be trained consistently in Health, Safety and Technical subjects represents a big step forward in terms of cultivating optimum employee competency and common workforce culture. It’s been extremely heartening to work with Dolphin Geophysical, and to witness their employees’ progress, knowing that we have helped to contribute to that success. We look forward to expanding their portfolio of eLearning modules, making certain to maintain the quality and effectiveness of each and every one.”