Uganda Petroleum Institute Diploma in Downstream Petroleum

Programme Overview

Downstream is the final, and most varied, part of the oil and gas process. This could range from the refining of crude oil and processing and purifying natural gas, through to sales, marketing, product distribution and retail, and everything in between. It also includes the manufacture of petrochemicals and plastics. The downstream sector reaches consumers through products such as gasoline or petrol, kerosene or jet fuel, diesel, oil lubricants, waxes, asphalt, natural gas, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)

Petrochemicals are chemical products made from the hydrocarbons feed stocks which are a basis of the petrochemical industries, namely methane, ethylene, propylene, butanes, butadiene, benzene, toluene and xylenes.

The petrochemical end products from those plants include plastics, (electronic equipment & furniture) soaps, detergents, solvents, paints, drugs, fertilizer, pesticides, explosives, synthetic textile fibers and rubbers, flooring and insulating materials,clothings antifreeze, pharmaceuticals (aspirin), cosmetics and much more.

Prospects for Downstream Operations Program
These graduates may opt to further their skills and education by offering a certificated and eventually a degree in any of the following areas:
i. Applied Chemical Engineering.
ii. Processs engineering
ii) Any other related course/ programme

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Objectives of the Programme

The main objective of the Diploma in Down Stream Petroleum Operations. (DDPO) is to equip trainees with expertise needed to solve problems in the down stream sector and induce practical skills that will enable them maintain safely facilities in the sector.
The programme will:

1. Prepare students for a career in the oil and gas industry.
2. Provide students with high quality programmes that will equip them with knowledge and skills that will give them a competitive edge on the oil & Gas job market;
3. Provide students the underlying rudiments of the oil and gas value chain in terms of technical services and socio-ethical issues relevant to the local Oil and Gas industry.
4. Expose students to a wide range of skills relevant to the local oil industry, thereby building human resource capacities for the oil and gas sector particularly for oil and gas reserves acquisition, design and development; maintenance and oil economics.
5. Develop human centred critical and analytical thinking abilities of students.
6. Expose students to the dignity of labour through field visits in collaboration with industrial players in the Oil and Gas industry including hands on training through internships.
7. Establish partnerships with oil and gas industry players as a way of enriching the quality of the programme both locally and internationally. Uganda Petroleum Institute Diploma in Downstream Petroleum
8. Inculcating health, safety, and environmental conservation so that the learners will implement down stream activities in a sustainable manner.
9. Expose the students the underlying rudiments of the petroleum operations in terms of technical services and socio-ethical issues relevant to the local Oil and Gas industry.

About 70% of the total contact hours will be devoted to developing practical skills. The skills will be developed through demonstrations within the controlled conditions of the laboratories, and further during industrial training and field visits at relevant facilities. Class room learning will be learner-centred, with the lecturer playing the role of a guide in the learning process. Attitude to teamwork will be emphasized throughout the training process.

Learning Outcomes
After going through the DDPO Programme, the graduate will be able to:
(i) Apply the acquired knowledge and technical skills to sustain operations in the down stream operations.
(ii) Integrate health, safety and environment standards in the workplace;
(iii) Conserve the environment and biodiversity during implementation of day-to-day activities;
(iv) Demonstrate ability of maintenance of down stream facilities.