The inaugural graduation ceremony at the Kazakhstan Maritime Academy in Almaty launched the professional seafaring careers of 15 cadets.

The cohort is the first to complete the four-year Bachelor of Science degree course at the academy, which opened with support from Chevron in 2012. Some of the graduating cadets gained practical experience during internships with Chevron Shipping Company (CSC).

The academy was established to support increasing offshore oil and gas developments and generate employment opportunities outside of the traditional oil and gas sector. It was founded by Chevron’s Kazakhstan joint venture Tengizchevroil (TCO) under the auspices of the Kazakh-British Technical University, and partnered with Netherlands-based international maritime educational conglomerate STC-Group.

In addition to formal education, cadets must complete a prescribed amount of sea time in order to become licensed professional mariners. CSC provided technical expertise and internship opportunities on its state-of-the-art vessels.

The academy features the most advanced integrated navigation and engineering simulation equipment, similar to that used by CSC to train and develop mariners across our global operations. Students complete a comprehensive and stimulating academic program, delivered in English.

Araylym Bekova, marine engineering graduate (pictured below center), said: “It’s a big responsibility to be the first graduates of the Kazakhstan Maritime Academy. At the same time, it’s an honor to represent Kazakhstan in the international fleet. I’d like to express my gratitude to all teachers, project managers and sponsors for believing in us, motivating us and making our first class a success.”

The graduates will create a pool of highly qualified and competent Kazakhstani mariners able to work on Kazakh and foreign vessels anywhere in the world. Currently 84 cadets are enrolled in the Kazakhstan Maritime Academy.

Helping to build maritime competencies within countries of our Eurasia business unit (EBU) is an important objective in support of Chevron’s interests in oil production and export in the region. As a 50 percent equity owner of TCO, Chevron recently sanctioned the newest phase of expansion at the prolific Tengiz Field. The integrated Future Growth Project-Wellhead Pressure Management Project will increase crude oil production at Tengiz by about 260,000 barrels per day. Chevron also has a 15 percent share in the 935-mile (1,505-km) Caspian Pipeline Consortium, the key export route for crude oil from both TCO and Karachaganak to tanker-loading facilities at Novorossiysk on the Russian coast of the Black Sea.