PetroVietnam workers put in maximum effort to overcome oil price fall and COVID-19

PetroVietnam and its subsidiaries and affiliates are actively implementing solutions and measures to cope with these global impacts, protect employees' health, and maintain business and manufacturing activities. VIR gathered the opinions of some employees working on the sites, day by day contributing to the group's development.

Nguyen Tuan Nghia, deputy head of PQP-HT Platform, Bien Dong POC

Facing the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board of Directors of Bien Dong POC has promptly carried out a series of measures to fight the epidemic and put a check on the disease at all onshore and offshore business operations. Before entering our platform, employees must submit a declaration of their travel history. Workers are required to spend 14 days in self-isolation at home before they come to the offshore platform.

Normal shifts of work at the platform have now increased from three to four weeks, which reduces the number of workers going through rotation. While the workload has definitely increased, the policies of the group’s leaders provide us with the best working conditions to fulfil our mission. All residents of the platform have medical checks twice a week. We have also set up a quarantined room that aligns with the requisite standards right at the platform to isolate infected patients if there are any.

As the entire industry is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the oil price shock, we understand the difficulties that we are facing. The company's leadership is making every effort to both protect the health of its employees and at the same time ensure safe, continuous, and efficient production and business activities, and maintain jobs for employees.

PetroVietnam’s employees are putting their weight behind the group's effort to overcome the adversities of this year

Nguyen Truong Son, electrical engineer, Vietnam-Russia Joint Venture (Vietsovpetro)

We, the employees who are directly working on the site of Vietsovpetro, always feel secure and believe that oil prices will go up in the coming time and the COVID-19 pandemic will be dealt with – and with it, the world’s and Vietnam’s economy will soon recover.

In the meantime, I think every employee need to step up now, be more creative in manufacturing, utilise technology innovations, and help the company improve both the quality and quantity of the products while reducing production costs as well as stabilising work.

Trinh Thanh Hoang, marine officer, Vietsovpetro

We understand that the falling oil price will be a pressure for PetroVietnam and Vietsovpetro but I believe our leaders will find appropriate solutions and adjust the business strategy of the company as well as the whole industry.

To join hands to cope with the COVID-19 epidemic, our employees always comply with the requirements of wearing masks, washing our hands regularly, and follow the recommendations of health authorities on epidemic prevention, utilising all available equipment of the company, improving labour productivity, and reducing production costs.

Le Van Nin, installation engineer, Vietsovpetro

Facing the challenges and complicated movements of the COVID-19 epidemic, we are confident that the actions from the Party, the state, the government, as well as the solutions of the anti-epidemic steering committee of Vietsovpetro will prove effective.

To join the society's fight against the epidemic, we at Vietsovpetro always encourage and remind our colleagues to raise awareness of protecting themselves and the community, and have strictly implemented the regulations and guidelines of the Ministry of Health, local authorities, and Vietsovpetro.

We are willing to join quick-response teams when required to timely co-ordinate with relevant parties if anyone shows signs of infection, both onshore and offshore to strictly obey all regulations.

Engineers at Dung Quat Oil Refinery

Nguyen Anh Truc, team leader, Ca Mau Fertiliser Plant

Ca Mau Fertiliser Plant has maintained non-stop operations despite the epidemic. Every day, we continue working with foreign partners and customers, so the risk of disease is always high. The Board of Directors of the company has recognised these risks early and took anti-epidemic response measures in a timely manner.

With all measures to strengthen the prevention of the pandemic, the company certainly has increased its costs. The price of oil has reduced sharply and the spread of epidemic have significantly affected production and business activities.

As employees, we understand the difficulties that the Board of Directors is facing in order to ensure the jobs and wages of hundreds of employees. We are trying our best with the highest efficiency and will overcome this difficult time together.

Do Hong Quang, engineer, Dung Quat Oil Refinery

Despite being heavily affected by the COVID-19 epidemic and the falling oil prices, the oil and gas industry in general and Dung Quat Oil Refinery in particular have been taking drastic measures to reduce costs and improve labour productivity.

Every day, we try to find new ideas and innovations to optimise our operations and production and reduce costs. Every day, we optimise equipment operating parameters in our workshops in an aim to minimise energy consumption and maintain the factory in safe and stable operations.

We have also introduced many solutions to operate the factory with different capacity to maintain stability and efficiency when the demand for petroleum products is reduced due to the COVID-19 epidemic.