Shell has held the opening ceremony of its new $21 million (£14.4 million) Northshore training and development centre in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana.

Among those in attendance was governor Bobby Jindal, who said the new oil and gas training institute would help to attract new business to the state.

"We've now cut taxes, we've got stronger ethics laws, now we can show companies we will provide them with skilled workers," he told attendees.

In addition to providing energy training for Shell workers, the facilities will also help to train staff at more than a hundred other companies operating in the oil and gas sector.

Shell vice-president of production for the Americas Frank Glaviano told WWLTV that training and development was a key tenet of the company's corporate strategy.

The group also extends customised technical gas and oil training courses to companies which seek to bring practical expertise into a classroom environment to teach worldwide best-practice skills to workers in the energy industry.