Offshore jobs in the oil and gas industry
Aberdeen, in the North East of Scotland – with its proximity to the North Sea is a focal point globally for the oil and gas industry. Many companies have their key bases in Aberdeen and employ thousands of office based staff or who work in the North Sea and Internationally.
Jobs where individuals are required to work away from home for the purposes of oil and gas exploration and drilling are referred to as ‘offshore’ jobs.
If you have never been offshore before and are considering moving into a job offshore, do you really know if it’s for you?
Working offshore can be challenging –with long working hours and the harsh weather. But the rewards are great – with varied roles and an escape from the normal 9-5 and commute. Not to mention the salaries and time off!
If you are successful in finding an offshore job in the North Sea, you may be sent to work on a drilling rig, a production platform of a Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel (FPSO). You are likely to work for:
- An operating company (holds the exploration licence and operates the production facility)
- A drilling company (contracted to carry out the drilling work
- A contractor – providing operations and maintenance services to the operators.
- An FPSO operator – helps process the oil
- A Service companies - provides specialist assistance to both operating and drilling companies, e.g. well service firms, drilling mud suppliers, cementing companies, well testing specialists, seismic firms, divers, caterers, etc.
Working Offshore in production usually means working for a period of two weeks before having a rest period onshore for two weeks - 2 weeks on 2 weeks off, though 2 weeks on and 3 weeks off is becoming increasingly common. Those in drilling and exploration can spend longer offshore. Offshore crew work 12 hours a day, including rest and meal breaks, and have 12 hours off. Off-shift, workers can choose to work out in the gym, watch a video or DVD or satellite TV, play snooker, play PC games, read or just hang out with their colleagues.
All offshore employees are rigorously trained in safety and environmental regulations and are expected to adhere to them at all times, to ensure the safety and protection of the people and the environment around them.
It is sometimes difficult to get your first offshore job and having some experience in oil and gas onshore is a good start.
Before you can even embark on a job on an offshore installation, you will need the following:
• BOSIET (Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training)
• UKOOA Medical (Medical approved by the United Kingdom Offshore Operators Association)
Typical kinds of job you will find in the offshore oil and gas industry include Drilling Engineers, Rigging Engineers, Well Head Engineers, Production Engineers, Welders, Project Engineers, Piping Designers and Corrosion Engineers – but you will also find a wealth of offshore jobs for Health & Safety specialists, chefs and other support staffing roles.