Profile

I have always been interested in electronics and science type stuff since being a child. I’m not so good at maths and never have been but found that science is the way into maths. I joined the Royal Air Force after school as an aircraft electrician and after a fairly short amount of training was fixing and maintaining fighter aircraft and bombers. I spent 22 years in the R.A.F. before moving into the oil and gas industry. I have worked my way through my career to a good position.

Unusually for the industry and my position I do not have a degree or any high qualification levels (and have not been to university). I only have O levels and CSE’s  (the old old equivalent to GCSEs) from school and other than in job training and courses have not done any other formal education.

You really can progress if you have the will, yes it’s a bit harder but is doable.

My customers have found oil, undersea, and need to get it from under the sea to an oil rig or onshore. My job is to help define the way to get the oil from the reservoir to the rig or onshore. That includes choosing the equipment, how to best lay out the system and making sure the equipment matches the standards they set. Once we have done that stage I manage and monitor the equipment build, testing and delivery to the customer. Once the customer has the equipment I make sure it is installed correctly and ensure the testing of the system is good before oil is started.

oilfield Equipment going subsea

Oilfield Equipment ready to go offshore

Two technicians inspect a distribution manifold before it goes offshore

A protection structure gets deployed to the seabed

Diver on Oilfield Equipment

Days take a varied approach depending on where we are in the projects cycle. Early in the project its all about understanding the location, environment and how to configure the project. Once that is finished we move on to actual equipment specifications and design. After this its monitoring build and approving the build documents, and finally onto the commissioning and getting the first oil or gas to the rig.

Days typically start (around 8am) with checking email as many of the teams I work with are all over the world (America, Australia, Germany, Brazil) so its not easy just to phone them as the time they work in is different to mine. After checking and dealing with email I look at where we are in the project and check what needs doing for the day. As the project progresses this becomes more challenging as factories break, equipment fails and things start getting messy. This is where it becomes interesting trying to fix the problems.

Towards the end of the day its a final check of emails for anything urgent before packing up and going home around 4.30.

Some days I work from home, the routine is the same as above but requires more discipline to ensure I don’t get distracted with home life.