Oil Careers – Various Positions on the Rigs
Oil careers are very prosperous and there are many different types of position that you can find in this industry. In fact, with oil demand rising all the time, it is no wonder that more and more jobs are opening up. Oil companies are continuously trying to find more oil off shore and that means that they are constantly on the lookout for new employees. Oil rigs often have hundreds of employees working on them at any one time and considering that employees are at home for two out of every four weeks, they will need quite a lot of staff to keep the rig going. For that reason, many young people are considering oil careers. But what kinds of jobs are available on the rigs?
Entry Level Positions
There are a number of positions available on the oil rigs that do not require you to have any formal qualifications or any previous experience. However, you will need to have a number of skills depending on the position you are applying for. Examples of some entry level positions on the rigs are Radio Operator, Mud Engineer, Welder, Scaffolder, Roustabout, Materials Person, Rig Safety and Training Coordinator, Motor Man, Painter, Maintenance Roustabout and Electrician. You can expect to receive pay of between £29,000 and £49,000 but that will depend on the type of job that you are doing and the skills required for the position.
Deck Crew Positions
There are a number of deck crew positions available on an oil rig such as Maintenance Roustabout, Roustabout, Crane Operator, Crane Operator, Assistant Crane Operator and Maintenance Foreman. Some of these jobs are considered entry level positions while some of them require experience of working on an oil rig and experience in a supervisory position.
Drill Crew Positions
The most well known drill crew position on an oil rig is the Roughneck. The roughneck is in charge of operating the drilling machinery. He must make sure that the machines are functioning properly and will have to spend time in the mud process room when the driller is working. The roughneck is assisted by the Derrickman who ensures the efficient operation of the mud pumps. The driller is the most important position on the oil rig because it is his job to drill for the oil. It is the driller who operates the drill and he is in charge of everything on the oil rig floor. He is assisted by the Assistant Driller.
There are many other positions available on an oil rig so anyone looking at oil careers can usually find something to suit. The pay is excellent and there is plenty of time off too. However, the work is hard and it is important to consider safety at all times.
Environmental Concerns and Decommissioning Services
The decommissioning or removal of an offshore oil or gas rig requires contractors who have the right credentials. Decommissioning is part of the general area of disposing of hazardous waste, given that oil and gas are noxious and highly flammable substances. One of the problems for those companies looking to hire a contractor for decommissioning services is checking the credentials of that contractor.
It takes a lot of different people with a variety of skills to safely remove an offshore rig. From the time the contract is put out to tender to the final removal and safe storage of the rig remains can take two years or more. The level of expertise and the time involved in decommissioning means that the process is incredibly expensive. The problem, particularly when it comes to hazardous waste and the environment, is that big money projects tend to attract the cowboys.
Contractors can quote anything from $30 million to $200 million to decommission an offshore rig, depending on the size and type of platform and where it is situated. It is cheaper to decommission a platform where an oil rig is situated on the mainland but many oil and gas platforms are offshore and this involves more time and expertise and a much greater cost. Older rigs are sunk into the seabed and have to be dismantled in situ before they can be moved to the facility on the mainland.
Most decommissioning occurs because the field has run dry or because the platform is past its best and therefore dangerous. Some North Sea rigs have been functioning for 20 or 30 years and need replacing with new, more up to date facilities. Companies that contract out the decommissioning of an oil or gas rig need to check the contractor’s background and expertise with care. Most decommissioning teams are made up of seasoned engineers and other experts. It’s a good idea to question a contractor about the members of the team and their various levels of expertise before awarding a contract.
Decommissioning is a dangerous task and there are significant health and safety issues that need to be addressed. Once a rig has been cut up and taken down it has to be stored in a safe location on the mainland. A good many of the parts of a decommissioned rig are stored and saved to be used later in the construction of a new platform. No matter how well the parts of a rig are cleaned once they have been cut up, there is often residual hazardous waste involved. A tried and tested team of experts will be familiar with what is required and careful to avoid future damage to the environment.
Engineers Everywhere
Most types of businesses include an element of engineering in them somewhere. If you consider the property market, which is currently in a deep depression, there are engineers which are necessary from time to time. Take, for example, that if a property appeared to be leaning to one side or at a slight angle, then a structural engineer would be called out to give his assessment regarding the problem. Claxton Engineering may need the services of a structural engineer if they own their own property.
There are many different types of businesses which will at some time or another require the services of an engineer. On some occasions an electrical engineer may be required. Within the energy industry there are many different engineers required to undertake the huge variety of tasks undertaken.
There are engineers who specialise in defusing bombs. Whichever way and whatever business you can think of there will, at some stage be the necessity for an engineer. Many people are slightly in awe of the title, engineer. This is usually because they don’t actually understand the meaning of the word. Within some small businesses the technician who looks after the computers and the various software which needs regular monitoring may be called a software or technical engineer. There may even be a mechanical engineer who can operate machinery. Claxton Engineering may actually employ a variety of different types of engineer.
On ships there are many different types of engineer to deal with the boiler room, the engines, heating engineers, and so on. There are so many jobs which come under the generic terms of engineer which makes it really difficult to quantify what an engineer actually does. More often than not, although they will have qualified with a degree, it is only when they actually start work that the specific type of skills will be learned. Of course, in all branches of the military there are a huge number of different engineering opportunities. Whether it is the Army, Navy or Air Force, each sector requires engineers who are all specifically trained to carry out a range of tasks.
For a young person leaving school with very few qualifications, recruiting into the military can give the option of learning skills and gaining qualifications which will be able to be built upon for the rest of their working lives. Bearing in mind that there are many unemployed young people at this time, yet many vacancies being advertised it is slightly strange. Claxton Engineering may be advised to look for younger recruits and to train them in house.
Taking the Subsea Engineering Industry by Storm
The subsea engineering industry is becoming a very popular industry for young adults who are searching for valuable and high profile careers. This industry is assisting in powering almost every other industry in the world and this means that there will always be a need for an engineer. In order to make the most of a career in this industry, prospective engineers should make themselves aware of what they can do to increase their chances of making a success of their career.
Making Connections in the Industry
It is always a good idea to make connections within the industry that you are working. If you have only started out in this industry then you might want to attend conferences, lectures and other events that could put you in the presence of like-minded professionals. This will not only give you the chance to get to know professionals that could assist you in advancing in your career but it could also help you to gain valuable information about the world of subsea engineering.
Choose the Right Facet of Subsea Engineering
This type of engineering has many different sub areas that you could enter into once you have completed your degree. It is important to take note of all the job opportunities associated with each section. You might find that certain areas of the industry are flourishing at the moment and this means that it will be easier for you to get a job. The trends are constantly changing, however, so it is always best to keep your ears open for new developments within the field.
Choose Your University with Care
Studying at the right university is an important part of building a successful career. A good university will be able to offer you all of the theoretical knowledge and practical experience to allow you to enter the industry with confidence. While you are studying it might also be a good idea to intern at a company in order to get more experience in the field of your choice. Once you have gained enough experience you might find it easier to get a job with the company of your choice and this is better for your career in the long run.
Taking Extra Courses
Throughout your career you will have the opportunity to take part on courses that will assist you in learning more about the industry that you are working in. It is very important to continue learning about this industry as the advances that are being made within it are constantly being updated. Throughout the years you might want to take the time to branch out and learn about other facets of engineering so that you have more variety when it comes to working on different projects.
Education in Sub Sea Engineering
As the world continues to change, the need for specialists in all fields grows. The field of subsea exploration of oil and gas utilizes myriad engineering professional from every discipline in designing, constructing, seeking optimum sites for the structures, transporting, stabilizing, managing, moving product, disaster control, decommissioning and dismantling of sub sea oil and gas rigs.
Professionals in the field of petroleum engineering and other sub-disciplines of engineering can achieve a master of science in subs ea engineering at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. This school of higher education dedicates itself in preparing highly trained and qualified graduates for making an impact in the field of subsea engineering.
The location of the University lies right in the core of the European gas and oil industry. It is the central hub for professionals and subsea engineering companies. Corporations such as Acteon employ thousands of engineers from the strata of disciplines to participate in the world of subsea drilling. Acteon and corporations such as Acteon seek the highly skilled and educated individuals from this University for their team of successful engineers. With the advent of virtual learning, students are easily capable of distance learning by using the World Wide Web. This opens up study across the globe to any engineer interested in sub sea oil and gas exploration.
With the environment being threatened by impending disasters such as the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico this decade, there is an increased need for more technical breadth and depth of knowledge in the operations of subsea systems and the technologies associated with managing all aspects of drilling.
Thorough engineering principles, practical skills and intellectual analysis methods revolving around the design and installation of all subsea systems is no longer just preferred but is mandatory in every sense. Understanding and using precise analysis techniques and, tools, software designed especially for the industry and using ingenuity in raising the standards for design and performance of all systems is apex of what the industry requires. This University offers the opportunity for engineers to enhance all of their working skills and prepares them for active roles in the existing and future needs of the oil and gas industry.
It is difficult to be accepted the University of Aberdeen as it requires graduates with Honours degrees. The applicant must have graduated in the upper second of his or her class to be considered. If the candidate cannot fulfil this obligation and applies with lower academic standards, this requirement could be waived if there is at least five years of professional experience judged to be from a relevant professional engineering field. One other difficult piece of criteria is that the incoming student must have command over the English language.