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Working in the Oil and Gas Industry
Extracting oil and gas offshore is a complicated process carried out in a harsh environment. There are around 200 offshore installations, ranging from large structures standing on the seabed, where up to 200 people may work, to smaller floating production facilities that may employ as few as 30. Around 105,000 people are directly employed in oil and gas extraction, with another 65,000-plus involved with its supply chain. Another 97,000 people work in gas inshore, with a further 84,000 indirect employees. Total investment in the UK offshore sector is well over £200 billion and around half the available oil and gas reserves are yet to be produced.
The UK oil and gas extraction industry covers the exploration, extraction and initial processing of North Sea oil and gas (hydrocarbons) from around the UK, both on- and offshore. The industry produces in excess of 3 million barrels of hydrocarbons a day (80 per cent of Britain’s fuel) and contributed over £30 billion to the UK economy last year. The centre of activity for oil and gas extraction is off the coast of Aberdeen, Scotland. Hydrocarbons are, however, produced in other areas of the UK such as the southern North Sea, from around offshore Humberside to Norfolk and Suffolk, and offshore from Liverpool and Morecambe Bay.
Once ashore, the oil and gas needs to be distributed to the users, storage and delivery systems need to be built and maintained, and appliances require installation and servicing. Oil is pumped to refineries, where it is separated into different grades and then transported by pipeline and tankers to power stations, factories, petrol stations and private houses.
Gas is delivered to beach terminals. It is checked for quality and energy content, and then enters a 133,000-kilometre pipeline system that delivers it to either a commercial or a private customer. Complex arrangements govern the buying and selling of gas and its storage.
Around 6,000 companies are involved in the UK’s oil and gas industry, split into three main types:
- operators own licences and are responsible for exploration and production
- drilling contractors undertake drilling operations, and supply personnel and equipment
- contract service companies undertake specialised support and maintenance roles.
The oil and gas industry and the Services
There is no direct relationship between the oil and gas industry and the Armed Forces. Nevertheless, many of the skills required and valued by employers are taught and practised by a number of people in the Services. Generalist skills, such as supervisory management, project management and administration, are wanted as are all manner of specialists like engineers, divers and cooks. There are also fuel specialists in units, and a few people highly trained in fuel technology.
Working in the oil and gas industry
Working offshore
Working offshore involves two or three weeks on a rig or installation, followed by equal time at home. Everyone works shifts, normally of 12 hours’ duration. They work close to others in places where there is little space to get away on their own. Conditions are noisy and dirty; work is outdoors, and involves lifting and carrying heavy weights and working with powerful machinery.
Jobs include the following.
Searching
• Geologists locate possible sites and calculate how much oil is there
• Geophysicists map the substructure
Exploration
• Mud loggers (geologists) analyse mud, fluid and debris from an exploratory drilling
• Reservoir engineers assess oil reserves and drilling sites
Drilling
• Roustabouts are offshore unskilled manual labourers
• Roughnecks/floormen carry out the drilling operation under supervision
• Derrickmen work above the rig, handling the drill pipe sections
• Pumpmen assist derrickmen
• Assistant drillers co-ordinate the activities on the drill floor
• Drillers control the drilling team
• Toolpushers oversee the whole operation
• Rig superintendents are responsible for the operation
• Drilling engineers order the drilling programme
Well services
• Operations supervisors oversee the well crew’s activities
• Wireline operators maintain the well and the tools
• Coiled tubing operators use a tube to pump fluids into the well
Production
• Production engineers monitor wells and check efficiency
• Production operators manage the flow of oil
• Control room operators (barge engineers) manage the equipment that reports on production
General operations
• Offshore installation managers are responsible for offshore operations
• Radio operators control movement and communications
• Crane operators and their assistants load and unload cargo, and supervise teams
• Caterers feed and water the crews
• Stewards maintain and clean accommodation
• Divers inspect and maintain subsea structures, often using remote equipment
• Medics deal with minor complaints and major injuries
• Storemen order and hold equipment and supplies
• Mechanics and technicians
Business support
• This includes accounting, legal, IT and administration
Entry requirements for the industry
• Minimum age of 18, but the preferred range is 21–30
• Minimum height of 1.63 metres (5ft 5in)
• Physical fitness
• Not colour blind (for some jobs)
• Relevant employment experience (if possible) and good Services work record
Competition for jobs offshore is fierce; relevant skills and experience are valued, with ex-Forces people often highly employable. Pay is good and experienced operators can expect to earn upwards of £30,000 a year. Offshore installations vary in size, but a typical one houses a core crew of 50 to 100 men and women. Living quarters are compact but comfortable. Food is good and plentiful, with a range of activities provided for off-duty periods.
The industry is one of the largest employers of divers. Diving also requires life support technicians managing and controlling all aspects of a diver’s well-being in a decompression chamber between or after dives. ROV technicians man two types of ROV; work and inspection.
Working onshore
Work onshore encompasses a wide range of activities. Scientists and technicians work to produce improved fuels and more efficient energy; while engineers and construction workers build and maintain the plant and pipelines.
Energy supply is governed by complex and sophisticated ICT systems so technicians, programmers, designers and trouble-shooters are involved. Transporting bulk fuels by road demands specialist transport, licences and safety qualifications. Liquid fuels are commonly sold to the consumer at petrol stations, which are increasingly becoming shops as well. Jobs in gas include laying mains supplies, plumbing, and appliance installation, inspection and maintenance.
Training and development
Cogent – the Sector Skills Council for the oil and gas extraction, chemicals manufacturing and petroleum industries – is developing standards, qualifications and training. Energy & Utility Skills (the new sector skills council for electricity, gas, waste management and water) is also developing occupational standards and qualifications for people involved in main laying and service laying.
All offshore workers must complete fire, emergency and survival training. A basic rig crew course, covering drilling operations and roustabout/roughneck skills is highly recommended.
People with degrees in geology, chemistry, engineering and logistics, and experience in project management, are highly prized. AS-levels or the equivalent are required to enter as a technician, while GCSEs or equivalent will give people a start at craft level.
NVQs/SVQs may be gained in subjects including:
- Process Engineering Maintenance Levels 2 and 3
- Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Petro Chemical Manufacture Levels 1 to 4
- Safety Services Oil and Gas Extraction Levels 2 and 3
- Offshore Crane Operations Level 2
- Offshore Deck Operations Level 2
- Processing Operations – Hydrocarbons Level 1 to 3
- Processing Operations – Hydrocarbons (Control Room) Level 3
- Well Services – Electric Logging Levels 2 and 3
- Well Services – Mechanical Wireline Level 2
- Well Services – Tubing Operations Level 2
- Offshore Drilling Operations Levels 1 to 3
- Metering Maintenance Level 3
- Measurement Processes Level 3
- Bulk Liquid Warehousing Level 2
- Refinery Field Operations Level 3
- Refinery Control Room Operations Level 3
- Nuclear Technology Decommissioning Level 2
- Oil Fired Technical Services Levels 2 and 3
- Polymer Processing and Related Operations Levels 1 to 3
- Sign Making Levels 2 and 3
- Utilities Control Centre Operations Level 2
- Utilities Metering Operations Level 2
- Utilities Network Planning and Management Level 4
- Domestic Natural Gas Installation and/or Maintenance Levels 2 and 3
- Complex Domestic Natural Gas Installation and Maintenance Level 3
- Emergency Service Operation Level 3
- Gas Networks Operations Levels 1, 2 and 3
- Gas Networks Engineering Management Level 4
- Pipelines (Oil and Gas) Engineering Management Level 4.
Anyone working on gas appliances or fittings as a business must be competent and registered with the Council of Registered Gas Installers (CORGI). Competency can be proved under the Accredited Certification Scheme (ACS). CORGI provides a route to ACS through a distance learning programme. ACS has a two-day core domestic gas safety assessment and a number of appliance assessments that take half a day each; both are available at 150 centres in the UK. A competent student should take five days to pass the full domestic suite of qualifications.
Useful contacts
International Marine Contractors Association, 5 Lower Belgrave Street, London SW1W 0NR, Tel: 020 7824 5520 Website:
www.imca-int.com
National Grid Gas plc, National Grid House, Warwick Technology Park, Gallows Hill, Warwick CV34 6DA Tel: 01926 653000 Website:
www.transco.uk.com
Cogent (Sector Skills Council)
Aberdeen office: Minerva House, Bruntland Road, Portlethen, Aberdeen AB12 4QL Tel: 01224 787800 Website:
www.cogent-ssc.com
Energy & Utility Skills, Friars Gate Two, 1011 Stratford Road, Shirley, Solihull B90 4BN Tel: 0845 077 9922 Website:
www.euskills.co.uk
Council of Registered Gas Installers, 1 Elmwood, Chineham Park, Crockford Lane, Basingstoke, Hants RG24 8WG Tel: 0870 401 2200 Website:
www.corgi-gas-safety.com
Been there done that…
Andrew King
After 12 years in the Royal Navy, Chief Petty Officer Andrew King left on voluntary redundancy in 1996 to ‘try life as a civilian.’ Now aged 39, the Marine Engineering Artificer had served on a number of ships, and still finds his ‘discipline, resourcefulness, artificer training, drive, leadership, etc’ skills and experience useful. He had also achieved an HNC in Mechanical Engineering.
Resettlement training taught him to ‘write my CV and apply for jobs,’ and he then contacted companies operating near his home. A cold call led to a job as an assistant engineer working for a company that specialised in condition-based maintenance.
King is now Offshore Installation Manager on an oil rig, for Petrofac. He is responsible for ‘health, safety and welfare of everybody on board the installation and also for the integrity of the installation. I also need to ensure that all targets are met and that the platform complies with all current legislation and see that company procedures and processes are followed. I also get involved in the selection and recruitment of personnel and, when the people are onboard the installation, their career development.’
He likes having the responsibility to make decisions and influence the direction the platform takes in relation to safety, production and maintenance, and also enjoys the interaction with people. The down side is ‘being away from my family for two weeks at a time.’ He is now earning around four times his Service salary.
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