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Text Only Version - Click Here For Full Site Format Everything on the site is free, even the addresses, website & email information. There is one link to www.rigjobs.co.uk which takes you to a CV Submittal Service. This is a pay per use service ($30)which I have checked out thoroughly before putting up the link and it is 100% honest and genuine. Types Of Rigs
Semi-submersible Ballast tanks are incorporated into the base of the legs and pontoons and are filled with water to 'semi-submerge' the platform to provide stability during drilling operations. In addition to this, Dynamic Positioning or maybe up to 8 anchors would be used to ensure the position of the rig does not alter during drilling operations. When the rig needs to be moved, the anchors are heaved in and the ballast tanks are emptied of water which raised the rig out of the water so that almost the whole rig can be seen. Again, tug boats or supply vessels are usually attached to move the rig to it's next location, though some of the bigger semi-submersible drilling rigs can move under their own steam with the aid of thrusters and GPS. Once on it's new location, the ballast tanks would be filled with water to 'semi-submerge' the rig into the sea, and the DP would be engaged or anchors set to ensure the rig does not move off location. An oil company, ExxonMobil, Shell, BP etc would hire a drilling rig like this to drill exploratory wells in deeper water to find oil or gas before constructing a production platform on the site after confirming the existence of commercially viable resources.
Jack-up When the rig is on location the bottom of the legs are touching the seabed. When the rig needs to be moved, the legs are jacked up. Initially, this just causes the hull to move down the legs towards the water. When the hull reaches the water however it floats and the motors then start to raise the legs off the seabed, very slowly and up through the hull and into the air. Tugs are then attached to the rig and it is towed to it's new location. When on it's new location, the legs are jacked down towards the seabed again. Once they touch the seabed and settle the jacking action then starts to raise the hull out of the water and up the legs. Once a safe distance has been achieved between the base of the hull and the water, around 60-70' the rig is stabilised by taking on tons of water into 'preload' tanks and the rig is allowed to settle for a day to maximise stability. Drilling operations may then resume. An oil company, ExxonMobil, Shell, BP etc would hire a drilling rig like this to drill exploratory wells in relatively shallow water to find oil or gas before constructing a production platform on the site after confirming the existence of commercially viable resources.
Platforms If the results are favourable, they will hire a Jack-Up or a Semi-Submersible drilling rig, or possibly a drillship to drill some exploration wells. If these wells prove fruitful, the oil company will develop the field with the drilling unit before constructing and placing on site a production platform, or if the reserves are marginal, an FPSO might be used. The platform or FPSO will pump the oil out of the ground into a pipeline to shore, or as is sometimes the case to an 'export' tanker directly which then takes the oil to it's final destination. There are several different types of platform as technology has advanced so rapidly over the years. The Jade platform seen above is a more conventional production platform placed on top of a steel structure (the 'jacket') which is permanently secured deep into the seabed. There is no way it can ever be moved once it is set in place, short of blasting it with dynamite. The main differences between a drilling rig and a production platform are the fact that drilling rigs move from one location to another and float on the surface of the water, while a production platform does not and also the large flare boom present on production platforms which vents off excess gas from the production wells.
Drillship It carries the same drilling crews as a Jack-Up or Semi-Submersible but because it moves around unaided, it carries a larger contingent of traditional marine crew also. Many of the newer built drillships are designed to carry out drilling operations in ultra-deep waters where even most Semi-Submersibles can not drill. These drillships are aided by Dynamic Positioning (DP) systems which use satellites orbiting the earth to fix their position on the sea to within a tiny margin. FPSO However, advancements in technology has meant that smaller oil fields, where it would not have been economically viable to build a platform, are now able to be developed by the use of a cheaper option, a Floating Production Storage & Offloading vessel, or FPSO for short. The Zafiro Producer, above, is just this type of vessel. Originally a 270,000 ton oil tanker called the M.T. Swift, built in 1973, it was converted to an FPSO and arrived in it's present location offshore Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea in 1996. It was originally intended for around a 5 year life in the Zafiro field. But more oil discoveries in the field have meant the estimated field life is around 15 years. A life enhancement program was undertaken to improve the FPSO still further and as can be seen in the picture in the oil rig photo gallery, there is now another tanker sited nose-nose with the Zafiro Producer, the Harrier. The Zafiro Producer is now the production part of this partnership and pumps the oil into the hull of the Harrier. The Harrier was replaced by the Magnolia storage unit, another oil tanker on 26th August 2000. The Zafiro Producer is connected to subsea oil wells and pumps the oil out of the ground directly to the hull of the Magnolia. When the hull of the Magnolia is full, it pumps the oil through a hose into another tanker via a Single Point Mooring buoy located approximately 1 mile away. You can see the hose in the picture above floating on the sea surface. FPSOs are a very versatile offshore installation. At the end of a life for an oil field, these vessels are designed to enable them to move to another location and start work on pumping another oilfield dry over a period of years.
Dive Support Vessels DSV's are used quite extensively within the oil industry to assist with subsea work on pipelines, wellheads, platform maintenance etc. They will have decompression chambers, diving bells etc and a lot of them also carry Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs) which are controlled from the deck of the ship and have the benefit of being able to carry out work in the water without the need for any divers to be in the water. Even with today's technology though, some jobs can still only be carried out by the human hand. Other types of support vessels include supply boats, tugs for towing rigs, pipelaying ships and barges and many other specialist vessels.
Introduction Please do not email me with questions like "Please tell me what I have to do to get a job offshore....." It just wastes my time, again, you'll find all the information I have contained within this site. Please do not paste your CV into my guestbook. If you are from South Africa, please check the link opposite for specific information about your country. Some
Background High proportions of current offshore employees commute from as far away as Ireland, Wales and the south of England. Others from much further away such as Spain, USA, France, Australia etc. Among those living abroad are British people, who moved there when they became settled into their offshore career and pay their own fares back and forward every trip. Few companies now pay travelling expenses. As far as a starting salary you would be looking in the region of £25,000 per year as a Roustabout or Catering Assistant / Steward. Your pay may take different structures, a fixed amount every month, or a 'day rate' where you get paid for each day on the rig. Whichever way you get paid the annual salary would still work out the same of course. There is no real age limit, it just depends on how you sell yourself. I've worked with Roustabouts in their 50's and Stewards in their 60's. You will need to be fit enough to pass the medical and carry out your duties, other than that should be no problem with age as long as you don't still want to be working offshore after you're 65!!!!! As long as you get to the heliport for your 'check in time' it does not matter where you stay during your time off. There are some exceptions to this depending on what type of job you have. For example, some maintenance personnel have to be on call to go at short notice to a rig that requires them. They are not tied to any one rig. They are sent by their employer at the request of a drilling or production company. Rig workers who have a 'back to back' and a definite period of time off the rig can usually suit themselves what they do and where they go, until they are due back to the rig. Where To
Start? Don't worry if you don't have any contacts though, most offshore workers were once in the same boat as you and couldn't use this route to get their jobs either. They weren't lucky enough to have the internet to search for information like this site offers either, so you're already one step ahead of some others. A lot of the personnel in the industry have started work way back in the capacity of a Roustabout. This is the bottom rung of a long and diversified ladder that is the oil industry. It's the offshore equivalent of an onshore labourer but with more specialised skills like banking and slinging which you can learn on the job, or as is getting more common, in specialised schools teaching these skills to green hands to improve their chances of getting employment in the first place. If you are a university graduate or have skills or a trade that will be of particular interest to offshore companies, you should mention these in your CV, covering letter and telephone discussions with personnel departments. If you are reading the contents of this site with the intention of getting straight offshore as say an electrician (if that happens to be your trade), then you may be in for a shock, no pun intended :-) In the past it was possible and in isolated cases it still happens today. However, you may spend years trying in vain to get in as a tradesman, especially if you do not get a personal recommendation from someone already employed offshore, who has worked with you in the past. There are others who have your trade and offshore experience to boot. Companies are unlikely to choose you before them. They don't know how good you are, whether you are a hard worker or if you can stand being away from your family and friends. A faster way is to get in at the bottom. Some companies initially employ 'green hands' as Maintenance Roustabouts. This post is not present on every rig. Being outside is better for trades people like electricians, mechanics and welders to get a job in their trade. They will be in regular contact with employees in those departments. However, if you can not get a start as a Roustabout then try as a Catering Assistant. After you have been on the rig for a couple of 'trips' and become familiar with people, you can enquire about getting a job outside. They would be much more interested in a person that is keen enough to start in a lower position. That will allow them to pay you less money and find out if you are good enough in your trade and can put up with being away from home and dry land for two or three weeks. If you don't have a trade, don't worry, as you are not really at a big disadvantage. There are just slightly fewer offshore career options open to you as you climb the ladder, e.g. electrician. If you show you are keen you have the same chance of getting a start as someone with a trade has, sometimes even higher. Many companies are keen to employ people as Roustabouts who they can train their own way and will possibly go into a drilling career. Rowan Drilling, my first offshore employer were a classic example of this type of company in the 80's & 90's Regardless of qualifications, you will have a far better chance of getting offshore if you have taken a Basic Offshore Survival & Firefighting course. It is nigh impossible (certainly in the UK) to get a job offshore without one. The good news is that if you are a graduate or have skills or qualifications that are in great demand, a prospective employer might well pay for you to complete this course. Otherwise, if you are serious about an offshore career it is an essential investment in the hunt for a job. A medical is not as necessary because most companies will insist that you get an examination with their own doctor before you become an employee anyway. Employment agencies, as opposed to oil and drilling companies mostly only employ people who have offshore experience, unless they are very busy. However you should definitely send them a CV and phone them as some are more flexible than others about this rule. Courses The survival course is quite physical, playing around in lifeboats, pool work, climbing rope ladders, descending knotted ropes, jumping from height into water, all of these whilst kitted up in survival suit and lifejacket. Also of course there is the infamous helicopter simulator underwater escape. This is nowhere near as scary the second time you do it but still quite daunting for most people the first time. Suffice to say it is all done under strict supervision with underwater divers equipped with SCUBA standing by. Your employer will usually pay for the refresher. Doing the offshore survival course in no way guarantees you work. There are other courses that may be of interest, such as the comprehensive Europe wide course, allowing you to work in any sector of the North Sea, Dedicated Firefighting, Drilling School and Lifting and Handling certification may also enhance your chances of getting work. The following organizations will be able to assist you to your exact requirements. Following is a list of companies offering Offshore Survival Courses. Some of these companies also offer other courses : RGIT Montrose
Limited Blackpool & the
Fylde College Humberside Offshore
Training Association Ltd NUTEC Centre
For Safety (Aberdeen) Petans Ltd.
(Norwich) Warwish
Maritime Centre (Southampton) You will not be able to go offshore without a medical certificate from an offshore-approved doctor. Your GP will only be able to carry out the examination if he/she is approved by UKOOA. You will not get a medical certificate if you fail the drug test!!! Applying For A Job Curriculum
Vitae / Resume However, employers do not have the time to wade through long-winded applications so you should keep things condensed and get your main points across. If possible get all the information on one page, if not, use no more than two. They will ask for any more detailed information that they require if they decide to ask you along for an interview. You can get your CV done professionally. Recruitment papers and probably your local paper carry advertisements from CV specialists. Another option is to find someone with a professional CV and copy the format. My own CV is online, see link opposite under personal information. I have always done my own CV, feel free to copy the format :-) Doing it yourself is cheaper and not necessarily a mistake. Knowing how to do it properly though is important. It is your shop window. It is the only thing potential employers have, to decide if they want to interview you. It can make the difference between getting a good job and not getting any interviews. Suffice to say that in 14 years offshore I've never been out of work for more than a couple of weeks, but you have to search out the jobs, they don't fall in your lap very often. I am not going to go into great detail on the appropriate layouts for CVs. They should, however, contain personal and educational information, skills profile, employment history, references and interests/hobbies. They should contain accurate and honest information and be free of spelling and grammatical errors. Your leisure time activities are of interest to employers as it tells them if you are a loner or team worker. If your main past times are, for example, reading, playing computer games and painting water colours, throw in a team sport. Covering
Letter Potential
Employer's Address Dear Sir / Madam, I have recently completed my basic Offshore Safety & Emergency Training with RGIT Limited in Aberdeen and now wish to pursue a career within the Oil Industry. Ideally I would like to gain employment within my trade as an electrician, however I am willing to start at the bottom and work my way up within your organization. I am therefore looking for a job as a Roustabout. Please find my CV enclosed. Yours
faithfully, When you have created your well-presented CV and covering letter, bought your stamps and A4 envelopes, you are then ready to apply for a position. Also enclose a photocopy of your survival certificate and offshore approved medical certificate. I am reminded at this point of a news item I saw a few years back when a particular oil company was so inundated with CVs that they trashed all applications in brown manila envelopes and only considered those in white envelopes with a first class stamp. Unfair? Yes, but I've never used a brown envelope since. Also, it's a good idea to use full A4 (US Letter) size envelopes so your freshly printed CV and copied certificates are not creased when they arrive on the desk of your prospective employer. Find out which companies pertain to your employment goal and create and edit an address list as applicable. Initially make contact by sending a CV to as many companies as you can on the next page. Alternatively you can make use of the CV submittal service from www.rigjobs.co.uk They charge a fee for this service, $30, but it's 100% honest, I have tested it, it works, I even got a job offer, although they make NO GUARANTEES of work. I have had dealings with the people who run this site and it is 100% honest and you will get what you pay for. The replies come directly back to YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS. Most are just standard replies promising to put you on their database, which 99% of companies WILL do with written applications anyway. It's an excellent and cost effective way of getting your CV on file with over 1,000 genuine companies. I don't charge for the address details on the next page because some of the addresses and company details may not be as up to date as they might be but the ones @ www.rigjobs.co.uk are kept up to date and the service is well worth $30. Roughneck
Schools If you are from Canada then try out the following two links for further information I have no
connection with these two organisations, information courtesy of Please see my link about OilCareer.Com before using their service which is advertised on the PITS website. If you have any information about similar schools in your country, please email me details so I can list them here. Roustabout
School Aberdeen Hi Martin, Well, I managed to get a place on the banksman / slinger course, I was away on Thursday 21/10/04 - Friday 22/10/04, so I'll now tell you a bit about it. The course cost (including vat) £434.75. The first day consisted legislation, and the second day was practical. Course Content My honest opinion of the course is - I'd think twice before going on such a course again. The first day was basically a blur, the tutor did know what he was talking about but, he went through all the legislation so quickly, you didn't know if you were coming or going, there is no-way anybody can take in so much info in such a small amount of time, and I was glad that the other 5 on the course thought the same. The tutor was a Scouser (nothing wrong in that), but my point would be that he was talking far too quickly, being Scots I can talk very quick at times but, I'd say this was beyond that. He told us from the start that he had to get to a certain point of the course by the end of the day, he got to the point he wanted, but left us well behind. The second day was a bit better, actually practising hand signals with the crane-operator then putting the practise into use moving containers, I learnt a bit more that day, but not enough. We had a test to sit at the end of the day, this was hard; however, you were given a handbook that gave you all the legislation, names of shackles and everything to do with operations, I managed to score 89%, you had to score 80 or above. The certificate basically says, you attended the course on such'n'such a date. At least I managed to get a good B&B, just 5 minutes from the RGIT centre, I just took the standard room, £25 B&B, you had a TV, kettle and a wash basin, the place was very clean, and this I would recommend. The course time was meant to start at 0900 and finish at 1700, it started nearer 1000 and finished at 1600. On the second day we started at 0830 and ended at 1530. I'd say for me, the course was disappointing, if it were on for longer this would give you a better chance of picking things up, and also making it worth the price, but as it stands, I don't think it's worth spending the money, just wait to see if you can get it through an employer, but these are just my thoughts on the matter. Well Martin, if you need anymore info with regards to the course, feel free to ask. Cheers Hi Eric Don't be disheartened about the course mate. Many many offshore courses are purely 'attendance' type courses rather than a real study course with an exam at the end. The certificate that you get WILL be valuable and give you an edge over other new starts applying for the same position as you because you have had some exposure to the practicalities of the job and RGIT is THE training school in the UK as far as offshore training goes. Regards Hi Martin, Thanks for your feedback, I don't feel as bad about the course now, with what you've explained it sort of makes sense, these types of courses give you an insight as well as a beginning into what the jobs may be like. I received the proper certificate for the course, today, it has what course you sat and that the candidate successfully completed the course work (says a bit more, but I've shortened it). Thanks once again Martin, I will keep you informed of my progress. Cheers Following Up Following that and until you get a job or are asked to stop, you should phone each prospective employer at the most weekly, probably better once every two weeks. This way your name will stay in their minds but you will not annoy them too much. Keep your phone contact short. After they have your CV on file, you only really need to touch base. Keeping the girl from personnel hanging on the phone is not going to magic a job out of the air. Help her to help you by just being polite and brief. Eventually your efforts will pay dividends. For those of you in the UK reading this and are unemployed at this time or ex-forces it would be worth contacting your local Employment Service / Job Centre and asking about getting assistance with provision of envelopes, stamps, photocopying and telephone calls. 'Job Club' provide all of these services for free and is very handy when you have such a large amount of CVs to send off. If you can get through to a company's personnel department, (with a lot of companies it's hard to get past the receptionist), ask for the person's name so you can ask for them personally every time you phone that company. You may be able to get the name by asking the receptionist for the name of the person to whom you should post your CV. Handing over your CV in person can often be to your benefit, especially if you give a good impression of yourself. If you live far away from their office it may be worth while introducing yourself after you have been regularly sending your CV and phoning them. If the industry in general is busy and you just don't seem to be getting anywhere by post and phone, it may be worth the trip. I've know a few guys who have stayed a couple of nights Aberdeen or Great Yarmouth and just toured the drilling companies and employment agencies delivering their CVs in person during the day. While I was working with Rowan Drilling, one guy even pitched a tent on the plot of land outside their offices. He got a job!!!
What To Expect
Reporting
For Duty When you know exactly what is happening you can relax until your flight is called, using the name of the rig. There will be a café with hot snacks and drinks, also papers and magazines. Your flying time could be as much as three hours depending on which rig you are going to, so a visit to the toilet before you go would be a shrewd move. You will be called to check-in your baggage some time before you actually proceed through to the departure lounge. When your flight is called to depart there is no time to waste. You are only allowed to carry reading material into the helicopter. A security guard will search you for a number of things including weapons, matches and lighters. Any such items found on your possession at that point will be confiscated. They will not let you board the helicopter if they believe you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs. You will then be given a survival suit and maybe also a thermal undergarment and be instructed on which TV lounge you will be sitting in for the helicopter emergency procedures video. After putting on your survival suit and lifejacket you should use the earplugs provided. When everything is ready you will be led outside and into the helicopter passenger doors. You will then don the ear protectors and fasten your safety belt. When everyone is in, settled and the doors are closed, the pilot will give you flight information, which you should be able to hear despite having earplugs and ear defenders on. On arrival at the rig you will be instructed on what to do. The rig heli-deck crew will open the doors and guide everyone out. Leave your ear defenders on the seat (unless instructed otherwise) and follow instructions on which way to go from the heli-deck. It is not necessary to memorize the above as you will be given instructions by appropriate personnel at heliport and on the rig. Also you will be able to follow what everyone else is doing, there may be over twenty others getting into the helicopter with you.
Life Offshore You will also have to put up with questions and comments from friends and relatives like "Is it really like the Roughnecks program on the TV?"....."I bet the food's good out there isn't it?"....."Why aren't you driving a brand new car?"......that sort of thing. The industry has an above average staff turnover due in part to people being unable to adjust to the lifestyle. Don't get the wrong idea, working offshore is not as daunting or arduous as some think it must be, conditions have improved dramatically and are continuing to do so. Those working offshore are exactly the same people as work in any heavy industry. They would not be there if they did not enjoy it to a certain degree. However statistics show that many people leave their job before doing three 'trips' offshore. This is a mistake for a lot of people because it really does take longer to adjust. Having said that, some personalities are just not suited to the environment. If on a rig in the North Sea, or overseas on a rig with a high British contingent onboard you will likely be working with a lot of ex-forces personnel and city boys. You will certainly need a thick skin to put up with a lot of the 'banter' that goes on. Most of it is good natured though and any attempt at intimidation is usually stamped out immediately. On arrival at the rig you will be issued with safety boots, hard hat, safety glasses and coveralls. You will then be given a guided tour of the whole installation. Alarms, drills and muster points among other things will be explained to you. A positive attitude will make life offshore much more enjoyable and may increase your chances of promotion. Keep focused on why it is that you are working out there and the plus points of the job. Everyone has different reasons and goals that bring them to the offshore industry. You will work a twelve-hour day with a break in the morning, lunchtime and afternoon. 'Tea Shacks' or 'Smoko Shacks' are at various places throughout the rig and at designated times filled rolls or cakes etc. are provided. For your lunch you will take off work gear and go into the galley. The food is usually good quality with a wide selection at every mealtime. The catering crews on some rigs organize theme nights with Chinese or Mexican food making up the majority of choices on the menu. Offshore installations operate 24 hours a day, so depending on your job you may have to do night shift. With some jobs you may have to do a combination of days and nights. There are different systems used usually dependant on helicopter arrival times and company policies. Often you will start your 'trip' on day shift and then move to night shift half way. For example if you do two weeks on-two weeks off, you may do a week of days and a week of nights. Off shift facilities vary from rig to rig. In the past there may only have been a packet of cards and a couple of dog-eared novels as rig leisure equipment. Today most rigs have a 'cinema' with large screen TV showing satellite TV and a selection of videos or DVDs, which are updated every fortnight, most also have TVs in every room. Many have excellent gym and sauna equipment. Others have table tennis, computers with Internet links and computer game consoles. Pool and snooker tables are also very common, though not on the semi-subs :-) Promotion Everyone is watching you especially in the early days of employment. An example of this is a Driller, looking for a Roughneck, will watch the Roustabouts when he gets the chance and talk to others about the Roustabouts. He will ask people he meets as he does his work, or in the 'smoko shack', he will also ask your direct boss. The following goes for everybody looking for promotion into a different department. Whether it be a Roustabout looking for a job as a Roughneck or a qualified mechanic employed on the rig as a Roustabout looking for a motorman's job. To get into the department you are skilled in, it is not enough to present your certificates to the rig personnel supervisor and hope they will think of you automatically when the next position comes up. You must put great effort into pursuing the job you want, you have to constantly remind them of your skills and intentions. Do whatever it takes, for example go and talk to every person in that department, get to know them on a friendly basis initially, but do tell them of your trade. Some workers will be wary of helping someone who maybe after their job. So go carefully, make friends and don't be too pushy. If possible arrange it with the head of the department you are interested in and the head of the department you are currently working for, for you to take some time off your present work to work in your skilled area. A word of warning however, you will probably be on three months probation for your Roustabouts job, and it is up to your direct supervisor whether you stay or not. So your first priority is to your present job, doing it well and waiting for the right opportunity to arise. Summary Find out if the industry is in a boom period - ask a couple of different personnel managers as if one company is not doing so well they might be inclined to blame it on the state of the industry when it's not in fact the case
Tips But seriously, as you get your first few trips under your belt you will have your preferences of what you like to take with you. Some people take laptop computers, however because bags can get rough treatment sometimes this is not a recommended item to bring. Many rigs have their own computers for recreational use. Others take packets of sweets, books, newspapers, magazines etc. There are more important things to bring, like your personnel protective equipment (PPE). However, if directly employed by the rig's owners, you are likely to be supplied with this when you get to the rig. You should also bring separate work clothes worn under your boiler suit as they are washed every day, shoes to wear when you are going for your mid shift meal and clothes and shoes (most wear trainers or flip-flops) to wear off shift. It is mandatory to take your passport and advisable to take a copy of your offshore survival certificate and your approved medical certificate. Some rigs do not get regular papers, so take a paper or two out with you every trip, but especially your first. Take three, as you will instantly make three friends. Keep one for your direct boss. Nobody will look down on you for this and it will not be seen as crawling or favouritism, as everyone on the rig will eventually see the papers as they get passed around. A common payment for favours done or to say thank you is to buy a 'can of coke and a mars bar', rig-code for any bar of chocolate and any can of soft drink. If you want promotion, keep moving at all times. A steady pace all day. If you have time for a slack period, grab a tool or something and walk with it. Don't stand about talking with nothing in your hands. Every piece of lifting equipment has a colour code on it, this shows it was tested as safe to use at the last lifting equipment check. Only items with the current colour code should be used. To Bring Or Not To Bring? What NOT to Bring Lighters Remove batteries from
electrical equipment before checking in your baggage Rig Crews Offshore Installation Manager (OIM) (£70,000); has often worked his way up through the drill crew ranks. He is in overall charge of the rig. Hence sometimes called "Person In Charge" (PIC). Toolpusher (£60,000); works in the rig offices and the rig floor. He also has responsibilities on the main deck. He is usually an experienced driller. Company Man (£90,000); is the oil company's on board representative. He is not employed by the drilling company operating the rig. On a drilling rig an oil company employee works with the drilling company to supervise its interests, helping the strategy for drilling the well. Driller (£50,000); has a high level of responsibility, and is in charge of everything happening on and above the rig floor. He is the man that actually operates the drilling equipment, making the hole in the sea bed. Which is the reason the rig is there in the first place. Assistant Driller (£42,000); has many tasks to perform most vary depending on particular drilling operation being carried out at the time. He is direct supervisor for the Derrickman and Roughnecks. process room at all times. Derrickman (£38,000); is responsible for the maintenance and smooth operation of the mud pumps and mud holding pits among other machines in the mud pump room. Also assists the Roughnecks when very busy on drill floor and not required in the pump room. This is the man who will climb the derrick, the tall drilling tower, to assist racking drill pipe when it is being pulled out of the hole. Roughneck (£28,000); works on the rig floor in a team of three and is responsible for the operation of equipment and machines as required by the particular operation being carried out at that time by the driller. While drilling, one Roughneck is present in the mud Subsea Engineer (£50,000); is responsible for the Blow Out Preventer (BOP) unit and the motion compensation system of the rig among other duties. Assistant Subsea Engineer (£40,000); can sometimes be promoted from Roughnecks. More usually from a mechanical background. Crane Operator (£35,000); is responsible for all crane operations on the rig and to/from the supply boats. He is supervisor to his assistant and the Roustabout crew. Assistant Crane Operator (£28,000); is an experienced Roustabout who is also qualified to operate the cranes and will often be next in line for promotion to Crane Operator when a position arises. Roustabout (£25,000); main duties include guiding the crane as loads are moved about the deck, supplying equipment to the rig floor as requested and keeping pipe deck and main deck areas clean and tidy. Will also assist Roughnecks on the drill floor when required. This usually only happens when the Roughnecks are too busy to get a meal break. The Roustabout will get his meal, then go to the drill floor allowing one Roughneck to get his break. Then each Roughneck swaps out until everyone has eaten. Radio Operator (£30,000); Modern radio systems dictate the need for a GMDSS Radio Operator's Licence. Responsible for onboard communications systems, helicopter logistics, preparation of Personnel On Board lists, lifeboat and emergency muster lists, T-Cards etc. Since the advent of modern radio the radio operator's job has changed tremendously. A good modern Radio Operator will have excellent PC skills, good admin skills and must be able to get along with people as the radio room will be the focal point for most peoples communications in and out of the rig. They also get landed with other administrative jobs that no-one else seems to have the time for. He might also be find himself labelled as the resident I.T. tutor / network administrator. Medic (£40,000); They are rarely doctors but have a high level of medical training. Some are former nurses. On some smaller rigs they double up as a Rig Safety & Training Co-ordinator (RSTC). They are responsible for the upkeep of the Sick Bay and the medical stocks, issuing medicines like a pharmacist. Most rigs now carry out medical checks on all employees every six months or so. Keeping of rig medical records. The rig also has designated first aiders in every crew. Maintenance Supervisor (£50,000); either has an electrical or mechanical background and oversees the whole maintenance crews work. Electrician (£40,000); responsible for all electrical equipment onboard the rig right down to the changing of light bulbs within the accommodation. Mechanic (£40,000); responsible for all mechanical equipment onboard, including the drilling package. Motorman (£32,000); general engine room duties ensuring smooth running of rig power. Instrument Technician (£38,000); responsible for calibration of measurement equipment, gauges, alarm panels etc. Barge Engineer (£40,000); is in charge of control room operations. He will often be a time served Master Mariner from the Merchant Navy who has crossed over into the oil industry. Responsible for stability of the rig, anchor handling operations during a rig move, supply vessel operations and the like. Control Room Operator (CRO) (£35,000); Barge Engineer's assistant and responsible on a daily basis for keeping the rig afloat. He will also be involved with anchor running and retrieving operations during rig move plus a whole load of paperwork besides, work permits etc. Painter (£25,000); Given his work by the Barge Engineer, the Painter is responsible for the rig painting program. Like the Forth Road Bridge it is a never ending job. Often working at heights with scaffolding safety harness and or work basket hoisted by the crane. Usually builds his own scaffolding. May have an assistant, especially if the rig does not have a Maintenance Roustabout squad. Maintenance Roustabout (£25,000); main duties include general upkeep and cleaning of deck area of rig. Also painting. Maintenance Foreman (£28,000); responsible for overseeing a Maintenance Roustabout Crew’s work. Welder (£35,000); They are permanently on one rig and carry out all day to day repairs and building of new metalwork. They are always busy. When there is a big project often a squad of welders are hired to finish the job quickly. These guys move from rig to rig wherever their company has a contract. It’s fair to say that Welders are responsible for the majority of fires onboard drilling rigs Rig Safety & Training Co-ordinator (RSTC) (£40,000); There is a lot of responsibility. A job for someone who is a good communicator and has good organisational and computer skills. You will also require full knowledge of the offshore safety laws and company policies. Materialsman/Storeman (£30,000); Responsible for the maintenance of the stores and stock ordering and receiving. Must be computer literate. One drawback of this job is that on smaller rigs with only one stores person they sometimes have to get up at all hours to check the cargo coming off the boat. Camp Boss (£30,000); in overall charge of the catering department. Oversees the chefs, stewards/esses Chef (£27,000); day to day cooking duties, reports to the Camp Boss Night Cook / Baker (£25,000); very important position on the rig. All bread onboard is baked by the night cook/baker. Scaffolders (£30,000); are not usually tied to any one rig. They go to different installations depending on where their company has work. Mud Engineer (£50,000); is in charge of the drilling fluids being used. S/he will likely have a degree in chemistry and will have a good knowledge of drilling procedures. Glossary Of
Terms Bond; Shop on the rig selling toothpaste, confectionery, etc Beach; Refers to land.Crescent Wrench; American term for an adjustable spanner.Casing; This large metal pipe comes in various sizes. Several lengths are joined together and put into the previously drilled hole and cemented in place.Change Over; Shift change. Night to days or days to nights.Galley; Canteen where you get your meals.Greenhand; Someone who is new to the offshore industry.Hydrocarbons; Organic chemical compounds made up mainly of Hydrogen and Carbon. A term given to all types of crude oil and gas.Leave; Your time off the rig. (Opposite of Trip)Load; Item being lifted by crane.Mud; Consisting of various chemicals, this dark brown drilling fluid is pumped down the drill pipe at high pressure to remove cuttings from and cool the drill bit.Off Tour; Time off while on the rig. Usually 12 hours.Oil Rig Tight; Answer given when asking how tight to make a bolt. Meaning hit the spanner with a hammer to get it extremely tight. Remember the Roughneck's Quote "I don't know what it is but I bet I can break it".On Tour; Time at work while on the rig. Usually 12 hours.Plastic Yank; A person who after working with Americans develops a USA accent and mannerisms, such as wearing big belt buckles, baseball caps and cowboy boots and chewing tobacco.Relief; Person doing your job while you are off tour.Roustabout's Nest; Place where a Roustabout hides when the deck crew are not busy. You know you have found a nest from the empty soft drink cans, confectionery wrappers and improvised seat.Smoko; Morning and afternoon breaks, even if you are not a smoker.Smoko Shack; Designated on shift tea break area/room. Most rigs have a smokers shack and a non-smokers shack.Standby Boat; Rescue vessel that is always within 5 miles of the rig.Tag line; Rope used to control an item being lifted by the crane.Tight Hole; Secrecy surrounding information on well being drilled. Preventing competitors from finding out what has been found.......Usually :-)Town; Refers to Aberdeen, or any shore base you are working out of.Trip; Length of your working period on the rig ie 3 weeks, 2 weeks, whatever.Other Useful
Sites Some links will be duplicated in my online contact addresses page which you may already have visited but generally the pages below contain useful information and are not just company websites. If you find any broken links or have any problems with sites on this page I'd appreciate it if you would contact me and pass on any details. www.racash.co.uk www.network-recruitment.ltd.uk Firstly I would like to provide links to two excellent websites that provide much more detailed information about scam and ripoff websites concerning how to get a job offshore. Click on the links below to visit these websites.
http://offshoreguides.com/Avoid_the_Scams.asp
Colnic.co.uk This site is a very amateurish ripoff of Cleddau.Com's oil rig pages even going so far as to steal some of my personal photographs and copy pages from my website word for word. On investigation it seems what appears at first to be a legitimate UK company is actually run by two South African men and other sites belonging to 'Colnic Marketing' are aimed at extracting money from people for information on visas and methods of gaining employment in the UK. To get a job offshore in the UK is very difficult for Brits. For foreign workers it's even more difficult. I would imagine that the 'package' offered by this website for 30 pounds is no more than you can get for free by reading the pages of this website. My personal database of addresses has probably also been copied for distribution in their package. I would advise nobody to send any money to these people. www.uk24.co.za - Nico Swart +27 588523103 - "UK24 was born when two South African’s came back from England after 3 years and experienced first hand, what was going on in the visa and working holiday industry. We also had a bad experience of thinking that we had everything covered by using an agent. So we decided that it was time to do something about it and to save our fellow young travellers money!"
OilCareer.Com Some visitors to my site later emailed me saying that Oil Career had either not kept the promises made on their website or had not responded to them at all. I tried to contact the president of Oil Career who had initially emailed me last year to see if he could help but all I received was automated email responses promising a quick response which never came despite several attempts by me to contact them. I know of other website owners who's visitors report the same problems with this company. So now I have taken down my link to Oil Career and emailed them to tell them why I have done so. I feel it only fair to share this information with visitors to my site, not to tell them NOT to use Oil Career, but just to highlight the experiences of some of the people who have visited my site and provided this feedback. Be VERY wary before parting with such a large sum of money. A similar service to Oil Career is offered by www.rigjobs.co.uk and this this costs only $30! This site is run by an ex-offshore worker trying to provide an honest and helpful service, just like myself. Oil Career is NOT a member of it's local Better Business Bureau in Canada, to view information about this company go to http://www.edmontonbbb.org/ click on Company Reports, and enter the company name New Ventures (trading name of Oil Career.com) Caledonian
Offshore South
African's Page First of all there seems to be a LOT of people offering false / bad information in South Africa and taking people's money under false pretences. Such instances I have heard of include the sending of money to a company claiming to help you get a job offshore and the pack you get back is just a list of ships chandlers for you to send your CV to. But anyway, the offshore industry in Africa in general is booming. You will still need the basic qualifications to start but this only entails getting an offshore survival course. In the past this has proved very difficult but there is now an offshore survival training centre in Capetown where you can do your survival course which I understand is recognised by most authorities around the world. In any case, it's the basic qualification you will need to get a job as a Roustabout, Catering Assistant or any other position at the bottom of a very long ladder of promotions. The company providing the survival course facilities are called Cape Technikon, their main website address is www.ctech.ac.za but you'll find the survival page at www.ctech.ac.za/facul/eng/surf/ Contact details are as follows : Maria De Wet The main survival course is a 5 day course and costs R3000. This might seem expensive but at least you are dealing with a reputable company and the end result will give you the basic qualification that you will need before you can get a job offshore. I'd like to offer my sincere thanks to Johan Augustin who provided the information and links on this page. Contact
Others The majority of my emails seem to come from South Africa so I've created a 2nd page with more specific information for South African visitors to this page, though they should read this page first before clicking here. If you would like your email address deleted from this list, please email me NOTE : THE PEOPLE ON THIS PAGE ARE NOT EMPLOYERS SO PLEASE DO NOT SEND THEM A CV/RESUME. THEY ARE JUST VISITORS TO MY PAGE WITH A COMMON INTEREST OF GETTING A JOB OFFSHORE - MAIL THEM TO SHARE INFORMATION ONLY. WHEN YOU MAIL THEM, PLEASE LET THEM KNOW WHERE YOU FOUND THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS. |
