Any people work offshore (Aberdeen)???

[chris_darling]

AS above, I'm interested in applying for a job on the rigs but just wanted a bit of info first i.e any opinions etc conditions, pay structure how easy people are to get on with??

Thanks in advance

Chris

[Gumball]

Tiss

opinions-

i worked offshore for about a year. liked it at the time when i was home with the cash and didnt really like being away from my then fiance.

14 days on 14 days off.

worked as a roustabout with Ensco then as a roughneck on a different rig.

Pay-

23500 as a roustabout, 28000 as a roughneck

the people are just like soldiers but rougher at drilling and labouring level overall. if you have a job as a technician etc then the people are different. at grass roots its really a mans man that fits in. daft humour a lot of smoking and mischief.

just now they are never off the phone looking for good people. they are sending out loads of rigs at the moment and cant get enough staff !!!!! never better a time to start other than in the 80's at the start of the boom.

go for it

agencies- northlandic..........................mcgregors...............atlantic resourcing.......

drilling companies- ensco, transocean, dolphin, global

anymore help just ask

[johns]

There are quite a few people on here who work in the offshore industry, and even one who was an OIM until a few months ago.

Working conditions are generally very good, though it is a 12 hour day, 7 days a week whilst you are offshore.

Whilst offshore, you get all your food for free, typically free satellite TV in each room, usually a pool/snooker table on some of the larger platforms and people get on with each other very well. You also get a free helicopter flight every two to three weeks as well.

The big bonus is that you'll typically get two weeks time off each month, which means you have lots of free time to sort out all those other jobs you never have time to do, or improve your game of golf for example. The downside is that you'll miss out on some family birthdays, either Xmas or New Year. It's not as though you can decide to take a day off if you don't feel like going in...

I don't work offshore myself, but do work in the industry in an onshore job. I've been offshore many times though, with my longest trip being about week.

There's plenty of work overseas as well in the industry, though if working out in Baku or Mexico for example, you'll typically work one month on, one month off

I'm sure plenty of others will add in their comments as well.

John

[teknopete]

Tiss,

I`m in the same boat as you buddy, (trying to get into the offshore field) and have been for the last few months without much success.

As a time served muti disiplined engineer I thought it`d be pretty straight forward to get involved. It`s turned out not to be though. Perhaps I was looking to start to far up the ladder, I have been told on numberous occassions that getting on as a roughneck or roustabout is the easiest place to start, but I`d have thought that with all the talk of skills shortages time served people would have been snapped up just as quickly.

Just what I`ve found myself FWIW ;o)

Pete

[dipsy]

I am not in offshore industry but the old brother is and dad was.The old brother is assitant sub sea for transocean of EYGPT and dad was chief rig mechanic on a rig in AFRICA but he retired at 60.The brother got 3rds ticket went sub sea side.My dad has 3rds ticket for marine engine side.But changed to a chief rig mechanic.Transocean web site is www.deepwater.com.Brother gets paid in dollars so he pays his own taxs .Brother does a month on and a bit less home leave with flying home and flying back.I don't know what pay they were getting i don't think you need rgit in this's country's ?.kev

[WUZ]

Yeah, I'm use to work here in the UK, but now I am a Driller for Transocean in India.

Money is great (and TAX free if you know how to work the system, legally of course) weather is HOT, HOT, HOT! and I work month/month so plenty of time off to organise holidays, etc.

Thing is, the lifestyle doesn't suit all types of people. My Father, Brother and I are all in the industry and have been all our lives so it something we're used to. I honestly feel that you'll see more of your kids on a 28/28, 21/21 roat then if you work Monday-Friday 8:30-5:30. You can take the kids to school,pick them up, go out together for meals,etcand all other stuff you cannot do if your stuck in the office.

Macgregor's or Altantic Resources are you best bet. Also, get the Aberdeen paper the "P & J" on a fridayas it is jobs day.

Finally, try www. driller.com

www.oil-careers.com

www.hazelleng.com

for jobs

GOOD LUCK!

Russell

[jasonb]

I am just away to apply for a job with transocean as they are looking for electrical engineers

fingers crossed

[dipsy]

Hello russell my dad and brother worked for rb .Before transocean bought rb and what rig or drillship are you on in india

[martyn_slorach]

Hi Tiss,

If you're interested , the company I work for is screaming for people, (PSL energy services) The majority of the work we do is pumping various fluids and chemicals down wells with big pumps on different rigs / boats , if you've got a bit of mechanical knowledge then you've got a good chance of getting a job as we work with diesel engined pumps , all training is on the job and the pays not bad too, good promotion prospects too!

Have a look at PSL Energy services web site , you can send them a cv via email if you want.

good luck mate

martyn

[martyn_slorach]

FAO teknopete,

I just read your post too, give PSL a shout if your interested , They always take your previous experience into consideration and your starting sallary and position will reflect that.

They are a great company to work for , one of the few smaller private oil service companies left.

Martyn

[col666]

I've also been thinking about going offshore, i am an electrician and have been refurbishing hydro power stations for the past few years but present contract finishes in a couple of months and there isnt much happening after that.

Is it worth doing your RGIT off your own back then going hunting for a job? or will companies put you through it?

Colin.

p.s. Anybody looking for an Approved Electrician with experiance in Industrial and domestic work round about dundee/perth area start of October!!!?

[Carl Davey]

Unlike most of the guys here i'm not into the drilling or services side of the industry, i'm an operations technician. I was lucky enough to get myself into the BP appreticeship scheme when i was 18 and will complete my 'designate' period offshore next year. I have had two years in the North Sea so far, mostly spent on Miller although i have recently transferred to Bruce.

Agree with Russell, the time away can be a wrench but the time at home can be quality time if spent correctly. Rather than go offshore last trip i spent a fortnight in the office (Mon-Fri 9-5) and i now know which i'd rather do on a full-time basis. Likewise my father worked 2-2 (although he was onshore based in Shetland/Norway/Denmark) throughout my childhood, it's the norm for a lot of children growing up in ABZ.

I got put through my RGIT but it would show a keeness if you were to do it off your own back. As far as life offshore goes i found it pretty easy to get settled into. It's a wrench being away from friends and family but things are generally so busy the fortnight has passed before you know it.

Martyn, you must've done a few scale squeezes on Milller? I don't think there's anyone who works for PSL that hasn't.

[chris_darling]

Alrite Martyn I'm an instrument technician, so don't really have much of a clue about diesel engines thanks for the info tho, anyone know of any company's taking instrument techs??

Thanks for the info guys sounds as tho you all enjoy it, hope I will.

Thanks again

Chris

[martyn_slorach]

Carl,

Yep, i've done my share of squeezes on the miller!

[zeolite]

<< There are quite a few people on here who work in the offshore industry, and even one who was an OIM until a few months ago. >>

Goodness. Where do you after you have been a god?

Offshore gypsy myself and having the busiest year ever. Too much work and too few people. so have been working 2 and 2. That is two weeks offshore and two days home.

We have taken on a pile of trainees and I am sure everyone is the same.

[scientific steve]

hey chaps, just doing my euro 3 day refresher just now (loving every second of it - not)

and have been speaking to a few chaps

swaco are screaming for folk at the moment and even if you dont have some know-how with a shifter you'll get a job nae bother

start off with about 130 pounds a day and then upwards

have been a service hand meself for 8 years and it does have it's good and bad points, i dont have a rotation myself and go away as and when required

this can mess up your life good and proper, the worst case has been when i had been away for 16 days arrived back on a thurs night and was told i had a 6:30 check-in the next morning and ended up being away for another 12 days, time off ?????? pah, now and again

you can have very busy times if you become a service hand but the cash can make up for it for a while

at first i was happy enough to get my deposit and stuff for my flat sorted quickly, with plenty left over for other stuff but now i am looking to get into some sort of job with a rotation

cheers

steve

[SIMBO]

well i have been a car/van mechanic now for 13 years time for a change i thinks any sugestions

david

[chris_darling]

Anyone an instrument technician then??

[~ ~ Cal ~~]

I worked offshore for 4 years on rigs and vessels and have seen some weird stuff and places as a consequence ( Shanghai / Korea / Taiwan / Hongkong etc etc). This is what i do for a living after going to uni and doing one of these courses. Offshore life can be really good and really crap depending on what you do and where. It's best suited to young folk but there are many who find that the time off suits them to a tee.

I started working for Shell 3 years ago ( onshore in the office) and have really enjoyed it. I still get to travel lots and go offshore occasionally to boost the mods fund .

By the way.......mucho jobs at Shell just now !! They are 1000 technical people short

Mini-guide to working offshoore

[Gumball]

Since you posted this thread i have had 9 phonecalls from agencies in Aberdeen and Gt Yarmouth asking me what i am doing now and would i like to go offshore roughnecking !!!!!!

The last time i did it was 12 months ago and they are still on my case lookig for workers.

So, as i said a while ago in my first post......they cant get enough people at the moment.

***another thing to do when starting offshor is say you HAVE experience and name a random rig. when you get to the heliport just tell the crew your joining that you dont have any****

they will help you out and look after you, everything will be cool and youll have a job

[~ ~ Cal ~~]

I assume you have all seen this ?

Who fertit' ? !

--------------- ABERDEEN MAN PUTS WIND UP AFRICANS ------------------

ANDY PHILIP

09:00 - 12 August 2005

An Aberdeen man caused a strain in international relations after he fell foul of what were termed cultural differences with colleagues in an African oil industry office.

The employee was on loan from Schlumberger's city offices to Gabon, west Africa, when he ran into trouble.

Offended co-workers filled in an official "hazardous situation report" to bosses, complaining about the employee's flatulence. They said he claimed it was normal behaviour where he came from. The report, filed under "biohazard", suggested a closed office environment could not cope with the problem and that people's health and work performance was being affected.

Health and safety officials drafted a warning to the worker, highlighting cultural differences.

"If this behaviour is normal where you come from, you should know you are on international ground and should respect other people's health and culture," it stated.

He was invited to discuss his habit at a Monday morning meeting and assured managers would assist in "understanding the intercultural environment where we all live and work". It was also suggested that all workers from Aberdeen should be warned that such behaviour was not a joke.

Drawing attention to potential cross-cultural pitfalls, Graeme Anthony, North Sea operations manager with Schlumberger, said: "We work with many cultures and in some of them, certain things aren't acceptable.

"Some people say that passing wind is offensive, but the guy from Aberdeen obviously thought it was a joke."

He said the report was now closed and defended the confusion over international etiquette.

"In some countries, it's offensive to take off shoes," he said. "We don't have a list of everything that can and can't be done in every country. I doubt it would be acceptable behaviour here either, but he was probably just being a normal Aberdeen loon."

According to the hazard report, information will be handed out at the west African office warning all new employees that public displays of flatulence will not be tolerated.

[~ ~ Cal ~~]

Some nice offshore piccies in here ................

[scuba dou]

I?ve been away on holiday this past 10 days so sorry for the late reply.

Offshore industry is a great place to be in my opinion, but it?s not for everyone that?s for sure. I started offshore on 87 and worked my way up through the Drilling Contractors side of the business, initially on semis and finishing up as a Drilling OIM for the last seven years, the later 5 on a new build jack up. Like so many who have posted on here already my work has taken me pretty much all around the world.

I am now part of the Onshore Operations Management Group based in Aberdeen looking after several rigs in Europe and West Africa; more recently being heavily involved in supporting our HR department and interviewing scores of people for crewing up a rig to work offshore Denmark.

IMHO you need a few basic ingredients to be successful offshore;

You need to be safety orientated; someone who has ?good sense? and can evaluate risk, exposure and the consequence in every thing you do for them self; then apply that same logic to their co worker. Sounds fancy, buts it?s not; we do it every day simply crossing the street. How many times in your life have you put your arm out to stop someone else from walking across the street, when they think its safe to do so right in front of the no 9 bus. Well you need to do that every day offshore I can promise you. There are still too many folk out there that can?t think for themselves. The type that if asked to set themselves on fire and jump off the heli deck, will dully provide you with a ball of flame?quickly followed by a slash! Sounds funny, but I don?t mean to be that way, it?s what I call the reality; you will still see people do things that to me are simply that stupid.

You need to be highly motivated and hard working; no place for spectators offshore?only players. (easy jobs with easy money are all gone)

You need to work 12 hrs per day for 14 or 21 days periods.

You need to work unsociable shift patterns and be flexible.

You need to work in hostile conditions; it will be bloody tough going through the winter months.

You need to cope with being away from family and loved ones for extended periods and miss out on all kinds of family events, and more importantly?.track events

You need to be reliable; turn up for crew change after your 14/21 day field brake.

If you can tick all the boxes, then it could be the very place for you. Be aware far too many people go offshore for a day and a dinner and simply give up. It can be a lonely old place to be with your thoughts, especially when it?s 10.30 on a Friday night and you are just getting out of bed to start shift at midnight. You call home to find out the wife/girlfriend/boyfriend/whatever are out and about on the lash. This is one of the biggest problems we have offshore with younger and newer folk to the industry. This can be brought about with all the modern facilities we have such as mobile phones, e-mail and internet; it's almost to easy to stay in touch.

There is not a weekend goes by without someone, somewhere needing ashore because of personal problems at home. So you need to have that type of thing well boxed off before going offshore. If you are married or living with a partner they need to be bale to deal with the burst water pipes, the car breaking down, the dog getting run over, or you need someone like a Dad, a brother, or good friends that can fill that role in your absence. I have had help from many SIDC friends over the years with such challenges and in return do the same for others when I am home and they are away. This doesn?t mean you can not get ashore; just pointing out that it can be logistically a difficult place to be and you can?t get home at the drop of a hat.

One thing that always amazed me over the 18 years I have spent offshore was the crack you can have without alcohol being involved. We like almost everyone else around the world, associate a good time along with consuming a few beers?at the very least!

Consider barbeques, birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, even funerals, or it might be that your friend or neighbour just popped in and you have a beer or two. We do it all the time, but can?t offshore; that?s when you need raw humour and good moral to see you through the trip. When you get with a good crew some of the banter and stories will leave you with sore sides, both in the coffee shop and in the galley. On every rig out there we have living legends; people that could make a living with entertaining others as a full time job.

For all those out there on this forum who arte interested in going offshore feel free to send me an up to date CV to Jools@JASF.co.uk

I ?d be glad to share it with out HR department and also be glad to share contacts and also advise on ways of possibly getting started where I can. No promises, but advice is always free

Right now there is no secret that we are facing a people crisis in the offshore industry, so there will not be a better time to get onboard; The industry analysts predict that this period we are in right now will surpass the booms we saw in the late 80?s and mid to late 90?s and that t will last for more than just a couple of years

[RA Dunk]

im in the drilling side of it as well and agree with everything in above post

[jasonb]

JAC,

That was a very interesting post that you put up and i enjoyed reading it

I took on board everything you said and am still very very interested about

getting an offshore job!!!!! I served my time as an Electrical multi skilled engineer

through Michelin in Dundee and went on to stay there as a maintenance engineer

for about 2 years and then moved up into a better job as a shift breakdown engineer

and have been in that job for nearly 3 years. So i am currently still at Michelin but definetly

wanting to get offshore and if you could pass my cv on to someone who could help me get

offshore it would be greatly appreciated!!!!! I will send you my cv on wednesday

Thanks again for the info you posted