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If you are interested in oil rig jobs because of the many perks then you will be looking to find out about how to get one of these jobs. The price of oil has led to many oil companies wanting to set up new rigs so there should be a number of positions available these days. So if you are looking for oil rig jobs, you may be interested in a few tips that will help you find the perfect one. Below are a few of these tips:
• The first thing to do is find an oil company that is hiring. You can look at job websites or even in the newspaper jobs section. However, it might be better for you to find a recruitment agency that deals with oil companies because that way you have more chance of finding out about entry level positions. You may also want to search for oil companies through search engines such as Google, Bing or Yahoo. You may find a number of international positions as well as oil rig jobs based in the UK.
• Once you have found some oil companies, you need to find contact details for them. This may be the postal address of the company or an email for the human resources department. If you can, phone up the company and ask for the name of the HR manager. It is a good idea to send a job application to the manager of the HR department and make sure you send a paper copy as well as an electronic copy. If you have not heard anything for a week or two, then call them up to make sure they have received the application.
• Have a look at what the company is looking for in terms of employees. You can have a look through their current job postings as well as previous ones because that way you can see exactly what skills they require.
• Tailor your CV to suit the role you are applying for. Make sure you always highlight your most relevant experience in terms of the job on offer.
• You should keep applying to various oil companies until you get an interview. Once you have an interview, you must prepare properly.
• When it comes to the interview, it is important to present yourself well. Err on the side of caution and wear formal clothing to the interview. The interviewer is going to make a first impression when he or she meets you and you want this to go well.
• Use the interview as a chance to sell yourself. Make a point of highlighting your experience so that the interviewer is impressed with you.
You could find yourself with a world of choice when it comes to oil rig jobs if you go about things in the right way.
Decommissioning is one of the hottest topics in the oil and gas industry in the UK, with many rigs in the North Sea reaching the end of their lifespan as the most easily accessible reserves are used up. This is also the case in the other main drilling area in the Irish Sea.
In some cases, decommissioning is a simple process. The structure used for drilling the wells is simply floated away back to sure and addressed on land, with many of the materials being cleaned up and salvaged in order to be used in either further rig construction or even other, completely unrelated developments. However, only a relatively small number of abandoned rigs are suitable for such a solution, meaning that the process of decommissioning is often more laborious and time consuming.
The first stage for a more complex project is typical of the industry. Most projects, regardless of their stage in the drilling cycle, involve thorough planning and assessment. Specialist companies are often called upon for their knowledge and expertise in order to identify the safest, most cost effective ways of disposing of unused rigs. There are numerous considerations involved in the process, including not only cost and safety but also the environmental impact of any actions, the technical potential of any proposals and adherence to legislation. Many companies are also acutely aware of the impact of public opinion on their actions and must factor in the perception created for the companies involved.
Upon completion of an agreeable plan, the contractor is usually responsible for obtaining approval for the decommissioning process. Such approval is given by the government, and requires the contractor to justify abandonment, usually on the basis of the oil reserve no longer containing any acquirable fuels. If such an application is successful, the contractor is awarded a cessation of production order, indicating that they are free to seal the drilled area and begin to implement their plan. The governmental agency responsible will also assess the viability of the proposal to ensure that it meets their own criteria, both in terms of legislation and environmental concerns.
As soon as all requirements are satisfied, the contractor is free to commence decommissioning according to the timescales set forth in their planning documents. This may involve the use of other contractors, particularly in cases where the original project owner has sought approval but does not hold the relevant tools or expertise within the company itself. These additional contractors often feature decommissioning as a prominent aspect of their overall service and may even be involved in the original stages of planning to ensure that their expertise is used to cut costs and ensure a smooth project implementation.
The process generally involves a large amount of salvageable material which may be obtained at the site itself or back on shore, where it is redistributed appropriately, either in the form of reuse or recycling.
The UK continues to lead the way in many engineering disciplines, with more focus being put on the sector, and particularly the emerging aspects of it, than ever before. This is partly down to the current economic climate, with both political and public opinion reflecting the fact that many want to move away from a heavy focus on banking in an effort to restore the balance between finance and industry.
The two industries that are primarily leading the charge into a new age of British engineering are the space and renewable energy sectors. Space travel, or more specifically the UK’s involvement in it, may be somewhat surprising. Little focus is given to the industry in the country as there is no particular heritage associated with manned space travel. However, British engineering has contributed hugely to the success of numerous launches over the past years, and, as with many other sectors, the focus has primarily been on research and development. The UK’s contribution to the industry is significantly larger than many people realise and this also has an impact on the manpower available. Many prospective graduates feel that if they study in the area, they will be required to move abroad to fully exploit career opportunities. However, work is being undertaken to alter this perception as the industry continues to thrive.
Aside from space engineering, the UK is also considered a world leader in the field of renewable energy. Numerous offshore rigs are being set up, usually in the form of wind turbines. As with many UK engineering disciplines, huge priority is placed on further research and development, and the renewables sector is well placed to promote such ideologies, both in terms of funding and the availability of suitable candidates. It is of particular appeal for funding purposes as it fits in with the environmental targets of both the government and large sponsors.
Behind much of the growth in UK engineering is the rapid expansion of the economies in China and India. As their own industrial power increases, their demand to fill in the gaps in production also does so. Their space programs are generally run in competition to the UK while conversely these nations are often first in the queue for developments in the renewables sector.
Their growth also underpins related increases in more established areas of engineering. Oil and gas, for example, are an important commodity that neither country can satisfy the demand for without resorting to importing fuels. Again, the UK is key to their strategy, with numerous advancements made by forward thinking companies such as Claxton Engineering giving the UK the best chance of keeping up with international demand, particularly in the face of dwindling local reserves.
Subsea services are called to sea for many different reasons. One of the most popular uses of this service is the installation of pipelines that run across the ocean bed. These pipelines carry oil and gas and they need to be installed with the greatest care. Without the proper installation procedures being followed, the gas and oil could be released into the ocean through a broken piece of the pipeline. Since the pipes will run along the ocean bed, they need to be of the highest quality so that they can withstand the environmental conditions that they are exposed to.
Surveying the Area before Installation
Before a pipeline can be installed, the area must be inspected by engineers. In order to ensure that the process is completed without any problems, the engineers need to be able to work out where they are going to place the pipeline and the kind of materials that they will need in order to get the job done. The materials that are used are specialized so that they are better able to withstand the environmental conditions on the ocean bed. The materials are sturdy and of the highest quality to ensure that they last for long periods of time and continue transporting the resources efficiently.
Obtaining the Necessary Materials
Before the pipeline can be installed, subsea services need to ensure that they have all of the appropriate materials to begin working on the project. The materials will usually include those that will be used for the pipeline itself, as well as the ship that will carry the load and assist the engineers in laying down the pipeline.
The S-Lay Method
The S-Lay Method is one of the ways in which subsea services lay the pipelines along the ocean bed. The name of the method is called so because of the pattern that the pipes make as they are installed. This method is very popular because it does not take very long and it allows the pipes to be installed at greater depths.
Engineers will usually begin installing these pipelines by welding shorter pieces of pipeline together. As they weld these smaller pieces they will begin dropping it into the ocean. As the ship begins to move forward, the pipe will grow in length and eventually touch the ocean bed. The engineers will then continue to weld all of the pieces together until the entire pipeline is complete.
Once the pipeline has been installed, it is important to ensure that the line is inspected and maintained on a regular basis. If there are any problems with the pipeline then this needs to be rectified as soon as possible.
High pressure high temperature wells require careful blow-out control. Blow-outs cause huge disasters and can lead to the loss of many lives. The drilling crew in particular are at the forefront of this risk.
However: There are many measures that can be put into place to prevent a blow-out. All crew members are given intensive training as to what to do when there is a blow-out and specialised equipment is available to contain not only the blow-out, but also the resulting fire.
All of these precautions were highlighted when a rig had a blow-out in the 1980s. The cause of the disaster was miscommunication between crew members and as a result more than 160 people lost their lives that day. One of the contributing factors to the disaster is that the rig was originally built and equipped for oil – not for gas which burns at a higher temperature. Had the rig been equipped for gas, many lives could have been saved.
Blow-outs occur when there is an unrestrained flow of gas and oil from the well. This happens if the well is not properly capped, or if there is some flaw in the pipeline. Of course there could also be a myriad of other reasons. The result is always the same: A raging inferno which has the ability to destroy the well, the rig and the people on the rig.
When a blow-out occurs, it is vital that the gas, oil and fire are quickly and effectively contained. This is important not only because of the risk of fire, but also to preserve production and the environment. Should a well start gushing oil, it can dump thousands of barrels of oil in the sea – costing the company millions. If the well is destroyed, the company faces even greater losses due to the lost potential production of the well.
Because of the continuous danger that blow-out pose, the company needs to employ a specially trained team of fire fighters to be on the rig and to fight fires should they occur. All crew members are also trained in the basics of fire fighting and are given specific tasks to do in case of a blow-out. Every member of the crew is well aware of the fact that they are all responsible for each other’s safety.
Despite the danger that blow-outs pose, high pressure high temperature wells are gaining in popularity due to their potential of huge yields. These well are not drilled arbitrarily so the chances of drilling a dry hole are very slim. The drilling crew are highly trained and experienced in drilling HPHT wells and they take every possible precaution to prevent blow-outs and uncontrolled fires.
High pressure and high temperature (HPHT) conditions create a number of difficulties for riser systems of a more conventional design. For a HPHT riser system to be completely effective pipe thickness must be increased, however, this adds to the overall weight of the system, further complicating matters. Over the past 10 years technological advances in the production of high pressure/high temperature riser systems has made the process much more practical, affordable, and efficient. Risers are now produced from steel, offering higher strength limits and the ability to hold greater weights. Furthermore, threaded and coupled connectors strengthen joints to a level that were not feasible in the past. With these innovations, riser systems have become less costly and more variable, able to reach water depths of up to 10,000 feet. HPHT riser systems can be found in use in a variety of harsh conditions. Oil platforms utilize these systems as well as pipelines found deep in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and West Africa. These advances are the result of numerous tests of connectors and material types throughout this technology’s development.
The oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico has brought HPHT technology to the attention to the general population. Such technology is necessary to prevent future spills and line breaks. Recently, companies everywhere have been jumping on the band wagon, utilizing the relatively new technology to gain access to oil across the globe. Just recently, Claxton Engineering has engineered a HPHT riser system that is able to work at pressures exceeding 12,000 psi. This ultra high pressure riser is intended to be put to use in their new drilling campaign in the North Sea. The ability to reach great depths is necessary to reach many oil caches that were once unreachable in the deep sea. While, this new HPHT technology enables oil companies to reach oil that were once inaccessible, it raises the question; at what lengths are we willing to go to gain access to this limited resource?
Our over-reliance on oil is going to eventually catch up to us. With prices of oil at an all time high, demand is continuing to rise while supplies are quickly dwindling. In this day of age, the developed world is slowly researching and developing more sustainable means of energy, as less developed countries are still completely reliant on oil, which is almost exclusively provided by foreign companies. Perhaps, the answer to our problems cannot be found in a higher strength pipe or a more secure joint. While these improvements help prevent such tragedies as the BP oil spill of last year, they do not provide a long term solution to our energy crisis. It is a shame that an oil company invests so much in a practice that jeopardizes the environment and the world. The fact of the matter remains, money talks. As long as people are willing to pay a premium price for oil, the oil companies will continue to produce technologies that will enable them to drill deeper, further, and faster.