Offshore oil rigs are complex industrial environments that require a diverse workforce of skilled professionals to ensure safe and efficient hydrocarbon production and extraction. These platforms can host up to 200 workers who live and work in close quarters, performing a wide range of critical tasks across multiple disciplines. From technical specialists like drilling and process engineers to support personnel such as roustabouts and safety professionals, offshore oil rig workers play essential roles in exploring, extracting, processing, and transporting oil and gas resources from challenging marine environments. These are the common, specialist roles often associated with offshore recruitment, but there are also roles that are often overlooked, roles that require certain transferable skills that can be found in many professions which can be applied offshore to keep production and operations flowing.
If you are considering looking at working offshore but not sure what direction to go in or how the different roles are aligned to your skills, it can be confusing when trying to work out which specialism or path you wish to pursue. In this article, we’ll break down some of the most common or specialist offshore roles that are most often referenced in the oil and gas sector, as well as looking at less talked about roles that can be filled with experience from other sectors and are transferable to offshore work. These roles are not necessarily confined to an offshore platform but can be applied to other vessels in the offshore industry, such as FPSO’s, bulk vessels, crane ships, and support vessels.
COMMON/SPECIALIST ROLES
From top to bottom, the crew of an offshore rig is made up of a diverse and multicultural group of personnel, with different backgrounds, educations, experiences and goals. Some of the most common roles on an offshore oil platform which require specific industry experience include:
Drilling Engineer/Driller: Drilling engineers play an essential role in oil drilling operations, and are responsible for developing and implementing drilling programs, as well as planning and overseeing all drilling operations to ensure work is carried out in line with the necessary environmental protection standards.
Roustabouts: Roustabouts are responsible for general labour on the oil rig, such as ongoing maintenance, cleaning, basic repair jobs, and unloading and managing supplies. A roustabout position is an ideal entry-level position for somebody interested in starting out in an offshore role.
Petroleum Engineers: Working on the efficiency of oil and gas extraction, Petroleum Engineers/Reservoir Engineers are responsible for designing, implementing, and overseeing drilling operations to ensure safe and efficient extraction of petroleum resources. They may specialise in different areas such as drilling, completions, or production, each focusing on specific aspects of the extraction process.
Subsea Engineer: Responsible for mechanisms maintaining rig stability, including the design and installation of equipment and structures below the surface of the sea. They provide technical and engineering support and guidance to offshore or on-site teams, and manage the installation of wellheads on the seabed and the flowlines joining them to the platform. They typically require a degree level education in mechanical engineering or similar.
Derrick hand: Works on the derrick and deals with mud pumps and drilling fluids. Often working up high above the rig floor, their work involves climbing, lifting, and operating heavy equipment, often under tough weather conditions. A Derrickman must have the stamina to handle 12-hour shifts in high-pressure environments.
Reservoir engineer: Reservoir engineers maximise the value and efficiency of oil and gas projects by estimating the amount of recoverable hydrocarbons in a reservoir and optimising production strategies. Other responsibilities include conducting reservoir simulation and modelling to predict behaviour, as well as assessing reservoir performance over time.
Process Engineer: A process engineer on an oil rig is responsible for designing, optimising, and overseeing the production processes involved in oil extraction and processing. Their key responsibilities include designing and optimising equipment and facilities for efficient oil extraction and processing, and monitoring and controlling process parameters such as temperature, pressure, and flow rates to ensure optimal operation.
Completions Engineer: A completions engineer focuses on the competition of wells, including the design and installation of downhole equipment and systems, to maximise the productivity and longevity of oil and gas wells. They will also determine the best completion techniques for each well and oversee the execution of these strategies.
TRANSFERABLE SKILLS ROLES
The roles below are found within the offshore oil and gas industry that offer tremendous career opportunities in the industry if you are looking to use your skills from different sectors and apply them in oil and gas:
Project Manager: With so much to oversee on an offshore platform, project managers must plan, implement, and monitor large-scale construction and engineering projects and ensure the necessary resources are available so that all work is completed on time, according to budget, and in-line with best practice. Having experience of managing large projects and possessing qualities in strategic planning, team coordination, effective communication, quality assurance, stakeholder management, risk mitigation, and cultural sensitivity will make you a natural fit for this role.
HSE/Safety Officer: With oil platform workers facing challenging conditions, specialist health, safety, and environment (HSE) professionals are an essential part of the team. As part of their role, they are responsible for managing risks and ensuring the optimum safety of all crew at all times. Having a strong understanding of HSE practices and processes, managing and mitigating risk, and ensuring workplace safety and compliance with health and environmental regulations from any industry can be applied to the oil and gas sector.
Geologist: Used in oil and gas exploration and drilling operations, geologists balance technical expertise with practical decision-making to support safe and effective offshore operations. Typical duties include analysing and evaluating rock formations during drilling operations using data from various sources like cuttings, gas, measuring while drilling tools, and wireline logs, and advise on drilling hazards and optimising drilling bit performance to ensure safe and efficient operations. Core skills you can carry over from other industries include geological mapping, data analysis, and an understanding of geophysical methods
Crane Operator: Duties include moving heavy equipment and supplies on the rig, operating and driving the main and deck cranes within the designed loads in accordance with the de-rating tables applicable to existing weather and sea state condition. Crane operator roles typically require several years of experience, with many training and certification requirements.
Maintenance Crew: The maintenance crews offshore are made up of individuals which cover a range of skills with regards to repairs and maintaining equipment and the facilities of the platform or vessel in order to keep the operation running as smoothly as possible. Having skills and experience in a specialised field will help greatly in securing a role offshore. These can be made up of:
Mechanics: They help repair and maintain the engine room, clean and paint the rig, handle mechanical problems and repairs, inspect deck loads, calculate safe load weights, order new rig equipment, oversee new staff, lubricate and fuel equipment, provide general engine maintenance and ensure the rig's engine runs properly.
Welders: Welders focus on the maintenance and repair of equipment and structures located on offshore platforms. They are responsible for fabricating and repairing various metal components, including piping and structural elements. This involves cutting, burning, and welding metals to create or restore equipment used in drilling and extraction processes
Electricians: Their responsibilities encompass a wide range of tasks related to the installation, maintenance, and repair of electrical systems necessary for the safe and efficient operation of offshore facilities.
These skills, obtained from any industry, are easily transferred to the oil and gas sector with the correct certification and training.
These roles work together to ensure the efficient and safe operation of offshore oil rigs, with each position playing a crucial part in the complex process of oil and gas extraction. Like most roles offshore, many certifications and accreditations are required such as B1-OCS Visa, BOSIET, MIST, OGUK Medical etc.
The roles and transferable skills mentioned in this article should not be confined to just oil and gas, but are can be fully transitioned to many renewable energy initiatives, especially offshore wind. Oil and gas experience in marine engineering, HSE, fabrication, installation, and environmental, are all examples that would crossover easily into offshore wind projects. This would also apply to skilled trades personnel with experience in mechanical engineering, electrical systems, and maintenance. Soft skills like communication, leadership, project management, and problem solving are equally important.
In summary, while transitioning from a different industry to offshore is feasible, and vice versa, it does require a certain amount of strategic planning in terms of education, skill development, and networking, to navigate the industry's unique challenges successfully. Success isn’t always guaranteed, but the odds of being successful in your approach will be vastly improved.
Orion Group
Orion Group specialises in oil and gas recruitment and offshore recruitment around the world, with teams of dedicated recruitment specialists in key locations in Aberdeen, Houston, and the Middle East. Please get in touch with us and have a look at our current oil and gas vacancies:
Whatever stage you are at in your career in oil and gas, Orion Group is one of the most respected oil and gas recruitment companies operating currently, with nearly 40 years in providing candidates and clients with the best opportunities in the industry.
