While businessmen and politicians continue to bump gums about the future of the oil and gas industry in the North Sea – ’twas always thus – we’ve decided to take ourselves off somewhere with a little peace and quiet: an offshore rig.
Well, okay so the weather isn’t always peaceful and the sea isn’t always quiet.
The hard fact is choosing a career offshore is opting for a life in a world that is completely different, alien even, to anything ever experienced on land.
However, with safety always paramount, sometimes the storms are truly breathtaking and, thanks to the wildest waves, being in one of the world’s most inhospitable work environments can be awe-inspiring.
It’s also worth mentioning the modern rig is no longer a place where you’re expected to struggle on deck in sea spray-soaked oilskins to manhandle thumping, whumping, bumping machinery before scampering back indoors.
Even in these farthest-flung parts of Scotland’s northernmost seas, artificial intelligence, sophisticated automation and super-efficient computer software are all working together to make the human side of things not only safer but a whole lot more comfortable.
And did we mention the superb restaurant-style catering, as well as the hi-tech fitness and leisure facilities?
Being all at sea doesn’t mean missing the chance to develop professional skills and boost future career opportunities through upskilling – training courses are often offered during extended rig time.
Of course, this isn’t meant to be a floating hotel and college.
Work is the priority and this means spending time away from friends and family.
The upside is enhanced salary schemes and the knowledge that, when you’re back onshore, quality time with your nearest and dearest.
The jobs available offshore are simply too many to list but let’s at least mention drilling.
Yes, you’d rather expect drilling to happen on a rig. But did you know it’s not just about boring holes (see what we did there)?
There are roles too in tripping – pulling the drill string out of the wellbore and running it back in – and running and cementing of casings, which means setting tubing inside the drilled well to protect and support the well stream.
And just like in any onshore operation things can break. As an engineer in the maintenance team, you’d be responsible for looking after and, if necessary, repairing machinery.
It’s not all spanners and screwdrivers – IT and tech staff are on hand to make sure the complex computer systems behave themselves.
If you’d like to experience offshore work, check out the vacancies in Oil & Gas on s1jobs.