• Question: Do the peple that work on Oil rigs work along side you, or is it a totally different thing?

    Asked by AmyMc to Neil on 7 Mar 2015.
    • Photo: Neil Taylor

      Neil Taylor answered on 7 Mar 2015:

      Hi AmyMcc12!

      I think this is a great question, and I can understand why you’re asking it – before I worked in the industry I didn’t really know how things related to each other either!

      Short Answer:
      I don’t personally work offshore, but a few of my colleagues are sometimes required to go offshore as part of their job. Most of the people on oil rigs don’t tend to work for consultancies – they tend to work for either operators or contractors.

      Long Answer:
      Just to give you an idea of what goes on, here’s a rough breakdown of the types of companies that are in the oil and gas business:

      (1) Operators – These are companies that own the oil rigs and deal with their day-to-day operation (i.e. getting the oil out the ground).
      (2) Contractors – These are companies that are paid (i.e. contracted) by the operators to do certain jobs* offshore.
      (3) Consultancies – These are companies that are paid to solve problems and provide expert advice.

      All three of these types of company may have people both onshore (working in an office), and offshore (on the oil rig or another boat floating beside it). However, the vast majority of people that are offshore will be working for either the operators or contractors.

      For consultants like myself, most of our work can be done onshore at our computers, so there is no need to go offshore. Having said that, a few of my colleagues do need to go offshore to perform their jobs. These include people who go out to have a look at the condition of the oil rig in order to give their expert advice (i.e. Does everything look ok? Are there any cracks/rusting that needs further investigation?).

      Hope this answers your question!

      Neil

      *As an example, one of my friends works for an ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) Contractor as an ROV pilot. An ROV is essentially a VERY expensive but very useful robot that is controlled by a joystick. The pilot sits on a boat and performs underwater missions with the ROV, using cameras to see what he is doing. A mission may be to pick up and move certain objects, activate some buttons, or repair something…. A bit like R2D2 from Starwars!

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