₦airaland Forum

Theflint1:
Good evening boss. I'm a microbiologist and working on my masters in Environmental and public health microbiology. Are there any opportunities for me in the oil sector? ...and are there any professional courses you can recommended for me as a microbiologist?

TOMTOM15:
Wow! you got me thinking....
What i can deduce from what you said is that Engineering supersede any other science courses and i knw you re telling me indirectly to go for the best

TOMTOM15:
I read chemistry any chance for me in ioc..

Erect:
Hi all! @Madcow1 and Mrbigman1 et al, pls how profitable is an HSE career in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria?
Thanks in advance for your responses.

dame134:
Sir, please how can I penetrate the oil and gas sector as a Graduate process engineer? sir can you please tell me relevant professional courses that can boost my chances of getting employed in a reputable oil and gas firm. I would also appreciate if you can put me in the know about any reputable and recognized organization where I can do some professional courses. Thank you very much sir and God bless.

Fab001:
Goodevening house.
Please I have a question.
Does polymer technology or rather, do polymer technologist have any relevance in the oil&gas industry? (both servicing and production) .
I recently bagged an ND in polymer technology from a polytechnic.
I'm presently preparing to go into petroleum engineering(in uniben to be precise) proper through jamb since that's where my interest lies, is this a good decision?
Will my polymer certificate be useful to me or give me any added advantage in the long run?
Please your thoughts,comments and advice will be greatly appreciated..

dabriggs:
For Microbiology and Environmental and Public Health it is the HSE Department that is where you will be posted. That is not to say it is a must that you must be in this Unit/Section/Division/Department. But if you want any professional Unit/Section/Division/Department that fits with your discipline then it is HSE. Usually HSE Stands as a division. Then when you get to that Division it is broken down into Environment Unit, Safety Unit and Health/Industrial Hygiene Unit. Note this is generic. Not all companies have structured their HSE Unit like this. .E.g. Shell calls Safety Engineering as Loss Prevention and something, can not really remember now. While Total has within Safety unit, Safety Operations sub unit and Safety Engineering sub unit.

As I was saying you likely destination will be Environment, under HSE. In Environment you have guys in STUDIES (EIA, EBS PIA, EER), WASTE MANAGEMENT and POLLUTION PREVENTION/CONTROL. Again this is not so in all companies. Others use different nomenclature.

If I was to post you in a sub unit, it will be STUDIES. Why? The studies involve lot of microbiology. Usually the study cuts across Micro, Meso and Macro environmental aspects. Usually in studies, you study all environmental components at the various scales to get proper baseline environmental data. You are an environmentalist so you understand all these. The use of indicator species (micro) e.g. HUB and HUF and genetically engineered micro organisms in pollution control and remediation opens up new horizons for microbiologists.

I am not guaranteeing anything. I am just stating facts as they are.

Theflint1:
Thanks boss, very detailed analysis. I would ask around for HSE course.

Microbiologists would have been real important in the oil sector for prospecting and especially in remediation, to clean up the mess you guys create but it seems these companies ain't really interested in what cuts from their profits as bioremediation could be real expensive.

Boss could you help shed some light on the health/industrial hygiene unit?

Mrbigman1:
Depends on what u wanna go for and what u read in school.

Engineering, if it's drilling, or producing work.

Computer science and engineering can do almost everything. They are the ones with the greatest opportunity in dis field including electrical and electronics.

If na geology, it's another good deal. Depending on what u read den I can direct u on what u can go for.

mykel231:
It's not a big deal.If you can pray to God for divine favour,He could still help you with your first degree.Though you could still do some courses like,NDT,HSE levels 1-3,NEBOSH,some QA/QC courses etc.I got in with my fisrt degree in Elect/Elect with no professional courses done,the company paid for all my professional courses overseas.

dabriggs:
The aspect in prospecting is usually done by the geologists. Paleontology. These guys are also as good as microbiologists. They do not go in-depth but use these fossils as indicator species to determine geological time scales and to identify water and land environments in geological time past.

Yes microbiologists are important during prospecting but geologists do this aspect.

The mess is not intentionally created. Believe me no company wants to loose its stock. Though at times they do not pay a lot of attention to asset integrity and process control.

Bio-remediation is expensive but it has come to stay. Another problem with bio-remediation is the same problem facing GEFAPs (genetically engineered foods and agricultural products). People fear creating mutants!!! Simple.

The Industrial hygiene group is in charge of (you guessed it) industrial hygiene. In many companies they are in charge of ensuring safety of the galley and mess. They also set methods for sampling food served and testing them in the Industrial Hygiene laboratory. They carry out food safety assessments, HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) studies, etc. They liaise with the cleaning contractors on the cleanliness of the office complex, rest rooms, and generally the stuff like the type of hand wash and sanitizers to be used. If work no dey for office you go get to create one yourself at times o. You must never be seen as unimportant.

Theflint1:
Yeah boss, bioremediation has come to stay and with Baba-one-chance implementing the UNEP report on the ogoni environmental hazard and the millions Shell lost in the 2013 judgment by the dutch court, most companies would be looking to prevention/early management. GMOs have several ethical issues concerning their use and its use is still in the pipeline even in developed climes so I go grow bear-bear if Na DAT one I wan wait .

Thanks for the info bro, your reach astounds me, honestly. What's the recruitment process like for microbiologist?... are they contract staffers or permanent? And most importantly, what's the pay like?

scobaba:
Nice 1 pepsi boy and mad cow. Tho i seem to go with pepsi boy more. E be like say we dey work for the same company self with werin you don talk. ' the dog symbol' is my logo.

Dabriggs you funny but you said the truth about interns. Laff won kill me when i read that.

I have seen both sides of the coin, 7 yrs in banking and almost 3 yrs now in oil and gas.

Though i was a regular staff(full staff)in banking and senior staff( full staff) here in oil and gas, i sha knownthe treatment of outsourced staff( used loosely as contract staff).

My people lets face it, outsourced staff or contract in ds loose sense are discriminated everywhere in this country.
Its just that, its more in banking. Its very very obvious without asking anybody. Here in oil and gas, just like some people here rightly said. You may not know somebody is a contract staff if you dont ask. The Discrimination is in the salary. Not the job content. I work as an accountant, one assistanf accountant here is a contract staff and she actually thought me the ropes when i moved from budget and controls to General Accounts. She has been here 6 yrs and is quite good on the job but i earn 8 times more than her per annum.

Their contract owners cut their money so much but then their employment process is mared with connection, tribal basis and mecenaries. Unlike how i came in. Omo na two strong test and two others interviews that saw us go from 300 persons in the first test to 9 that actually resumed in work after every.

dabriggs:
1. EXERCISE WELL: In many instances there are lots of good food and stuff in the Galley/Mess. You might gain weight and it is not healthy. On all oil facilities including work vessels, ROV Vessels and Seabed Survey Vessels, the food is there. On a work vessel used for seabed survey there was even midnight lunch. Specially made for night shift crew. But if you were greedy enough you could wake up and go have some. Although some FPSOs dey fall my hand nowadays. Una know una sef make I no call una name. Una get plenty corrosion issues for una FPSO. . Corrosion na problem for all, but una own na special case.

2. INVEST, INVEST, INVEST WISELY: While the pay might be good, you might be surprised that after years of toiling, all you have left are photo memories of your travels to holiday resorts. In Nigeria, lots of these guys are now going into property and some other business ventures. A lot of contract staff and core staff have been let go recently due to the fall in crude oil prices. More might just be let go in future.
Lot of contract staff had their salaries and benefits slashed too. In one company, the contract staff will not be paid December Salary and Benefits! Yes you heard me right, some contract staff will not receive December Salary or Bonus.

3. DEVELOP YOURSELF: You must develop your skills and expertise. There are people out there who are developing their skills. If they can perform your job function faster and cheaper, they might just replace you. There are courses out there. Develop yourself. Don't just wait for the Training Unit in HR to schedule you once or twice in a year.

4. HELP YOUR PEOPLE WHO ARE IN NEED AS MUCH AS YOU CAN (FAMILY OR NOT): Especially in developing them. Pay their fees when you can. Get them that Jamb form. As Nigerians we believe that the more people you help the more God will count the number of people that might suffer if you loose your job and the more God protects and sustains your source of income.

5. DO NOT BE RUDE OR HAUGHTY: This is typical of you guys in PH. You know yourselves. Some of you go as far as facebook to show off. You believe because your I.D is that of a staff, you look down on others. People come into your office and what you first do is to look at their I.D to see if they are core staff or contract staff. You know yourselves. The more your pride the worse your downfall will be. Respect the common man. Ehen and some of you lie to girls that you will get them into the IOCs vendors list so they will get contracts. You deceive them and sleep with them. Your payment is coming in full.

6. KNOW YOURSELF: You work with a servicing company and you have lots of photos at Helidecks/Helipads. You have photos from Caverton and Bristow and Aero. You claim oil worker and then you complain when people ask for money. Offshore there are cleaners, cooks, house keepers, etc. These guys also get on choppers. Do not be deceived. They are human beings. But my advice is , if you are a contract staff, of WAC, MPL, etc then respect yourself. Strategize on how to grow. Focus on developing yourself further. And if God blesses you to move upwards, do not be haughty either. Stop wearing your safety boot home so the girls in the street will see you as an ''oil woker''. The days of ''him dey work for rig'' should be over. Know who you are and stop brandishing your Coverall photos. But do we listen? No we don't.

7. STOP SHOWING OFF FOR SECURITY REASONS: You will get kidnapped someday. And people think that just because you get paid goo, you do not have responsibilities. They do not know that your cream is 10k and you belt 15k and your phone 100k. Meanwhile you have loans from your cooperative. Yes you went there last month.At the end of all these Taxes, Union (NUPENG/PENGASAN) deductions, Pension deduction, Loans, you barely have 150k to take home monthly. But wetin concern kidnappers? You be oil worker. You get money. Pay Up!!!

8. WORK SAFELY. SAFETY FIRST CANNOT BE OVER EMPHASIZED: Make HSE Management and appreciation a habit. Listen to all instructions. Obey rules of Positive Intervention Systems (Stop work cards/Take 5 Cards/ Red Cards) and obey all rules pertaining to drills, SOPs and Company specifications and rules of engagement. You probably know about 1000 ways to die on DSTV/Multichoice SonnyMax right? Well out there there are 1 million ways to die. When an accident occurs they mainly first look for who to blame before any other thing. Did he do it safely? Was there a job hazard analyses done. Did they fill the right permit to work(PTW)? Was the PTW approved. Is the PTW still valid? Did they have a tool box talk? Cover your arse even in the office. Use the handrails. Yes maintain the minimum 3 point contact.

9. AVOID OFFICE POLITICS AS MUCH AS YOU CAN: This is actually impossible. Being friends with someone automatically means you are enemy to another person. But try to stay out of all these office scheming and all that. I am not saying do not fight for that nomination on that course in the U.K. I am not saying do not fight to be nominated to be on that new project. But do not intentionally remove another man's name from these things. If we all relax, these things will go round. But do we listen? We back stab, we gossip, we set each other up. Life in that office is not static, situations are not permanent either.

10. KEEP YOUR HANDS AWAY FROM THE INTERNS AND CORP MEMBERS: We guys will never listen or learn. Yes we know that when these girls came to the office they were naive and dressed like ''Village girls''. In a month's time they are wearing pump heel shoes, micro and ''bastard'' mini skirts, and show your boobs tops. They are eyeing the ogas and the boys as well. KEEP YOUR FLY ZIPPED, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT AND KEEP YOUR EYES AND EARS WIDE OPEN. Leave these little girls alone. Stop sending them to withdraw 100k and telling them to tell the cashier to write down your balance so that their eyes will pop out when they see lol youwhat you have.

Ok I no go reveal the secrets again.

dabriggs:
The thing about GMOs is usually about ignorance on the one hand and fear of the unknown on the other. We accept GMOs from nature but do not accept GMO induced by Humans. In our GMO Class in France, it was glaring that You and I are GMOs. Yes. Believe it or not We are. Every fruit you eat today was crossed between one plant another in many cases. You are a hybrid as well. You were genetically configured by your pa and ma. But let us not digress into too much academics.

Recruitment process is your usual. Publication (not in all cases), aptitude test(s), interview(s), at times psychological evaluation during the interviews, final short listing, documents verification, medical review, training (induction/masters e.g. ENI/NAE/NAOC) and deployment. ENI (NAE/NAOC/AENR/) is fond of sending people to their ENI Corporate University in San Donato Milan for Masters before deployment. But I am not aware if it is all their graduate trainees they send or just a few.

Publications for these positions may be open or in some cases not so open. I hear people say my uncle is an Oga in Shell he refused to get me a job there. Most times I laugh. It is not a one man business where you just ''get someone a job''. You job is not just a job. You will cost the company over 25 million a year as graduate trainee. You think they just allow people to throw in who they like? It will reflect and the HR head must give account for every kobo spent on HR Management. I usually laugh. This is not to say some people cannot help. But most times their capacities and capabilities are far over exaggerated.

For contract jobs, we can say yes, if you know the contract owner or custodian, then you may get in as a contract staff. Usually people can help in this area. A lot. If I am Managing Director HSE for instance, and a company is holding a contract for Waste Water Monitoring, I can meet the contract owner to employ my brother in his company.

All in all, na to work hard, play hard and pray hard. Baba God strong pass

Chrisbenogor:
Those Indians are .........

The worst rig I ever worked on back then was an Indian rig.
Durga 1
Gaddem, you had to go with everything if not hunger can kill you. Then is it HSE? ZERO! Company man dey make call for rig floor with jeans and shirt.

Man must survive sha, if you be drilling engineer welldone. If na roustabout.......I wish you luck. You will need it .

dabriggs:
Ehen at least you know wetin dey happen.
Tell corper to help you go bank go withdraw 200k on Friday say you wan use am flex. She go withdraw am come, her head go scatter say choi, this guy wan flex 200grand for weekend. I must visit him. As she bring the money come you use back yard go bank go pay in 190k back into your account. Message sent-message received. Na today we see boys and their patterns for office?

As for contract staff, there is hardly anything anyone can do. It is their contract owners that will help them. The companies pay up, contract owners take over 50 per cent in many cases. What I detest is when the core staff do the discrimination. It happens and I mean it. In some companies, their I.D.s are different. These companies know themselves. Their staff numbers also reflect whether you are contract or core. The first thing they do is look at your I.D. Card to know how to talk to you and relate with you.

Anyway. Na dem sabi. Every man with his own.

I was also in Banking and was a top shot Cashier and a Customer Service and Cards and Channels guru. . Saturday banking sef been follow. When I look back, I thank God sha. But banking was fun and very personal. I get to help people, attend to their needs, solve their problems. sometimes they thank you, sometimes they quarrel. I missed that personal touch when I left. That feeling of helping that mama to repurchase her bank draft. Or helping that secretary to reverse the money she paid into the wrong account. You know what I mean.

Now it is just office, computer, field, chopper, cover all, PFD, report, calculations, etc.

Theflint1:
Thanks boss, its been real enlightening talking with you, would keep in touch. Abeg if any opening pop up Abeg remember your boy for Nairaland, I no dey comot here. Even if Na bench warming for oil company I ready siddon

dabriggs:
Yes, if you know what you are doing polymers are constituents in chemicals used for EOR- Enhanced Oil Recovery.Your knowledge should also be useful in modelling EOR activities and in reservoir behavior modelling in EOR

They are also used in production and well servicing jobs. Ask NALCO they produce and deploy lots of chemicals e.g. corrosion inhibitors etc into production wells, and I believe a lot of these are now polymer based.

banio:
I saw the thread about surviving in the bank as a contract staff. I think the bank is fair, U get tips and relatively no hazard. I know a friend that was a contract staff in one IOC. He had an accident and was sacked without any benefit, because that's what his contract states. If he was a staff the company will have treated him until he gets to his feet, even if it takes months. He said the staff gave them all the hazardous task like handling of chemicals. Do U know I was just checking the meaning of slavery today. I bet U contract staff are slaves.
Long live Nigeria without sycophants

dabriggs:
In banking those tips are usually not allowed. They are considered illegal. But we never cared back then. Especially a front office cashier or a bulk room cashier. They get the highest tips. More tips if you are a fine female.

Regarding your friend, his company has questions to answer. What about his workmen compensation policy? By DPR regulations all oil and gas serving companies must fully insure their staff. Handling of chemicals is usually done with appropriate PPEs and SOP (standard operating procedures). There is also a Hazard Allowance that comes with working at hazardous sites or handling hazardous chemicals. If he follows procedures and uses the right PPEs he should be good. Of course humans are not perfect. Accidents do happen. Also, hazards cannot be completely eliminated and in many cases the hazardous conditions are needed for the processes to go on (please if your knowledge on HSE is NISP HSE Appreciation and you do not understand this, let me know. Don't quote me rudely with shallow knowledge).

Unfortunately staff do delegate (without company approval) their tasks to contract staff. It is the Company that can decide if they need to set limits to this trend.

AjanleKoko:
Shuo?
I work for oil company before?

PepsiBoy:
@Madcow

I said in my comment that "In some cases, some contract employees, with specialized skills, earn more than regular employees"

In the IOC where I work, every employee, regular and contract, eat together, at the same time. There is no discrimination. I guess this depends on the internal policy of each organization.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I am sure folks will have one or two things to learn that will be of help.

Mrbigman1:
Depends on what u wanna go for and what u read in school.

Engineering, if it's drilling, or producing work.

Computer science and engineering can do almost everything. They are the ones with the greatest opportunity in dis field including electrical and electronics.

If na geology, it's another good deal. Depending on what u read den I can direct u on what u can go for.

rakumiii:
Why did you change from Petroleum Engineering to Computer Engineering? Did you talk to professionals about this before you made the change? I hope you know Petroleum engineers are the highest paid engineers in every country in the world....countries who have oil..

benELOHIM7:
Chief I read chemical/petrochemical engineering, pls what professional qualifications do u suggest I get?

Vanquay:
There's your answer bro, I just reasoned over myself...I don't want to be tied down to specific companies and fields, besides it's already getting saturated and salaries ate expected to fall in the next few decades

Mrbigman1:
I dey really ve an idea since I am not an engineer, but Mud engineering can fit ur course properly.

But try ur best keep making ur way into a producing company, dey ve a better opportunity for u dia.

But mind u, if u aim for a particular field like drilling and u re sure someone can place u properly, go run some professional courses. But d problem with it is dat it's so expensive and if after it u dnt get something doing, it could be frustrating.
Secondly, if u finish running for a particular job and get another which requires another training, it would be almost a waste of resources.

My advise is. Get d job first den fasten ur training or, if someone of good assurance promises u dat job based on training, please do.