Offshore Technology
Offshore technology covers all sorts of engineering and technology and so it offers lots of different career opportunities in engineering and science. People entering the offshore industry are likely to be qualified, for instance, as mechanical, marine or structural engineers, naval architects or specialists in electronics and systems control. Alternatively they may be physicists, biologists, geologists or oceanographers. The fields of opportunity for graduate engineers and scientists and for those who have technical or craft qualifications are diverse, but the underlying interest and theme that helps everyone to work together is the sea and the marine business offshore.
Technologists might be employed:
- Gaining practical experience on a crane–barge which is lifting topside modules on to an oil/gas platform under construction.
- Working as a member of a team designing a new generation of equipment that will allow oil to be moved safely from the seabed to the surface.
- Analysing the samples of rocks and minerals from the seabed to make sure the concrete platform is designed to deal with these conditions.
- Designing the ‘power station’ requirement and its control system for a floating production and storage system.
- Acting as a consultant during the inspection of subsea pipeline using a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV).
- Exploring deep–ocean features for a research laboratory using autonomous underwater vehicles.
Many university and college courses contain offshore related pathways or individual subjects. It is important that school pupils have a good foundation in science subjects – maths, physics, chemistry – because these will form the basis of the higher level courses in engineering and science.
You should aim to become a Chartered Engineer (or Incorporated Engineer or Engineering Technician) with one of the Institutions affiliated to the Engineering Council (UK). Technologists should aim to become Chartered Marine Technologists through the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST). The basic requirements are a combination of accredited academic course plus workplace training and/or professional experience.
It is also possible to follow a Technician Training Scheme that is based on National Vocational Qualifications.
Communication and presentation skills are also important, likewise the ability to write a report, to negotiate a contract or the way a particular job should be done. Computer applications are fairly widespread too.
There are plenty of challenges!
October 2011
For further information contact:
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Cogent – The Sector Skills Council
for Oil & Gas Extraction, Chemicals Manufacturing & Petroleum
Industries 5 Mandarin Court Centre Park Warrington WA1 1GG UK t 01925 515 200 f 01925 515 240 e info@cogent–ssc.com w www.cogent–ssc.com |
Institute of Energy 61 New Cavendish Street London W1G 7AR UK t 020 7467 7100 f 020 7255 1472 e info@energyinst.org.uk w www.energyinst.org.uk |
Institution of Civil Engineers One Great George Street Westminster London SW1P 3AA UK t 020 7222 7722 f 020 7222 7500 w www.icenet.org.uk |
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Institution of Mechanical Engineers 1 Birdcage Walk London SW1H 9JJ UK t 020 7222 7899 f 020 7222 4557 w www.imeche.org.uk |
Manager, Professional Affairs, The Institute of Marine Engineering Science and Technology Aldgate House 33 Aldgate High Street London EC3N 1EN UK t 020 7382 2600 e ed.hansom@imarest.org w www.imarest.org |
The Education and Training Officer The Royal Institution of Naval Architects 10 Upper Belgrave Street London SW1X 8BQ UK t 020 7235 4622 f 020 7259 5912 w www.rina.org.uk |
Other sheets in this series:
Working Underwater
Oceanography
Coastal Marine Sciences