Offshore Technology
Offshore technology is
multi-disciplinary: it embraces many very different career opportunities
in engineering and science. People entering the offshore industry are
likely to be qualified, for instance, as mechanical 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 seabed oil productions system -
Analysing seabed core samples
preparatory to final design of an offshore concrete platform -
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).
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 they will form the basis of the
higher level courses in engineering and science.
Technologists should aim to become
Chartered Engineers (or Incorporated Engineers or Engineering
Technicians) with one of the institutions affiliated to the Engineering
Council. The basic requirements are a combination of accredited academic
course, workplace training and professional experience.
Communication and presentation skills
are also important, as is the ability to write a report, or to negotiate
a contract or the way a particular job should be done. Proficiency in computer
applications is valuable too.
There are plenty of challenges!
March 2002
For further information contact:
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