The challenges of working in the hostile environments so peculiar to the Oil & Gas industry are well known. This can be a tough game that demands a lot from tough cookies.
Thankfully, Craig McClymont is tougher than Granny Ina’s homemade shortbread.
To us at s1jobs, it takes a determined and strong character to enjoy working on a rig in the North Sea as Lead System Responsible Engineer.
To Craig, it’s all in a day’s work.
So we asked him what a day’s work actually involved.
“As Lead System Responsible Engineer, essentially I’m responsible for the acceptance of all process systems from construction, which must be certified complete by a Mechanical Completion Certificate.
From here all of the discipline inspection test records (ITRs) for mechanical, electrical and instrumentation are completed.
The next step is to ensure all of the dynamic commissioning is carried out and certified by a system handover certificate (SH-1).
This is the point when the Operations group will take ownership. My role includes execution of all dynamic commissioning.
If all of this engineering sounds rather complex and incredibly technical, that’s because it is.
Thankfully, on an oil rig, no-one works in isolation; effective communication and teamwork are important not only for meeting production targets but vital for health and safety matters.”
“As with most Oil & Gas roles,” says Craig, “every day I liaise with other disciplines, departments, project personnel and contractors.”
That’s not surprising when you consider the immense scale of the projects Craig has worked on.
“Among the bigger projects I’ve been involved in lately have been the Montrose BLP project in the North Sea, the West Qurna-1 project in Iraq and the Kashagsn project in Kazakhstan.”
Reading Craig’s recent gigs, it’s evident working in Oil & Gas can take you to locations all over the planet. But what does Craig enjoy most about working off-shore?
“That’s easy,” he laughs, “there’s no need to drive to work and find myself stuck in traffic every day!”
Finally, does Craig have top tips for those wishing to climb the career ladder?
“Don’t burn bridges. Even though it’s a worldwide business, this is a tight community. Also identify problems but always propose a solution.”
“And I’ll never forget what a Shell manager told me: ‘When asked a question, Craig, never say you don’t know. Say you can’t remember but you know where to go to find the answer’.”
You can find all the answers to your Oil & Gas recruitment queries with s1jobs.