Going offshore, at least once in your career
I bet some of us have the desire to taste and feel the offshore life. Especially if you study Petroleum or Chemical Engineering, or anything associated to the engineering discipline. For me, as a chemical engineer, it was simply an unforgettable memorable wonderful experience. The following was my experience, 15 years ago, when I regularly travel to offshore platforms as a chemical engineer conducting on-site specialty chemical bottle testing analysis.
If you want to be working in an offshore platform, you should consider working with an “oil company” (Examples: Petronas, Shell, Exxon-Mobile, BP etc.) OR “oil and gas servicing company” (Examples: Weatherford, Schlumberger, Halliburton etc.). Actually, there are many oil and gas servicing companies out there. The ones that I mentioned above are just a few of the international service companies. I previously work for a small local oil and gas servicing company, specializing in specialty chemical optimization for the oil and gas industry. I must say, I am proud and I enjoyed working in the offshore platforms.
Before you can go to any offshore platforms, you must participate and pass a training called “Helicopter under Water Escape Training” (HUET). The training is normally conducted for three days. One of the training modules requires you to escape from a simulated helicopter crashing in water (swimming pool) in various ways. Another module trained you on fire fighting and fire escape. All of the trainings are really physical and challenging. Prior to attending the training, you need to undergo a complete medical check-up specially designed for offshore and marine occupation.
These are all compulsory to ensure those who work at offshore platforms to be knowledgeable and aware of how to help themselves during emergency situation. Ability to swim is a definitely a massive advantage.
Besides the preparation to work offshore mentioned above, there are still more to do. After attaining HUET certificate and passing the offshore medical checkup, you have to make an offshore passport. To obtain an offshore passport, you need to register with an oil company (Examples: Petronas, Shell, Exxon-Mobile, BP etc.). However, it’s not that simple to get them. You won’t get an offshore passport for fun. You must either be working with the oil company or an oil and gas servicing company which has a job or project in an offshore platform, in order to get the offshore passport.
Without the offshore passport, you are not allowed to work at any offshore platform. Some oil companies allow people to visit an offshore platform without an offshore passport for a special one day visit only, depending on situation and importance.
Once you have the passport and a job at an oil platform (you must already know the date when you’re supposed to travel to that particular platform. You need to book a seat on a helicopter from the platform’s Radio Officer (RO). The RO will then book the flight for you and inform the schedule of the helicopter. This was the procedure at my time. I am not sure on the present procedure.
After knowing your destination (offshore platform or oil rig), you must go to the helicopter airport and check-in. At the counter, you must present your identity card and your offshore passport to the officer at the counter, besides informing your destination platform. The officer will then inspect the documents and check your flight booking made by the RO from the platform you’re going to (you must liaise with that particular platform to do the flight arrangement prior to the departure) in the computer.
If your flight booking made by the RO existed in the system, you’ll receive the boarding pass. Your luggage will be weighed and it must not exceed the allowable limit. The luggage will then be collected and sent directly to the helicopter after an x-ray and thorough inspection have been made. No flammable or explosive materials allowed.
“Luggage Tag” must be attached neatly on your luggage. The tag is important because it shows which platform the bag will go to. You must put on the correct tag in order to make sure that the luggage will arrive at the platform together with you. Some examples: Platform Bekok C will have a tag: “BEC”, Platform Dulang B will have a tag: “DLB”, Platform Tiong A will have a tag: “TIA”. For your information, there are many platforms out there (South China Sea) and you must not make a mistake attaching the tag. The luggage will travel in the same helicopter as the passenger.
Mobile phones are also not allowed. You must leave your hand phone behind either by renting a safe box (this service is provided by the airport) or leave it inside your car or ask somebody to keep it for you. I always leave my hand phone inside my car parked at the airport. Again, this was the procedure at my time. I am not sure on the present procedure.
After receiving the boarding pass, you have to go into a room to watch a safety video. The video will show some safety measures to be taken while being in the helicopter and the offshore platform. After viewing the video, you have to wait to be called to board the helicopter.
Most of the time Sikorsky 76 helicopter will fly you to the offshore platform. If I remembered correctly, I flew with Super Puma one time only and it was a really frightening experience. However, according to my colleague, I didn’t look bothered and I was sleeping most of the time, including when the chopper was having some rough time. If only he knew how I felt at that time.
As the helicopter took off, you’ll be heading to the sea. Initially it will feel wonderful (especially for first timers) because you get to fly in a helicopter and everything (houses, vehicles, etc.) looks tiny from above. Then, you’ll fly above the beautiful blue ocean. It’s nice, pleasant and very peaceful. Unfortunately, the beautiful blue ocean scenery remains the same throughout the whole journey and it can be eventually boring. That is why I prefer to sleep after I got enough of the ocean. Normally, after approximately one hour (sometimes 1.5 hours or 2 hours), you’ll see a platform and the helicopter will decelerate and descend. You will see the helicopter pad and the platform’s name largely and clearly visible from the helicopter. “Bekok C” was the first offshore platform I visited and it is a gas gathering and processing platform. It was certainly a moment I won’t forget.
