All good things must come to an end..
I am no longer with the same company any more, and so I have a new blog. It can be found here http://oilfield-services.blogspot.com/
I'm dealing with different clients and areas, but it would be great if you could encourage any one you know to kepe an eye on it.
All the best.
Friday, 4 June 2010
Friday, 23 April 2010
Returned at last
Well, as some of you may have guessed, I am now the proud father of a lovely baby boy called James, born on the 7th, 7lbs 14oz. He had a bit of a dramatic entrance, but mum and baby are fine now, and we're very happy.
Of course, only now am I getting back into the swing of things, and getting up to date with the recent developments in the market. Of course, the Horizon disaster is one of the main headlines at the moment, and is really tragic. I know all our thoughts are with the families of those killed and injured. It just shows how important proper safety and other procsdures are, and how much the industry needs to continue improving and updating these systems and processes.
It's not uncommon in what I do for me to speak to candidates who complain bitterly about the HSE systems on board a rig, and very often this will be the reason why they are looking to leave. Although things are a lot tighter than they used to be, and in the North Sea in particular, procedures are obviously extremely stringent, I still come across people working for Major contractors who tell me about situations where corners are cut, people aren't there when they have to be, and of horrible mistakes and accidents. Hopefully this horrible incident will encourage some companies once again to look at where they can increase safety rather than cut costs.
In other news, Vantage Drilling are profiled in Rigzone this week. A relatively new Contractor, they seem to have developed a good reputation for themselves, and are continuing to grow.
Maersk have a new rig which will be out later this year. My money would be it'll go to GOM or Brazil, but I am guessing slightly.
Also, Halliburton are to buy Boots and Coots. This came as abit of a surprise to me, but as usual, what do I know.. Article here
There was an interesting article on Reuters here about where things might be headed, and hinted at a combination of caution and slight optimism for the rig markets.
Jobs wise, I'm still getting into things again, but always on the lookout for solid people with good experience and in-date certification.
Of course, only now am I getting back into the swing of things, and getting up to date with the recent developments in the market. Of course, the Horizon disaster is one of the main headlines at the moment, and is really tragic. I know all our thoughts are with the families of those killed and injured. It just shows how important proper safety and other procsdures are, and how much the industry needs to continue improving and updating these systems and processes.
It's not uncommon in what I do for me to speak to candidates who complain bitterly about the HSE systems on board a rig, and very often this will be the reason why they are looking to leave. Although things are a lot tighter than they used to be, and in the North Sea in particular, procedures are obviously extremely stringent, I still come across people working for Major contractors who tell me about situations where corners are cut, people aren't there when they have to be, and of horrible mistakes and accidents. Hopefully this horrible incident will encourage some companies once again to look at where they can increase safety rather than cut costs.
In other news, Vantage Drilling are profiled in Rigzone this week. A relatively new Contractor, they seem to have developed a good reputation for themselves, and are continuing to grow.
Maersk have a new rig which will be out later this year. My money would be it'll go to GOM or Brazil, but I am guessing slightly.
Also, Halliburton are to buy Boots and Coots. This came as abit of a surprise to me, but as usual, what do I know.. Article here
There was an interesting article on Reuters here about where things might be headed, and hinted at a combination of caution and slight optimism for the rig markets.
Jobs wise, I'm still getting into things again, but always on the lookout for solid people with good experience and in-date certification.
Thursday, 1 April 2010
Drill Obama, Drill
Sorry, i couldn't resist the title.
As the birth of my first born approaches I've been a bit lax posting, so apologies for that. It's imminenet, so if I don't post anything for a week or so, then it'll be here. Or it'll be because I just haven't posted anything...
Big changes in the American offshore sector were announced today, which I suspect most of you will know about, but if not there is a link here. Of course, it won't mean much until 2012, but it gives us something to look forward to.
It seems though that the media aren't too clear on what will happen, many think that the price of petrol will plummet the moment there is a rig in the sea, and worse still, they think that hundreds of platforms will be built overnight, blocking shipping and attracting enemy radar. Not that I claim to know everything by any means, but I'm pretty sure this won't be the case.
Drilling has been underway in Iraq for a while now, but BP have awarded some drilling contracts recently. I did have a client who were looking for a large number of Middle Eastern nationals for some roles there, but they were contract roles, so the insurance premiums for us would be through the roof.
Bad news in the Falklands, it seems the oil quality wasn't great of the little that they did find. I guess they might find more elsewhere, but it doesn't bode too well, especially considering the political cost with the Islands' Argentinian neighbours.
I can't remember if this has been posted by me already, but the Stena Don is off to Greenland for Cairn Energy, to join the Stena Forth. I don't think they hav efound anything yet, but here's hoping.
So that's about all for today. Jobs wise, things are still up and down. I'm looking for:
As the birth of my first born approaches I've been a bit lax posting, so apologies for that. It's imminenet, so if I don't post anything for a week or so, then it'll be here. Or it'll be because I just haven't posted anything...
Big changes in the American offshore sector were announced today, which I suspect most of you will know about, but if not there is a link here. Of course, it won't mean much until 2012, but it gives us something to look forward to.
It seems though that the media aren't too clear on what will happen, many think that the price of petrol will plummet the moment there is a rig in the sea, and worse still, they think that hundreds of platforms will be built overnight, blocking shipping and attracting enemy radar. Not that I claim to know everything by any means, but I'm pretty sure this won't be the case.
Drilling has been underway in Iraq for a while now, but BP have awarded some drilling contracts recently. I did have a client who were looking for a large number of Middle Eastern nationals for some roles there, but they were contract roles, so the insurance premiums for us would be through the roof.
Bad news in the Falklands, it seems the oil quality wasn't great of the little that they did find. I guess they might find more elsewhere, but it doesn't bode too well, especially considering the political cost with the Islands' Argentinian neighbours.
I can't remember if this has been posted by me already, but the Stena Don is off to Greenland for Cairn Energy, to join the Stena Forth. I don't think they hav efound anything yet, but here's hoping.
So that's about all for today. Jobs wise, things are still up and down. I'm looking for:
- Cementing equipment Installation Project co-ordinators with experience on deepwater rigs for a variety of locations.
- Subsea Engineers with Hydril/MUX experience for a variety of locations
- Good Senior Drilling candidates for some Jack ups in Malaysia going to Mumbai.
If you know anyone, pass this on. I'm trying to get my readership up to 500, (currently 200) so please do ask your buddies and pals to come and have a look.
Monday, 22 March 2010
Recruitment Scams
Got this email from Oil Offshore Marine re: recruitment scams. Probably worth a look if you are unsure what to look out for.
1. Job Scams: What is a job scam? How do the scammers act? How to protect yourself? and more... http://www.oil-offshore-marine.com/bewarejobscams.php
2. How to Use a Big Name for Illegal Gains: Shell Nigeria Fake Website http://www.oil-offshore-marine.com/how-to-use-a-big-name-for-illegal-gains-shell-nigeria-fake-website.php
3. AkerKvaerner Fraud Attack http://www.oil-offshore-marine.com/aker-kvaerner-fraud-attack.php
4. Statoil ASA "Joins" the Scams "League" http://www.oil-offshore-marine.com/statoil-asa-joins-the-scams-league.php
5. One Company - Several Websites? http://www.oil-offshore-marine.com/one-company-several-websites.php
6. Does ExxonMobil Have a New Website? http://www.oil-offshore-marine.com/does-exxonmobil-have-a-new-website.php
7. And, of course, the famous Scam Black List from http://www.oil-offshore-marine.com/bewarejobscams.php#7
It will only take a couple seconds of your time, but it may save someone you know both money and time. Please help us. We Need You!
1. Job Scams: What is a job scam? How do the scammers act? How to protect yourself? and more... http://www.oil-offshore-marine.com/bewarejobscams.php
2. How to Use a Big Name for Illegal Gains: Shell Nigeria Fake Website http://www.oil-offshore-marine.com/how-to-use-a-big-name-for-illegal-gains-shell-nigeria-fake-website.php
3. AkerKvaerner Fraud Attack http://www.oil-offshore-marine.com/aker-kvaerner-fraud-attack.php
4. Statoil ASA "Joins" the Scams "League" http://www.oil-offshore-marine.com/statoil-asa-joins-the-scams-league.php
5. One Company - Several Websites? http://www.oil-offshore-marine.com/one-company-several-websites.php
6. Does ExxonMobil Have a New Website? http://www.oil-offshore-marine.com/does-exxonmobil-have-a-new-website.php
7. And, of course, the famous Scam Black List from http://www.oil-offshore-marine.com/bewarejobscams.php#7
It will only take a couple seconds of your time, but it may save someone you know both money and time. Please help us. We Need You!
Wednesday, 17 March 2010
Happy St. Patrick's day
Too busy at the moment, lots of stuff happening, which I can only view as an encouraging sign.
Quite a few new contracts and oil fields going out to tender, so let's hope we can get everone back to work, and make everyone's life that bit easier.
Dolphin have won 2 new contracts for their rigs, which is good news, the Bredford and the Bideford. And Seadrll have a contract for the West Epsilon. It might be old news, but Rowan also have picked up the odd bit of work on their monstrous Jack up Rigs.
There's still some debate goping on about the Falklands, but I won't repeat myself here, and there's also the ongoing hat about developing US offshore drilling, but again, it would take me forever to link to it all. Safe to say, there's a lot of Chat, and not much action.
Finally, the BBC have a report about how expensive petrol is in the UK (that's Gas to our American cousins). It is getting very expensive to go for a spin these days. No link, but you can expect this to become a major issue again once the election nonsense is over.
Jobs wise, most of mine are covered at the moment, but if you know any good Cyberbase Drillers with Deepwater experience, please pass my details on.
Quite a few new contracts and oil fields going out to tender, so let's hope we can get everone back to work, and make everyone's life that bit easier.
Dolphin have won 2 new contracts for their rigs, which is good news, the Bredford and the Bideford. And Seadrll have a contract for the West Epsilon. It might be old news, but Rowan also have picked up the odd bit of work on their monstrous Jack up Rigs.
There's still some debate goping on about the Falklands, but I won't repeat myself here, and there's also the ongoing hat about developing US offshore drilling, but again, it would take me forever to link to it all. Safe to say, there's a lot of Chat, and not much action.
Finally, the BBC have a report about how expensive petrol is in the UK (that's Gas to our American cousins). It is getting very expensive to go for a spin these days. No link, but you can expect this to become a major issue again once the election nonsense is over.
Jobs wise, most of mine are covered at the moment, but if you know any good Cyberbase Drillers with Deepwater experience, please pass my details on.
Tuesday, 2 March 2010
Usual Mix
It's been some few weeks, but at least the weather is turning back into spring.
There's been a fair bit happening, and as usual here's the highlights as scientifically chosen by me based on what I think is interesting:
Transocean's profits have gone down a bit, link here and there's also a reasonable overview of the market in the article. This article also highlights how demand on deepwater rigs is going to increase costs and put pressure on the market. This in turn will put pressure on the labour market, so if you want my opinion (unqualified though it may be), deepwater is definitely where you want to be getting your skills if you want to remain at the top of the job pile.
A few contractors flirting with Aramco to get their rigs in use, no bad thing, although I have heard that they can be quite a demanding client, plus visas for Saudi are something of a nightmare.
Songa haven't been impressing anyone recently with their stance stopping people getting off their rig in Singapore. I see it's over now, but I haven't heard of this happening before. Don't really know all the details, but there does seem to be a fair bit of union activity down in the antipodes at the moment.
More Falklands news, they're already looking for another rig down there.
And finally, some encouragement from the folks at Rigzone.
Jobs wise:
AD for Cyberbase Semi in North Sea.
Driller and Chief Engineer for 70 days in North Sea. Semi Experience.
Barge Master for DP2 Barge in UAE
Mooring Master for non-propelled, moored barge in UAE
Maintenance Super for FPSO in SE Asia
Chief Electrician and Chief Mechanic for Jack ups in India
As usual, please email me and tell your friends...
There's been a fair bit happening, and as usual here's the highlights as scientifically chosen by me based on what I think is interesting:
Transocean's profits have gone down a bit, link here and there's also a reasonable overview of the market in the article. This article also highlights how demand on deepwater rigs is going to increase costs and put pressure on the market. This in turn will put pressure on the labour market, so if you want my opinion (unqualified though it may be), deepwater is definitely where you want to be getting your skills if you want to remain at the top of the job pile.
A few contractors flirting with Aramco to get their rigs in use, no bad thing, although I have heard that they can be quite a demanding client, plus visas for Saudi are something of a nightmare.
Songa haven't been impressing anyone recently with their stance stopping people getting off their rig in Singapore. I see it's over now, but I haven't heard of this happening before. Don't really know all the details, but there does seem to be a fair bit of union activity down in the antipodes at the moment.
More Falklands news, they're already looking for another rig down there.
And finally, some encouragement from the folks at Rigzone.
Jobs wise:
AD for Cyberbase Semi in North Sea.
Driller and Chief Engineer for 70 days in North Sea. Semi Experience.
Barge Master for DP2 Barge in UAE
Mooring Master for non-propelled, moored barge in UAE
Maintenance Super for FPSO in SE Asia
Chief Electrician and Chief Mechanic for Jack ups in India
As usual, please email me and tell your friends...
Friday, 19 February 2010
No war yet
Not any new ones anyway...
News wise, some boys in London were done for insider trading on oil stocks.
At the risk of repeating myself, Pride are now doing well on the deepwater side, and struggling with the Jack ups.
And, because I'm on a roll when it comes to repetition, here's the latest on the Falklands.
Jobs wise, there's only a few things on the go:
Cementing installation project co-ordinator - need equipment installation experience
2nd Engineer PSV - North Sea
Marine Superintendant - Shore based Singapore.
Sorry not more chat this week, just trying to find the time.
News wise, some boys in London were done for insider trading on oil stocks.
At the risk of repeating myself, Pride are now doing well on the deepwater side, and struggling with the Jack ups.
And, because I'm on a roll when it comes to repetition, here's the latest on the Falklands.
Jobs wise, there's only a few things on the go:
Cementing installation project co-ordinator - need equipment installation experience
2nd Engineer PSV - North Sea
Marine Superintendant - Shore based Singapore.
Sorry not more chat this week, just trying to find the time.
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