Download Our Free Case Study

Download our free case study.

Discover how GLOBAT oil and gas skills worked to transform Benjamin Bandele. He was a former Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) trainee. Globat skills transformed him into a promising mud engineer at Librod Energy Services Limited.

The case study is free, easy to read and quick to download.

Who should download this case study?

If you aspire to work in oil and gas or you currently do so, you will benefit from learning about how Globat oil and gas skills is helping other ambitious professionals like you nurture and achieve their goals.

Human Resources (HR) Executives interested in the development of their employees’ skills and capabilities will also discover why they should make Globat their first choice.

Case Study Globat

OIL RESERVOIR: OIL AND GAS DEPOSITS

Formation

Oil and natural gas are formed by organic matter deep in the earth by dead plants and animals. This formation typically takes millions of years under very specific pressure and temperature conditions.

Process

When plants and animals die, they are exposed to ambient air or oxygen-rich water which causes it to oxidize. All elements contained in the matter combine with oxygen in the air and breaks down into the water, carbon dioxide, nitrates, sulfates and phosphates that return to nourish new plants.

 

Some of this organic matter escape this fate and are transported by the water where they end up at the bottom of the sea or in large continental lakes. At a depth of 2,000 meters and temperature of 100oC, kerogen begins to release hydrocarbons. Between 2,000 to 3,800 meters, it turns to oil. This depth interval is also known as the oil window. Production of hydrocarbons peaks at 3,800 to 5,000 meters. Liquids become lighter and gradually turn to methane gas. This depth interval is referred to as the gas window.

Petroleum Reservoir

A petroleum reservoir is a subsurface pool of hydrocarbons contained in porous or fractured rock formations. Reservoir rocks are typically sandstone reservoirs and carbonate reservoirs. Sandstone reservoirs are of a higher quality because it contains a primary mineral called quartz which is strong and stable. The carbonate reservoirs are formed from coral, shells and other biogenic materials making them less solid than sandstone. There are two broad categories of petroleum reservoirs: the conventional and the unconventional reservoirs. In conventional reservoirs, naturally occurring hydrocarbons such as crude oil and natural gas are trapped by overlying rock formations with low permeability. However, in unconventional reservoirs, the rocks have high porosity and also low permeability that keep the hydrocarbons trapped in place. This does not require a cap rock. Petroleum reservoirs are found using hydrocarbon exploration processes.

Conclusion

The proportion of liquids (oil) and gas generated in this process depends on the type of source rock. More oil than gas will be produced if the organic debris is composed mostly of animal origin. However, if the organic debris consists of mostly plant debris, the source rock will produce mostly gas.

It takes about 60 million years for dead animals to become liquid hydrocarbons with an average sedementation of 50 meters every million years.

 

Seasickness in Oil and Gas

“Bella, it’s your turn.”

Bella rose excitedly. She had just learned to skip yesterday but this was already level two stuff.

Today’s exercise required circling a stool while skipping. The stool held her prize; a small bowl of ice cream.

She took the rope and started as strongly as possible. Skipping and circling for a minute, then five, then ten and nearly fifteen minutes before losing her breath. She had beaten everyone.

Her siblings cheered as she fell back to catch her breath. But her breathing wasn’t the only thing amiss at that moment.

She was seeing double. She felt like she was still skipping when she was in fact, now sitting. And she felt dizzy.

But almost naturally, almost involuntarily, she shut her eyes, let her brain rest and allowed her chest beat freely against her rib cage.

The effect was positive. A few seconds later, everything was back to normal. And Bella was ready to take her ice cream.

You may not like to skip, but you’ve probably experienced a condition like this before. Maybe it was in an amusement park, in an airplane or a car.

The condition is what experts now generally refer to as “motion sickness” or more specifically; seasickness, carsickness, airsickness, etc., depending on the situation.

Seasickness is the type of motion illness that afflicts travelers or workers on the sea.

What is seasickness in oil and gas?

Seasickness is a condition that happens to you when the on-sea vessel or platform that you’re in vibrates and moves against the raging sea.

This forces your body to try maintaining its balance against the rocking ship movements amid the 24/7 work activity. And as experts long discovered, the part of the body that deals with balance – the inner ear- might send a message to the brain that contradicts what the other senses, like the eye and the skin, perceived and sent.

This will then result in a conflict of interpretation for the brain. For example, it might struggle to tell if you’re moving or sitting. This is seasickness.

Who can become seasick?

Typically, anyone who works or travels by sea can fall victim. But studies show that some persons, by their nature or by the level of their preparedness, are likelier than others to get seasick. This includes people who are slow adaptors to new and unfamiliar movements, people with bodies that sway more, and women.

Oil and gas professionals who work at sea are also at the risk of seasickness.

Is seasickness fatal for oil and gas workers?

While there are seasicknesses that last for days and weeks, there is nothing fatal about the condition.

Seasickness can either be treated with or without the use of drugs, and it might persist for a few seconds, hours or longer.

Dr. B. Chueng, in a contribution on seasickness to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)’s lecture series titled, ‘NATO RTA “Survival at Sea for Mariners, Aviators, and Personnel Involved in Search and Rescue”, writes,

“The term “sickness” is (also) a misnomer as it carries a connotation of ‘(affected with) disease’. It obscures the fact that motion sickness or seasickness is a normal physiological response of a healthy individual without organic or functional disorder when exposed to the unfamiliar or conflicting motion of sufficient severity for a sufficient period of time. Hence, seasickness and other associated forms of motion sickness (airsickness, carsickness, simulator sickness, and space sickness) can now be defined as a maladaptive response to a real and apparent motion.”

In other words, a seasick person can also be a very healthy person.

How do I know that I’m seasick?

While milder kinds of seasickness usually come with the symptoms of tiredness, balance disorder and dizziness, the more persistent versions have the symptoms of cold sweating, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and stomach ache.

In any doubt, you can always consult the medical personnel on your oil rig.

What are the effects of seasickness?

Falling seasick on an oil rig can affect you, your coworkers and your company’s productivity in a negative way.

Assuming that you’re ambitious and eager to rise through the ranks quickly by working hard, seasickness can be a major distraction.

Dr. B. Chueng notes that seasickness can erode the victim’s ability to work effectively and to participate in group activities while increasing feelings of depression and misery.

Also, there are suggestions – though unscientific – that incidents of seasickness can demoralize other workers on the rig. This could affect their performance and ultimately, the company’s output.

How do I prevent or cure seasickness?

Over the years, researchers have developed several tactics for preventing and curing seasickness. The most common of these tactics include using drugs and medical help, developing a positive anti-seasickness mindset and using acupressure tools like wrist bands.

  • Seek medical help and use drugs.

Expectedly, there are drugs in existence that can help cure longer bouts of seasickness. There have been medications for seasickness before the 1900s.

A 2015 article in the CNS Neuroscience and Therapeutics publication states that,

“In 1869, the first usage of medications for MS (motion sickness) was a combination of chloroform and tincture of belladonna. Nowadays, there are at least 9 different kinds of drugs used against MS.”

However, despite the increase in medicinal options, there are considerable side effects on drug use.

Of this, Dr. B. Chueng says, “…None of the drugs of proven efficacy in the treatment of motion sickness are entirely specific and all have side effects… The three relatively effective and commonly used drugs (promethazine, dimenhydrinate, and scopolamine) are central depressants that can affect brain activities and cause drowsiness or sleepiness and dizziness. They should not be taken by those in whom an impairment of skilled performance could jeopardize safety.”

Boma Femi Julius, the CEO and founder of Globat Oil and Gas Skills, had a hilarious experience with seasickness medications in his earlier offshore days,  “I once took a seasickness drug on a six-hour boat ride to a rig in Gabon. I slept off and passed my location. When I woke up, I was hours away from my rig.”

That’s why it is advisable to seek medical expertise before taking drugs to prevent or treat seasickness. Luckily, oil and gas drilling explorations always include medical workers who can provide assistance and expertise in this direction.

  • Use Acupressure.

Acupressure, defined as the application of pressure on specific points on the body to control symptoms such as pain or nausea, has long received considerable attention and endorsement as an effective treatment in several studies on seasickness.

For instance, Frederick Bonato, Andrea Bubka and Wesley W. O. Krueger, in their study on motion sickness published in a 2015 volume of the Military Medicine Journal write,

“A common nonpharmaceutical attempt for treating MS (Motion Sickness) entails bracelet-like devices worn around the wrist. It is claimed that stimulation of pressure points such as P6 acts on the central nervous system to provide MS relief. Elastic versions simply employ pressure but more sophisticated devices provide electrical pulses.”

  • Develop a positive mindset.

But what does mindset have to do with falling ill?

Well, legendary self-help author Dale Carnegie already had the answer in his 1948 bestseller How to stop worrying and start living,  in which he wrote that, “Worry can make even the most stolid (calm and dependable) person ill… Worry can put you into a wheelchair with rheumatism and arthritis… Worry can even cause tooth decay.”

And he wasn’t just rambling. Today, medical experts and scientific studies – such as that of Dov Eden and Yaakov Zuv on the impact of self-belief on seasickness among naval cadets – agree that your mindset can determine if you will become seasick or not.

It is now advisable for both travelers and oil and gas workers to believe that they won’t have seasickness. This can build a resistance against the condition.

Did you find this article useful? Kindly share it with your friends and colleagues and follow our blog to learn more about working in the Nigerian oil and gas sector.

References

  1. Carnegie, D. How to stop worrying and start living. Simon and Schuster. 1948.
  2. Chueng, B. Seasickness: Guidelines for All Operators of Marine Vessels, Marine Helicopters and Offshore Oil Installations. Survival at Sea for Mariners, Aviators and Search and Rescue Personnel (RTO-AG-HFM-152). NATO Research and Technology Organisation. 2008; 178.
  3. Eden, D., & Zuk, Y. Seasickness as a self-fulfilling prophecy: Raising self-efficacy to boost performance at sea. Journal of Applied Psychology. 1995; 80(5), 628-635.
  4. Bonato, F., Bubka, A., & Krueger, W. A Wearable Device Providing a Visual Fixation Point for the Alleviation of Motion Sickness Symptoms. Military Medicine. 2015; 180(12), 1268-1272.
  5. Zhang, L., Wang, J., Qi, R., Pan, L., Li, M. & Cai, Y. Motion Sickness: Current Knowledge and Recent Advance. CNS Neuroscience and Therapeutics. 2015; 22 (1).

DEEPWATER OIL DRILLING

What is Deepwater Drilling? Deepwater drilling is the process of digging deep wells to drill oil. Deepwater drilling was not a technologically and financially feasible solution, but in recent times, more companies are seeing the economic benefits of deepwater drilling. Currently, there are over 3,400 deepwater wells in the Gulf of Mexico.

To find oil deposits, exploratory drilling has to be carried out else the seabed will be full of massive wells with nothing in them. And this can lead to damage to the earth’s crust leading to other environmental problems. A mobile drilling platform is sent out first to explore a site. Exploratory drilling typically requires four temporary wells to obtain core samples. Detection of petroleum during drilling signals the end of the drilling process. Samples are then taken to perform tests to ensure that the oil quality and quantity are sufficient to allow further actions to continue on that site.

DRILLING PROCESS

After determining the quality and quantity of petroleum deposits, a production well is drilled. An average well is expected to last between 10 to 20 years before it is no longer termed profitable. In addition to being built with the long-term in mind, production platforms should be able to withstand severe weather conditions considering that they are fixed to the ocean floor using concrete or metal foundations.

 

Another interesting aspect of deepwater oil drilling is directional drilling. Not all drilling wells go straight down. Directional drilling enables oil platforms to sink wells into the ocean floor at an angle to reach petroleum deposits that are miles away.

There are two main types of drilling rigs: the semi-submersible drilling rigs and drillships. 

Types of Deepwater Drilling Facilities

The types of deepwater drilling facilities that exist are:

    1. Fixed Platform: A fixed platform consists of a tall, steel structure supporting a deck. It is one of the most expensive platforms to build because it is anchored to the seafloor and can reach up to 1,600 feet.
    2.  Compliant Tower Platform: is a type of fixed platform because it is also anchored to the seafloor and has a workplace above the water surface. The difference is that the tower of a complaint platform is taller and narrower. It can also reach a depth of 3,000 feet.
    3. Semii-Submersible Platform: This platform is bulky and floats above the surface. However, the wellhead is on the seafloor. Extra precautions have to be taken to prevent leaks. They can reach a depth of 6,560 feet.
    4. Jack-Up Rig: It is a mobile unit with a floating hull that is moveable. At the desired location, the legs are lowered to the seafloor and locked in place while the platform rises to the surface.
    5. Subsea System: These are wellheads that are directly on the seafloor and extract oil straight from the ground. There are pipes attached that can siphon the oil to platform rigs and overhead ships. It is a popular choice for companies.
    6. Spar Platform: A spar platform uses a large cylinder to a floating deck from the seafloor. Averagely, 90% of a spar platform is underwater. With new technology, they can reach 11,500 feet below the surface.
    7. Tension-Leg Platform: This platform has a floating structure, held by tendons reaching the seafloor. Used for drilling smaller deposits in narrow areas. They are also a low-cost way of getting oil, making them a favorite for companies. They can reach 3,940 feet below the surface.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Deepwater oil drilling has been in existence for a long time and shows no sign of going out of fashion. However, no one is ignorant of how potentially dangerous the oil and gas industry is, and that is why companies engage in extensive training for their employees. Globat Skills is a training school that teaches companies and individuals on how to prevent risks on the job. 

 

 

Why Bids And Tender Management Is An Indispensable Skill In The Nigerian Oil And Gas Industry

Introduction

Sales might be an old profession but it remains the foundation of every successful business. Without it, there won’t be profits, salaries, big buildings or even, the brand.

But to sell consistently, companies need to understand the psychology behind buying and selling. They must also apply a proven, dependable set of processes and skills. One of such skills is the bid and tender management.

Bid and tender management exists because of a formalized process that buyers use to hire contractors in certain sectors; for example, in the oil and gas industry.

How Does It Work?

This formal process is started by the company or the individual who needs the service. To do this, they might contact a contractor who they’ve worked with before (this is called single sourcing) and ask them to submit a proposal (also known as a bid or tender). The proposal tells the intending buyer how the oil and gas company intends to deliver the new job along with the required budget, manpower, and the resources.

Or they might choose a more competitive bidding process. In this type, the client starts by announcing that a project is open. Interested oil and gas companies can then follow up by applying to progress through several competitive stages until the most persuasive applicant wins the contract.

The bid, as it is used in this situation, can refer to both the activity of bidding and the official document which is submitted during the bidding process to show the client that an oil and gas company is the best option for the project. Other names for the document are proposal and tender.

Bids are usually costly to prepare. And costly to lose, since they’re tied to the company’s sales: if done effectively, the company will get the project which means millions of dollars in profit. But if it is done badly on a regular basis, the company won’t survive for long.

That’s why oil and gas companies prioritize the management of their bidding process.

Managing the bidding process is a strategic task which involves managing the search for new business opportunities and overseeing the successful submission and the reception of bids within the allotted time.

This task is usually handled by a bid manager.

How Oil And Gas Companies Grow Their Profits With Efficient Bid And Tender Management Skills.

Successful bidding usually means new projects. And new projects mean more sales. But more sales doesn’t always equal more profit.

Why?

Because the company that’s bidding could waste a lot of resources – for example, time, money and manpower – during the bidding process. This can affect the revenue that’s gotten from the project.

However, oil and gas companies avoid this risk by developing a proven and efficient bid and tender management method (or system). The system also helps to reduce the number of ineffective bids.

For a bid system to be efficient, it must be better than the competitor’s, accommodate input from other experts on the content of each bid and it must be refined with feedback from past bids, both the failed and successful ones.

Other benefits of efficient bidding are company growth, competitive advantage and increased publicity.

The Bid Manager

This is the professional who prepares the bid, coordinates the activities related to the bidding process and submits the bid.

The performance of each bid depends on his skills and competence.

Bid managers usually bring the following skills to the process:

  1. A firm grasp of the bid and tender process.
  2. Market insights to discover lucrative bidding opportunities.
  3. Managerial skills since he must liaise with top company executives to create the bid.
  4. A marketing and sales mindset when creating content for the bid. The content must focus on the buyer’s needs.
  5. Technical competence to ensure that the bid meets the client’s quality requirements.

I want to become a bid and tender manager.

You can start your career as a bid and tender manager by enrolling at the Globat Oil and Gas Skills course on bid and tender management. You’ll get an intensive introduction to bid and tender management; and practical hands-on training.

If you have any questions, please contact us at info@globatskills.com.com or visit our website at www.globatskills.com to learn more.

Did you find this article useful? Kindly comment or share it with your friends.

HOW TO GET A JOB IN THE NIGERIAN OIL AND GAS SECTOR

If you’re a new graduate, a skilled technician, or a professional looking to break into the oil and gas industry, you’re in luck. Getting a job in this industry is not as impossible as many think. Oil and gas companies still recruit on a regular basis and the mix of activities in its operations ensure that engineers, marketing managers, and even medical personnel are regularly engaged in meaningful work and well paid.

But as in every other sector, you’ll need to possess the needed skills, the appropriate qualifications, and the right persona to get your big break.

This is because most employers only look to hire workers that they can trust and invest in the long term. If you can tick all these three boxes – skills, qualifications, and an attractive personality – then you will get your break.

BUT I DON’T HAVE ANY CONNECTIONS.

It can’t be denied: those who know powerful people will always get a head start in any job search. It is difficult for the average person to compete with this rule.

But there are two implications to this:

Implication 1: You can win without networking.

This option is harder but it can be done. The caveat is that you must be brilliant, be able to wow interviewers and have an almost magnetic personality.

Scaling through the tough interview process for most oil and gas job openings without any internal or powerful reference means that you must be impressive.

If your academic background and interviewing abilities are top-notch, this could work in your favor.

Implication 2: You can win by networking better.

What this means: if a competing job applicant gets a referral from a Junior Manager, you should get yours from a Senior Manager.

Sadly, many people think of networking as cheating. It’s not. Assuming you’re a skilled and qualified job seeker who is willing to learn and doesn’t pay – in kind or with cash – for the position that you want, it’s simply smart networking.

Here’s why networking is important:

  • Not all jobs in the oil and gas sector get advertised. If you know a worker in the industry, he might inform you of an opening. Naturally, these kinds of jobs attract lower competition.
  • You can get relevant references from successful professionals in the industry when applying for a job. This will ultimately help your resume stand out.
  • The people in your network can serve as mentors.

The first step to effective networking is getting your mindset right. Accept that it takes time to build a reliable network of willing, helpful professionals. You may not see results in three or six months. But this is normal.

If you stick at it long enough, your network will be useful to you throughout your career.

How to Network Properly

You can follow these practical steps to networking as outlined by Lisa Tynan of TopResume.com:

  • Identify the networking style that suits your personality. Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
  • Be professional. Don’t ask for a job or an interview at the first contact. Be genuinely concerned about their work. Show enthusiasm and an obsessive willingness to learn.
  • Use social media and the internet wisely. Follow pages, threads, and groups in the industry. Be active. Let your connections know that you’re searching for employment in the oil and gas sector but don’t shove it down their throats.
  • Be helpful to your growing network. Do small things that show you care. Join non-profits targeted at the Nigerian oil and gas industry and tell your network about it.
  • Be consistent and patient. Most of the people you are trying to reach will be busy. Those who appreciate your efforts may not be in the best position, physically or emotionally, to reply quickly.

And finally, when building your contact list, try to be realistic. While it’s possible, don’t bother reaching out to the CEO of a multinational oil and gas firm yet if you’re looking for an internship spot. Connect, instead, to entry-level staff members or to interns in other companies. If you want to get an internship, network with other interns.

BUT I DON’T HAVE THE SKILLS/ I DID NOT STUDY ENGINEERING OR ANY OTHER RELATED COURSE IN THE UNIVERSITY.

You don’t need an engineering degree, or a science-related degree, in fact, to work in the sector. Workers in oil and gas are drawn from a wide range of disciplines – law, accounting, communications, geology, engineering, medicine, etc.

This is possible for three reasons:

  • Diversity of roles.
  • Different requirements for different jobs.
  • Oil and Gas Courses by Training Providers.

Diverse professions are needed.

Typical offshore projects, for example, need workers from other disciplines, not just engineering and geology, to be efficient. Administrative roles may be filled by graduates from the sciences and arts. Also, kitchen staff and medical personnel are employed to cater for the feeding and health needs of workers on the rig.

And that’s just a snapshot of the diverse opportunities in the offshore segment.

Every stage in the oil and gas supply chain – upstream, midstream and downstream – is populated with professionals from different disciplines too.

You don’t even need to be a University graduate.

The public perception is that oil and gas jobs are notoriously hard to get into in Nigeria. But not every role in the industry needs to be filled by a Straight-A student from a reputable university. There are jobs with lower entry requirements.

Reasonably, these jobs don’t come with fat checks. But after getting enough work experience, and studying purposefully, those who fill these brown collar jobs can become well-paid professionals too.

For example, a high performing roustabout with years of experience can rise to become a Foreman and ultimately earn a bigger paycheck.

You can take good Oil and Gas Training Programs.

Training programs are a great route to get into the industry and we at Globat highly recommend it.

A good training program will expose you to the realities of the oil and gas work environment, help you gain the required skills from experienced oil and gas professionals who might even double as mentors.

But how do you find the best training programs in Nigeria?

The best training programs usually have these features:

  • Highly qualified trainers with diverse experience from the world’s leading exploration and production companies.
  • Certification from the Nigerian Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).
  • A flexible program syllabus tailored to your special needs.
  • Rigorous hands-on training sessions.
  • Proximity to major oil and gas companies in Nigeria.
  • State-of-the-art audio/visual equipment to facilitate interactive training sessions.

I DON’T KNOW HOW TO START.

If you’re stuck about how to start your job hunt in the Nigerian oil and gas industry, then you can consider the following tips below as a starting point:

  1. Join a good oil and gas training program. Ask your trainers to share their job hunting success tips with you and follow their advice. You can also ask them to refer you to professionals within the industry.
  2. Network with workers in the industry and discover what worked for them. Be passionate, enthusiastic and persistent in your interactions with them.
  3. Write your cv properly without any typos.
  4. Get an internship with a company if you’re a recent graduate or if you’re about to participate in the National Youth Service Corps Program.
  5. Combine your sources of information for job openings: use online job boards, your network, newspapers, trade journals, and even social media.
  6. Hire the services of a reputable oil and gas recruitment agency.
  7. And finally, you should get a temporary job while trying to get into the sector to foot your current expenses.

WORKER FATIGUE IN OIL AND GAS EXTRACTION: HOW SUPERVISORS CAN STOP THIS SILENT KILLER.

WORKER FATIGUE IN OIL AND GAS EXTRACTION: HOW SUPERVISORS CAN STOP THIS SILENT KILLER.

Do careless accidents constantly occur on your offshore or onshore rigs? Do members of your crew always seem unmotivated, absent-minded, or slow in responding to situations? Are your productivity levels down? Then workplace fatigue might be a major cause.

In a report on workplace fatigue in the Industrial Psychiatry Journal, Khosro Sadeghniiat-Haghighi and Zohreh Yazdi writes that fatigue not only “influences directly on many people’s physical and mental abilities needed to carry out even simple tasks”, but that it has also been “estimated that fatigued workers in workplaces are costing more than 18 billion dollars a year in the US.”

And that’s in the US alone.

The writers also called fatigued workers “potentially dangerous” and easily irritated. They concluded that fatigue was responsible for the occurrence of some of the most horrible accidents in workplaces. “The world’s worst nuclear power accident occurred at Chernobyl on April 25, 1986, at 1:23 am. The accidents at Three Mile Island, the oil spill from the Exxon Valdez, all occurred between midnight and 6 am. These accidents, along with many transportation accidents on roads, were raised from humans’ fatigue.”

While it is quite tricky to define, many researchers on fatigue agree that it is worse than feeling tired or sleepy and that its common signs include:

  • Excessive tiredness or drowsiness.
  • Physical, mental, or physiological stress.
  • A lack of energy and mental awareness to perform at the required level in its victims.
  • Lack of concentration in victims.
  • Fatigue can’t be solved with motivation or experience. It can happen to anyone.
  • Fatigued workers make more mistakes and can cause serious accidents.

It can happen over a short period, one day; or a long period, weeks and months.

FATIGUE IN OIL AND GAS

Fatigue is a universal problem. It affects every kind of workplace; although there are some sectors that, by the nature of their activities, expose their workers to fatigue.

One of such sectors is oil and gas.

Valerie Jones of Rigzone.com notes eight to nine of the fatigue risk factors published in a special report by the US National Safety Council in 2017. Doing shift work, working during high-risk hours, working on physically or mentally demanding jobs, doing long shifts, working for long weeks, sleep loss, no rest breaks, low rest breaks between shifts and long commutes from residence to the workplace – all these can be found among workers in the oil and gas industry.

“Working in oil and gas construction projects is both challenging and hazardous due to the remote and hostile work environment and the demanding shift work schedules, which often necessitate daily adaptation.” writes Margaret Chan in *The Construction Management and Economics*. “These occupational hazards are often associated with fatigue, and stress-related risk factors and accidents are a possible outcome.”

Already, oil and gas companies that wish to improve their workforce productivity have started to invest in systems and to empower their supervisors to manage fatigue among their employees.

Shell Nigeria is reputed for successfully using a Fatigue Risk Management system to improve its workers’ performance across departments.

WHY FATIGUE IS VERY DANGEROUS

Managing a team of extraction or construction workers are naturally demanding. Supervisors must work to reduce accidents, increase the rate of productivity among workers, and monitor their work progress. They should also design an effective schedule all-around mechanical pressure, noise, long work hours, under any weather condition, around high-risk chemicals and gases and under the risk of unexpectedly extended work hours.

You’ll need to manage fatigue among your team and to personally avoid it too if you want to achieve your goals with lesser hassle.

Here’s what might happen if you don’t:

Accidents

When working with dangerous equipment, heavy tools, or under a hazardous environment, the most hazardous thing to do is lose your concentration.

But fatigued workers do this all the time. They might even misplace materials, fall asleep, or forget to use safety gear.

Which is why accidents, and terrible ones at that, have long been associated with the oil and gas sector. This is worse when you consider that without human errors, the offshore and onshore work environment would still be a dangerous place to work.

A guide on managing fatigue in the workplace published by the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPICEA) and International Organisation of Oil and Gas Producers backs this up:

“Investigations into some of the worst industrial and environmental accidents of the past 30 years have identified fatigue as a major contributory factor to the incident. In some of these cases, fatigue was not the sole cause. Rather, there was an initial difficulty such as a technical fault. But because the operators were fatigued, they did not manage the situation adequately, and the situation escalated to an accident.”

Margaret Chan also says that “Working in oil and gas construction projects is both challenging and hazardous due to the remote and hostile work environment and the demanding shift work schedules, which often necessitate daily adaptation. These occupational hazards are often associated with fatigue, and stress-related risk factors and accidents are a possible outcome.”

Fatigue kills productivity

This is proven in the article. “U.S. workforce: prevalence and implications for lost productive time” which notes that the majority of lost productive time is caused by a fall in performance rather than worker absenteeism.

Low productivity can cause you headaches by forcing you to work harder to achieve targets that you used to hit easily. It will also endanger your progress in the oil and gas industry as an extraction supervisor.

HOW SUPERVISORS CAN MANAGE FATIGUE

Fatigue is difficult to avoid in the average workplace. Particularly in oil and gas construction or extraction because the factors that cause it are an integral part of the work.

However, experts and stakeholders have been able to develop a flexible strategy to support oil and gas companies in managing fatigue. This strategy is called the Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS)

The Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS)

A fatigue risk management system helps you to manage fatigue and to reduce it from happening to your workforce by considering the unique challenges in your workplace and your company’s objectives. It is custom-made by experts for your special situation because, as studies have shown, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to fatigue.

FRMS also includes regular risk assessment strategies so that you can identify if progress is being made, and how far.

According to the guide by the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPICEA) and International Organisation of Oil and Gas Producers on managing worker fatigue in the oil and gas industry,

“A clear advantage is that the FRMS approach provides greater operational flexibility, rather than adhering to strict hours-of-work restrictions. It can be designed to accommodate staff and their requirements best; and so is much more flexible, while at the same time more robust at managing the risks from fatigue. Unlike approaches based on compliance with legislation, the FRMS approach considers the work activity and environment and provides a mix of controls, metrics, and KPIs as a means of determining effectiveness.”

Other Tactics

You can:

  • Reassess the time of shifts, lengths, your work environment and its effects on workers, and what the solutions are by consulting with experts on fatigue.
  • Encourage senior management to sponsor training programs on fatigue for workers.
  • Encourage workers to sleep well and to exercise regularly.

P.S.

Depending on your organization, you may not have full authority to make these changes.

The smart option is to inform senior management of the need for a fatigue risk management system and to ensure that they support the fight against fatigue with the adequate budget and professional support.

References

  1. Chan M. Fatigue: the most critical accident risk in oil and gas construction. Construction Management and Economics. 2011; 29(4): 341-353.
  2. IPICEA/OGP. Managing fatigue in the workplace: a guide for oil and gas industry supervisors and occupational health practitioners. 2007.
  3. Ricci JA, Chee E, Lorandeau AL, Berger J. Fatigue in the U.S. workforce: prevalence and implications for lost productive work time. J Occup Environ Med. 2007;49(1):1–10.
  4. Sadeghniiat-Haghighi K, Yazdi Z. Fatigue management in the workplace. Ind Psychiatry Journal. 2015;24(1):12–7.

Mud Engineering & Mud Logging

Mud Engineering & Mud Logging

Before we explore all the fine details, we would need to know what exactly is mud engineering. Mud engineering is one of the operations of the upstream sector (read more about the oil and gas sectors here.)that involves extraction. It doesn’t have to do with just mud; it also includes other drilling issues as well. Drilling mud which is also called drilling fluid is a dense and viscous mixture used during drilling in oil and gas operations.

The drilling mud carries cut rocks to the surface of the drill area and also lubricate the drill bit. The drilling mud is essential in the oil and gas drill process because it prevents the collapse of unstable layers of rock from collapsing into the borehole and also the intrusion of water.

Who is a Mud Engineer?

A mud engineer or drilling fluids engineer (or in fun terms “Mud Man”) is a person who works oil well drilling rig. This person is responsible for the drilling mud, as discussed above, and ensures specifications are met and maintains all the right properties. The job of the mud man is vital because the entire drilling operation is dependent on the quality of the drilling mud used. The mud man is also responsible for mud logging. To find out how you can get started, visit www.globatskills.com

What is Mud Logging?

Mud logging involves the monitoring of a rig site, the assessment of the information brought to the surface during the drilling process. It is a detailed record, also called a well log, that examines the cuttings of rock brought to the surface during the drilling process.

By examining and recording the cuttings of rock brought to the surface by the drilling mud, one can get specific predictions about the oil rig. Some of the objectives of mud logging are finding estimates of porosity and permeability levels of the drill site, monitoring safety-related sensing tools, monitoring and evaluating hydrocarbons released from the drilled formations.

Why Mud Engineering?

No denying that there are a lot of attractions towards becoming an oil worker but for those who are interested in becoming mud engineers, what exactly should be the attraction for you besides the usual perks of being an oil worker.

  • It improves your analytical skills. You will learn to analyze complicated drilling plans and make possible predictions for flaws even before the start of the project.
  • Sharpens creativity. You will be able to find new solutions to new problems every time as each oil and gas field is different.
  • Team-work. Mud engineering is not a one-man job. You will learn to work with others and still meet your objectives.
  • Problem-solving skills. With every new field you encounter, you face new challenges. This skill will help you hone your problem-solving skills properly.

These are just a few of the benefits of becoming a mud engineer. But it’s not a walk in the park. To become a mud engineer, you would need to undergo the training and get the skills required for such a role.

That’s where Globat Skills Oil and Gas come in. We offer an intensive training course on mud engineering and mud logging at our training school where we teach you from the basics to the main deal. All you need to do is send us an email: info@globatskills.com.com or visit our website www.globatmudschool.com for more information.

Did you find this article useful? Kindly share with your friends and family. Learning never ends.

Oil and Gas Supply Chain: Upstream, Midstream and Downstream

Oil and Gas Supply Chain: Upstream, Midstream, and Downstream

For every time you visit a petrol station to fuel your tank or use the cooking gas in your home, you make up the final piece of a long supply chain. The oil and gas industry comprises of different components and each one compliments the other; just as the human body comprises of different members that work together.

This article will address the three major components of the oil and gas industry: Upstream, Midstream, and Downstream.

Upstream

The upstream sector of the oil and gas industry covers the exploration, development, and production of crude oil and natural gas. This sector is often referred to as the “Exploration and Production” (E&P) section. Some of the activities involved in the upstream sector are: searching for areas underwater containing crude oil/natural gas, recovering them and storing them before bringing them to the surface. It also covers the drilling of exploratory wells. The upstream sector contains processes that are quite complex when you compare them to the other sectors. This is because they happen under hazardous conditions.

Another key point to the upstream oil and gas sector is that it is heavily regulated by the government. Regulations exist to prevent major disasters such as oil spills.

Midstream

Now that the produced crude oil has been stored in tanks, it needs to be transported to refineries for further processing to produce even more valuable products. Some of these products include aviation fuel, kerosene, liquified petroleum gas, etc. that will be useful to the end user. The activities that happen between transporting the crude oil from upstream storage tanks to the refineries are lumped together as the midstream sector operations.

However, the reason why the midstream is not as popular as the upstream or downstream sectors is that some of the midstream activities can be added to either of the upstream or downstream. The major activities of the midstream sector are the transportation and marketing of wholesale products.

Downstream

This sector covers the main business activities such as refining crude oil to producing valuable products. It also covers marketing and selling these products to commercial and end users. Some of the processes involved in the downstream sector are refinery planning, marketing, sales and billing plans, etc. Proper planning has to go into the supply process between when the refined products leave storage to the commercial and end users.

Marketing of the finished products is a big deal. It would require a team of dedicated workers who will be able to spread the word of the company’s goods.

Conclusion

The oil and gas industry is wide and complex hence the reason it is broken down into various smaller sectors. These sectors are further broken into sub-components. However, being a master in one sub-component is all you really need.  You can then go on to become an industry expert in that field. For a list of some of the courses you can start with, visit www.globatskills.com/services or send us an email: info@globatskills.com.com

 

Risk Management in the Oil and Gas Industry

Risk Management in the Oil and Gas Industry

What is risk management?

Risk management is the identification, evaluation, and prioritization of risks. It is accompanied by coordinated and economical application of resources to minimize, monitor, and control the probability or impact of unfortunate events or to maximize the realization of opportunities.

The above definition is a general definition for most (or all) businesses. For every business however, this definition may be tweaked to suit that businesses niche.

What is risk management in oil and gas?

Risk management in oil and gas is basically the identification, evaluation, and prioritization of risks in the oil and gas sector. This may be on the drilling rigs, semi-submersibles, engineering equipment, refineries, etc.

There are three major categories of risks in the oil and gas sector. They are:

  • Economic risk
  • Political risk and
  • Environmental risk

ECONOMIC RISK:

Oil and gas economic risks are hugely affected by money, the economy at every given point in time. Some factors that can affect oil and gas economically are:

  1. Oil price collapse. The rise and fall in the price of oil greatly affect the economy and in turn, affects products made with oil and gas raw materials. When there is a rise in the price of oil, there is almost always an equal rise price of other products.
  2. Capital cost overruns. These are “one-time bill payments” that later cost way more than was originally envisioned in the budgeting phase.
  3. High operating costs. This is no news. The cost of running and maintaining an oil rig is pretty high.


POLITICAL RISK:

A small change in a country’s management or political philosophies can result in a re-evaluation of the country’s oil and gas reserves. Some changes include: change in taxation structure, change in economic terms and revision of production shares.


ENVIRONMENTAL RISK:

Environmental risks involving oil and gas are not foreign to many. For example pollution, flood, fire, ecological damage, etc.  

Managing risks in the oil and gas industry involve more than just identifying the risks. Therefore it requires dedicated workers that would assess portfolios for optimization and using complex mathematical models, assess various risk-return relationships. Using a probability profile to evaluate risk make better-informed decisions than making single point evaluations.
In conclusion, learning about the intricate details of managing oil and gas risks will enable you to do more for yourself, the society and the planet. Join forces with those who strive hard to make the oil and gas industry a low-risk venture. Learn about health and safety with the Globat Skills Health and Safety training course.