Making career move to oil and gas / petroleum. Please advise? 1

[RadovanML]

Hi everybody! I'm 36 years mechanical engineer bachelor, working in valve (control, pressure regulating, backpressure, PSV etc and process equipment factory for 6 years now. For last half of the year I have realized that there is no professional future for my in my current company (small company 20 employees). I have experience in: design CAD and some CAM, sizing/calculation, prototyping, production management, QA, testing, maintenance, customer support... all related to valve and process equipment, this is main reason for decision to make this career change, because I am in constant shifts from one area to another all day every day and I can't get profound in any of those areas. So I started thinking to make some career change. My wish is to continue to develop in design and / or maintenance and perhaps in one more area, but related to static. When i have weighted my options it come up to this:

-In my country there are only few valve manufacturers and to tell you the truth I don't see myself working in any of those companies, for multiple reasons, so it drops out.

-Other option was to was to seek some other company with similar portfolio (but bigger, because I decided to seek opportunity in big organization – company for reasons of better chance for training, promotion etc). For someone of my background ( Serbia, Europe) it is mission impossible to get job in UK or USA( spirax sarco or similar) so next obvious destination was Germany or Austria (ari armaturen, bhdt, flowserve.. ). But there is the problem, it is almost impossible to get job without knowledge of German... so I need another 1 (or 2) years to learn B2 level of German. Well last year I have finished my bachelor studies (earlier I have finished technical collage – applied studies, in mechanical engineering, title mechanical engineer 180ECTS) and I feel that I can't wait any more! I am not getting any younger and I feel I am wasting my life. Not to mention that only very limited number of positions are available in my field in those counties, so it drops out too.

In that time 2-3 moths ago, when I was thinking what to do, I have read article about life in the middle east and I have started research about oil and gas operations in that region and I have to tell you the truth I was amazed with size of operations and career options available. So I spent much time to became very well informed about life&work conditions in Arabian peninsula, and I find them what they are, difficult but worth of effort, by my opinion. So few weeks ago I had built up my resume and portfolio, register to all major job boards (bayt, monster...) , started research companies in the business that have operations there and started applying for the jobs on portals and directly to companies.

Concerning my professional and educational background (unfortunately for my job ambition, my major on studies was IT in engineering (FEA, CAD, CAM...)), family status (married, 2 kids) and my residence, can you please help me to understand / answer some questions that bother me:

1. I am applying for positions in upstream and refineries such: valve engineer, static engineer and similar. Is this a good choice, concerning my experience? Are there any other options for me? I'm heaving problem to get in to terminology of job advertises, for example word "static equipment" in nowhere to be seen in European job boards vocabulary, at least what I have noticed...

2. Since I have very limited experience directly related to up/downstream, what is the real relevance of my experience? I have done several jobs (valves, steam traps....) for local oil refinery, but most of my engagement was related process equipment (steam and condensate) for: ethanol distilleries, pharmaceutical industries, food production etc. Also I have experience in water, nonhazardous gases and oil fuel valves.

3. Another problem is that since my activities are mostly NOT in relation to petrochemical industry, I have rarely used ANSI, ASTM, API codes and used to use PED, EN, ISO codes. I realize that is an issue so I have started to educate myself in ANSI, ASTM, API, DEP Shell, TEMA and all relevant standards and codes I could find. Has anyone here made this transition to US codes, can you share some advice to me, is there any shortcut?

4. Finally I was wondering, maybe middle east is not my best option for starter. Is it desirable location for someone who have more relevant experience? Maybe I should start working 2-3 years somewhere in some company that is known for bed working conditions / salary or similar, so high profile professionals avoid working with them. I'm a little discouraged with all those "minimum 15/20/25 years of experience" requirements on job boards. So I figured all of us have to start somewhere. Can you share some info or personal experience on this?

I have just noticed post is too long, I hope you wont bother reading it, but I wanted to give you best insight possible in my current situation. Hopefully to get good info. Thanks in advance.

 

[zdas04]

Your timing hardly could have been worse. When the oil price collapsed last year, the industry panicked and started layoffs. Even companies with no oil (and gas prices have held up pretty well) are tossing people out left and right. It will take some time for the panic to work its way out. The big problem is you are competing with tens of thousands of people recently employed in the industry, so their experience seems more relevant than yours. This time next year I expect things to be moving again, but right now is miserable.

If I was in your place, I'd give up on finding a "valve engineer" job. Producers don't have them, and neither do refiners. In Oil & Gas (try to avoid saying "Petroleum Industry", that phrase is usually used by people who hate us), downhole engineers don't do valves, and surface engineers are expected to do valves in addition to piping, vessels, and rotating equipment.

In upstream, mostly we refer to the surface guys as "Facilities Engineers" and you are expected to be conversant with ASME B31 series codes (B31.3 is used in facilities and wellsites, B31.4 is used for oil pipe, and B31.8 is used for gas pipe). There are EN standards for all of B31, and some of them are simply dual stamped so the EN and ASME versions are identical, others have differences that committees are working to resolve (and probably will resolve them in the next couple of decades). There are some others like API 521, and API 1104, but the B31 stuff is the big deal. Several countries (Canada and Australia come to mind) have written laws that started off as a photocopy of one of the B31 codes and then began deviating.

There is a role in some companies that might fit better with your education and work history. That is Automation Engineer. These guys are expected to be conversant in fluid measurement, program logic, and control valves. I know that 5 years ago automation engineers were in big demand, but I haven't been contacted by any of those head hunters this year so I don't know it is still a thing.

I'm not sure how hard the current oil-price panic has hit the Middle East. Some stuff I've read says that expats were hit hard there, other things I've read indicate that some of the companies are hiring. It is a very difficult place to generalize on. Every deal has its own history and future and many deals go counter to industry trends.

David Simpson, PE
MuleShoe Engineering

In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. Galileo Galilei, Italian Physicist

 

[RadovanML]

Hi! Thanks for answering!

I know about timing, but it will pass with time and I am making now life time decision. I don't know how hard companies and expats were hit in Middle East but I see there are thousands of job vacancies on portals and company web sites... Concerning a Valve engineer position I firstly encountered that position on Saudi Aramco web site:

http://careers.jobsataramco.eu/sa/saudi-arabia/engineering/jobid7561146-valve-engineer-jobs

Also a term mechanical engineer for static equipment. Those two terms pop out on every search on major job boards...

Can you tell me about asme b16.34 code, it seem to me like important for my preferable job. Are there other standards - codes that I would be expected to know?

Anyhow, day before yesterday I have call from UK recruiter, who in the name of Qatar company, suggested me to consider engineering position of the supervisor of valve workshop. Job description looks and company looks promising and looks just like job Ive been looking or. They are working with some some of the major world companies who have operations in the region.
We have talked for about 20 minutes and it looks promising, he promised me skype interview next week. What confuses me is that he almost immediately brought question of the salary, because he "don't want to waste yours and ours time if they can't afford you" to quote him. It is little bit strange for me... Anyhow during phone talk he sent me email with job detail description, I have answered him yesterday in the morning to tell him I'm interested, he answered me in 15 minutes and suggested me to recommend 2 more engineer for different positions in same company...

So I have two questions now if anyone can answer I would appreciate that:

- It says: " Environmental Condition:
Air conditioned & non air conditioned [highlight #CC0000]plant environment[/highlight].
Exposed to prevailing weather conditions of heat, humid, dirt, noise and fumes."
It sounds like "no office" job? Can you comment on this when you take in to account that: calibration, repair, testing of of valves, in-house and on site - is the duty of the division that I would supervise.

- Offered salary is 4200 USD per month, including benefits: housing, transport, medical insurance for me and family. I know it is not a big salary for Doha, but at this point I am not in pursuit for big salary right now, I am looking for break in to oil and gas industry. Can I support my family in Doha with this salary and have modest but decent life with my family (wife and 2 kids (baby and 3 years old)?

 

[MacGyverS2000]

So the recruiter wants you to do HIS job by suggesting other engineers for the same company? That's pretty scuzzy, IMO, particularly since you haven't even interviewed for your own job.

The job description sounds like you'll be walking the plant floor, but it does not necessarily exclude a desk to sit at when not walking.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[RadovanML]

Hi Dan! It is also strange for me, especially I wasn't interviewed jet. But if it helps to put my resume on the top of the pile...

I haven't heard for any engineering position so far (6 years on the job) that don't have desk in the office with computer and telephone line... but since one of duties to be in the contact with the customer and make job reports, I think it is by default, so they don't mention it... but its strange for me.

Is there anyone with Middle East experience to comment on this?

 

[zdas04]

$4,200 USD/month sounds really low until you realize that the cost of housing in Doha is around $2500/month (according to the TV show "House Hunters International" so that number may or may not be good). Transportation is probably worth another $1,000/month (if they are talking car and driver available to your wife while you are at work, if they are talking company car the it is worth a lot less, but still valuable), so now you are talking nearly $100k USD/year. Not fantastic, but pretty close to fantastic for entry into the industry.

You've asked about the term "static engineer" in a couple of posts. That term has different meanings in different companies, but it is generally used to differentiate a job from a "rotating equipment specialist" who spend their time looking at pumps, motors, engines, compressors, etc. The Static guy would look at everything, and be able to identify when he needed to call in a rotating equipment specialist.

David Simpson, PE
MuleShoe Engineering

In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. Galileo Galilei, Italian Physicist

 

[RadovanML]

You have a good info. Housing is a major expense in the ME, in Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi especially. 2-3 bedroom accommodation in fine neighborhood is from 2000USD up to xxx USD.