What's your job about?
Currently, I am working at an Australian company called Santos Ltd. The company is a global energy company that has operations across Australia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and North America. My current role is as a Production Engineer. A Production Engineer working in oil and gas is responsible for well completions, subsurface and production facilities.
I look to optimise one of the production facilities that is located approximately 500km north of Darwin (offshore). Not only that, but the facility is also producing commodities from a reservoir around 4km deep below the seabed (try imaging that). As my tertiary background is Petroleum Engineering, a subset of that is Production Engineering. However, I am not limited to that one role. I also have the ability to work as a Reservoir Engineer, Drilling & Completions Engineer, and Process Engineer (I’m also Chemical Engineer in disguise).
What's your background?
I grew up in a small mining town in the Pilbara WA called Newman. BHP operates the Iron Ore mine site there so generally friends and families end up working there or moving away for other opportunities (as my family did as such). This started my interest to work in the energy sector as I have seen firsthand how it can support and benefit remote communities.
For my career to date, I have had significant milestones which have made things interesting. I went to high school in Perth, however towards the end of year-11, I realised my ambitions to finish school and pursue a tertiary qualification at university was outweighed by developing fundamental skills through a trade (plus earning money). Turns out, I was a “high-school dropout” and at the start of what would have been my year-12, I obtained an electrical apprenticeship with a company called Nilsen. Once I was qualified, I completed a bridging course to be accepted into university, and 4-years later, I completed my Bachelor of Petroleum Engineering (Hons) degree.
I landed my current job by completing a 12-week internship over a university summer break, and the company offered me a graduate position for the following year. I have now been at Santos Ltd for 2 years and have 1 year till I complete the graduate program.
If you are to take something away from my experience, it is that no career path you take is the wrong one. If you have ambitions to chase and complete things that interest you, fully commit yourself and you will be rewarded at the end of it.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
Yes for sure, for example, I am an electrician by trade. However, you need an engineering tertiary background. Engineering is difficult and a slog to study, but it teaches you how to understand complex problems and implement methods that you can use to work through any difficulties. That is exactly what I face every day in my current role, and I would not be a proficient worker as a Production Engineer if I did not study Petroleum Engineering. It is also one thing to have study behind you, but you also need interpersonal skills. I deal with diverse stakeholders with different experiences, so a key aspect of my role is ensuring that complex problems or outcomes are communicated effectively to all parties.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
One of the benefits of working in my role is the opportunity to travel. I have travelled interstate, internationally and offshore several times. If you are one for exploring the world, it is a career that can provide that. The industry is diverse and once you have gained valuable experience, there are no boundaries on where your skill set can take you. Although I am only just getting started in the industry, eventually I can impact the global energy economy. Current oil and gas companies will be the leaders in the renewable energy transition. Working in the industry now will allow you to challenge the “norm” and lead the way for the next generation.
What are the limitations of your job?
Limitations with my role can be found in the asset you are working on. For example, I am currently working as a Production Engineer on a facility that has been in operation for >20-years. The field has nearly reached the End of Field Life (EOFL), which means production and operations will cease soon. When there is no production, you clearly need no Production Engineers. Despite that, the skill sets you have are transferable and it is easy to move to a different asset or into a different engineering role. There is also a clear drive to transition from old energy methods to new renewable methods. At a high level, there is potential for new oil and gas projects to be scarce. Although that is a possibility, the demand for energy is increasing and as the industry transitions, limitations will be surpassed with new projects which you can work through based on your previous experiences.
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