Norwegian oil platforms. Selecting candidates to work offshore

Regarding employment on Norwegian oil platforms: to clarify the situation and to obtain the information that would be accurate, we contacted the technical director of Statoil Russia. Especially if you are a greenhand candidate looking for entry level position on offshore oil platforms like Roustabout, Motorman, Mechanic, Electrician, Roughneck, Assistant Driller, Offshore Crane Operator, or even a position of someone in catering like Stewart, Galleyhand, or Camp Boss, this information must be interesting and useful for such person.

Other positions available on platforms in the North Sea (Norwegian sector) include: Derrickman, Directional Driller, Mud Engineer, DPO, Medic (Offshore Rig Nurse), Radio room Operator, Helicopter Pilot, Safety Coordinator, Welder/Diver having qualifications to perform underwater welding, IT specialists and many more.

Q.: We often get enquiries by e-mail and by phone asking to tell the people whether it is a realistic expectation for someone without prior experience to get a job on the Norwegian offshore oil rigs in the North Sea for citizens of Russia. There are many Internet web-resources offering employment there. Please, tell us what are the real prospects of employment?

A.: I want to say at once that all eligible candidates from among those who applied initially go through very stringent pre-employment selection process before it is decided whether to hire or not a specific individual.

The preferred candidate for getting job in Norway's offshore oil drilling rigs would be someone able to meet the following requirements:

1. Must have prior experience of working for the company for enough time to understand the ways to implement the system of production, monitoring and reporting on the development of projects in the company
2. Able to demonstrate and prove the related skills required on offshore oil rigs
3. Has adequate certifications and appropriate vocational education that would make such candidate fit for work in the demanding environment offshore. Not everyone can even endure staying at sea for a sufficiently prolonged periods of time, not to say about working on a rotation schedule, when you have to spend at minimum 14 days (but more usually 30 days) on offshore platform. In exchange afterwards you get 3 months of leave on land. These minimal 90 days of leave for recreation is required by the Norwegian legislature, so it turns out offshore oil rigger workers work only 1/4 part the year. It's for good reason they require such prolonged recreation, as you might guess.
4. Good candidate, whether greenhand applicant or someone with prior experience would be someone who has taken special courses on labor safety and has learned basic self-protection rules to be observed during performing job offshore aboard oil production facility (jack-up platform, semi-submersible, MODU, or drillship).
5. Fluent Norwegian is advantage, though not a requirement, because the working language on oil rigs is English. This is because the crew often consists from people coming from different countries. The documentation and all the accounting on offshore oil rigs are also issued in English.
6. Good candidate is someone, man or woman, who is psychologically strong, reserved, has non-conflicting personality, and able to play both leadership role and follow orders diligently, when required.
7. No alcohol or drug addiction (able to pass drug screening and alcohol addiction tests), acceptable criminal record. Don't even apply, if you have been convicted for a serious crime in the past.
8. Minimum age is 18. (But we would add from our own behalf that realistically you should be around 25 years old)

Selection of the candidates for working on offshore oil platforms is associated with a very strict procedure and deliberation process done by the hiring managers charged with decision making. In fact, getting a job on offshore platform is much more difficult than to get a job in the office of the same oil company. We should also dispel the myth that you can get employed on a Norwegian oil platform through the mediation offered by certain travel agencies. If you come across a tourist firm offering employment on offshore oil rigs of Norway and asking you for money for that kind of service, don't even doubt, it's scam, and you better stay away from such fake recruiters. Oil drilling contractors or their authorized recruiters never ask job applicants and offshore vacancy seekers for any sort of application processing fee.

tags: onshore oil field jobs no experience, employment on ND oilfields, Floorman, Roustabout, Electrician, Motorman, Painter, Rope Access Technician, Toolpusher, Materials Man, Forklift Operator.