NPR Morning Edition story about offshore drilling workers

just a heads up for anybody still awake that tomorrow morning NPR will have a story about the shortage of skilled offshore drilling personnel

it should be quite interesting to hear how close they come to reality…

standby for news!

It’s really quite accurate and our very own Jon Konrad is quoted. They are right too, where the heck are they going to find the qualified people?

Not bad but could have been better. I hated the stupid “Dallas” & “JR” references.

They did touch on the rapid advances in offshore technology and the need that new people must have more technical training which does mean the people are going to need high levels of education. Ever since Macondo wondered why there is no certification process for toolpushers, drillers and assistant drillers? I always believed that an OIM/Rig Manager to be the same as a master and they have to pass the OIM license but if a toolpusher is a chief mate/1st asst. why to the also not have a similar license, a senior driller should hold the equivalent of a 2nd mate/asst. and an assistant driller a 3rd mate/asst. Floorhands should hold an equivalent A/B certificate. Of course, the industry and IADC would push back hard on this if it were proposed. Too bad because in the end I believe it would enhance overall rig safety and efficiency.

Anyway, a link to the story is here

Too bad that they didn’t give John more time in the piece

They wont find them, and we are already seeing shipyard promotions (such as Derrickman to Driller) (SrDPO to Master), have seen that. Its scary, but these companies will never care as long as they have the minimum warm bodied person needed for the jobs, to them they are meeting the standard. For instance, no names, but I know of a new 6th Generation Drillship that has a 28 year old Captain ( he has maybe 3 yrs experience in drilling industry, mostly shipyard), where is the real life experience anymore? And I am not saying he isn’t qualified, he is, but what has he seen and been apart of, those are what makes Supervisors good supervisors (real world experiences)

PDCMATE: Your post implies, even though you try to side step it with your aside, that he is not qualified. Why not just go tell him that. I could text him and let him know since I know him. I have the utmost respect for him and his capabilities. While his path may have been quick, I have now doubt his leadership skills can keep that vessel safe. Additionally, he is not being asked to design a well, or come up with a drilling plan, etc, they have tool pushers, drillers (of various seniority) and engineers for that. You should know considering you work at Pacific. Fact of the matter is you are chipping away at one of your fellow employees, and while I do not work for your company, there is a good chance they might look at this website and not agree with what you have to say…you should consider your posts before having some keyboard diarrhea.

[QUOTE=PDCMATE;67711]They wont find them, and we are already seeing shipyard promotions (such as Derrickman to Driller) (SrDPO to Master), have seen that. Its scary, but these companies will never care as long as they have the minimum warm bodied person needed for the jobs, to them they are meeting the standard. For instance, no names, but I know of a new 6th Generation Drillship that has a 28 year old Captain ( he has maybe 3 yrs experience in drilling industry, mostly shipyard), where is the real life experience anymore? And I am not saying he isn’t qualified, he is, but what has he seen and been apart of, those are what makes Supervisors good supervisors (real world experiences)[/QUOTE]

Is this Master also the OIM?

[QUOTE=tengineer;67786]Is this Master also the OIM?[/QUOTE]

Yes…

PowerPlay: For the most part, most agree with what I have to say at Pacific and from other companies. For being his friend, and calling him out more, by giving the company, maybe you are the one showing more disrespect. I have known a couple of young OIM/Captains, who have done the job well, and would sail with them in a heart beat. What my post implies is experience vs qualifications, just because one is qualified does not mean that they are ready for the job at hand and as a person, you should also know when that time is, some people don’t and move up quickly because its a pride thing. Go ahead an text him, call him, do what you want, will not matter to me nor my employment or the way I carry myself and my business. And just to throw it out there, why did they look for over a month for a replacement before promoting?

Although inclined to, I am not going to write a treatise on the subject of credentials/legal qualifications vs. experience issue in drilling but I am going to side with PDCMATE in that the lack of real word experience is a serious issue that the drilling companies should consider strongly, but aren’t. It is not during the easy times that seasoning is lacking but rather when the shit hits the fan and the planets are coming down around everybody’s ears. It is in those circumstances that older, wiser, steadier can make the difference between effective command and control vs. chaos. Master’s are a very good case in point. 28 years old and never somewhere other that drilling does not lead to depth of knowledge and foresight. Some young masters might be truly capable under very adverse circumstances but I was a young master and when I look back on things I did then with the knowledge I have now, I shake my head in disbelief that I made some of the decisons I did then and how fortunate I was that things did not all come down around my ears and how many people could well have died if they did and it would have been my fault if it had.

IMO, it is better to have a 20+ year seasoned master without any drilling experience that a kid with 8 years of drilling experience only and no time as a master.

I’ll leave the whole master vs. OIM issue in abeyance for the time being because that alone is a very thorny issue which needs to be grappled with but I don’t have time right this moment (everybody will be thankful for that I am sure)

ps…although I might be a pot calling the kettle black, can we leave the personal pointy sticks in the closet in this valuable discussion?

thanks from the nasty black pot…

.

[QUOTE=PDCMATE;67789]PowerPlay: For the most part, most agree with what I have to say at Pacific and from other companies. For being his friend, and calling him out more, by giving the company, maybe you are the one showing more disrespect. I have known a couple of young OIM/Captains, who have done the job well, and would sail with them in a heart beat. What my post implies is experience vs qualifications, just because one is qualified does not mean that they are ready for the job at hand and as a person, you should also know when that time is, some people don’t and move up quickly because its a pride thing. Go ahead an text him, call him, do what you want, will not matter to me nor my employment or the way I carry myself and my business. And just to throw it out there, why did they look for over a month for a replacement before promoting?[/QUOTE]

Why didn’t they promote you with that wisdom?

[QUOTE=anchorman;67788]Yes…[/QUOTE]

Well then that is a bad situation for that young man. In the event of a blowout they are going to be asking questions of this man, who may have no actual on the floor drilling experience, since he is Offshore Installation Manager. [Even if he started out on the drill floor when he finished school he would probably just be a driller by now.] In the event of an investigation he cannot defer these questions to the more experienced drillers, toolpushers etc [some of whom may be dead] because nothing is supposed to be done without his approval anyway. It is an untenable situation but I know it goes on every day.
The alternative is also cumbersome. Having an OIM and a separate Master. The OIM having extensive drilling, well control experience and the Master having extensive maritime experience. But then one gets into the who’s in charge of what when dilemma. Been thru that…
I am afraid the pace of the newbuilding, the lack of qualified people to operate and maintain these increasingly complex rigs is a formula for disaster, again. Sadly, I also do not see the companies investing in the kind of extensive technical training needed beyond that which is required by regulation or the oil company holding the contract. They do love the on line courses though !!
It’s a thorny issue all the way around.

Why didn’t they promote you with that wisdom?

A-Man…please can we not poke pointy sticks? I really consider this a very pertinent topic for the forum and want for once for it to be purely professional.

Yes, I know…the man with the pointiest stick of all, but maybe I am mellowing as I ferment in old age. Just like a good single malt Scotch!

Shmooth…

The alternative is also cumbersome. Having an OIM and a separate Master. The OIM having extensive drilling, well control experience and the Master having extensive maritime experience. But then one gets into the who’s in charge of what when dilemma. Been thru that…

What I don’t like is this goddamned “Person in Charge” designated in writing by a company executive which invariably names the master even if he doesn’t have an OIM endorsement. Theoretically, it doesn’t matter whether he is OIM or not. If there is an accident and the company doesn’t want to save him (or her in one particular case), the master is bare assed naked when it comes to responsibility. Obviously, TO had Captain Kuchta’s back but I would not count on that if it doesn’t save the owner’s ass? I can certainly see a certain company who can remain nameless although everyone in drilling knows then as being the most hillbilly backward of all, throwing a master under the bus and waiving that letter as they did.

Anchorman: I prefer not to work in the GOM, most can do the math and the benefits.

Tengineer: I agree with you, that was my point, the massive newbuilds, the lack of personnel, will create problems here very quickly. Experience will become a premium, and because the companies are realizing they can bring in people from other facets of the industry, whether its the maritime side or the drilling side, I cant see salaries being increased significantly this year or next. They will find people to plug into the equation and to get their rigs operational, and meet the minimum required on contract by the clients.

[QUOTE=PDCMATE;67806]Anchorman: I prefer not to work in the GOM, most can do the math and the benefits.[/QUOTE]

Chief Mate in Africa versus Captain in Gulf…hmmmmmm

[QUOTE=c.captain;67804]A-Man…please can we not poke pointy sticks? I really consider this a very pertinent topic for the forum and want for once for it to be purely professional.Yes, I know…the man with the pointiest stick of all, but maybe I am mellowing as I ferment in old age. Just like a good single malt Scotch!Shmooth…[/QUOTE]Did you get new medication? I heard you headed south to the Disco recently…anyway, my hands were in my pockets.That wasn’t even close to a poke…simple enough question. The answer was because PDCMate didn’t want it because of location…good enough for me. I’m a Chief Mate at the same company and if the same question was asked, I would have answer because I’m not qualified. Plain and simple…PDCMate might be my Captain in a few months…never know.

as I stated earlier about…

a certain company who can remain nameless although everyone in drilling knows them as being the most hillbilly backward of all…

the HR department in the same unnamed company has very long knives with which they will slash the jugular of any who dare stand up to them and call BS on their long embedded draconian self serving ways. Nobody in operations has the slightest chance to counter those in HR who seem to wield almost unlimited power and influence. Hard to find a drilling company more disrespectful of anybody on the maritime side especially masters. Oh well, they will learn differently one of these days or maybe they’ll just remain lucky and never face the music like TO after Macondo.

however the new meds are just fab! I have actually made if three whole months without being arrested for “disorderly ranting loudly in public”. The county prosecutor says she’s never seen anything like this before! The problem of course is when the next KP psycophant returns here…even a double dose is not enough then.

Anchorman: Africa is great, no stress. Say hi to Capt Marcel for me.

I enjoy the money and tax benefits of overseas, and yes it is sad that a SrDPO over in Nigeria can make more than a Captain in the GOM. There is something wrong here.