I was reading a Opito’s booklet for OIM controlling emergencies and find out that
the OIM’s job and the Ocean Freighter Master’s job seem very similiar in a way.
If There is a structural system that enables the Master to become an OIM,
I really want to find out the best way.
If you hold a Masters Unlimited license you can get out of taking the 5 day course or test for OIM, but you will need everything else.
10.470 - Licenses for offshore installation manager.
(a) Licenses as offshore installation manager (OIM) are endorsed as:
(1) OIM Unrestricted;
(2) OIM Surface Units on Location;
(3) OIM Surface Units Underway;
(4) OIM Bottom Bearing Units on Location; or
(5) OIM Bottom Bearing Units Underway.
(b) To qualify for a license or endorsement as OIM Unrestricted, an applicant must:
(1) Present evidence of the following experience:
(i) Four years of employment assigned to MODUs including at least one year of service as driller, assistant driller, toolpusher, assistant toolpusher, barge supervisor, mechanical supervisor, electrician, crane operator, ballast control operator or equivalent supervisory position on MODUs, with a minimum of 14 days of that supervisory service on surface units; or
(ii) A degree from a program in engineering or engineering technology which is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Commanding Officer, National Maritime Center will give consideration to accepting education credentials from programs having other than ABET accreditation. An applicant qualifying through a degree program must also have at least 168 days of service as driller, assistant driller, toolpusher, assistant toolpusher, barge supervisor, mechanical supervisor, electrician, crane operator, ballast control operator, or equivalent supervisory position on MODUs, with a minimum of 14 days of that supervisory service on surface units;
(2) Present evidence of training course completion as follows:
(i) A certificate from a Coast Guard approved stability course approved for an OIM Unrestricted license or endorsement;
(ii) A certificate from a Coast Guard approved survival suit and survival craft training course;
(iii) A certificate from a U.S. Minerals Management Service approved blowout prevention and well control training program for the driller, toolpusher, or operator representative position;
(iv) A certificate from a firefighting training course as required by ? 10.205(g) of this part; and
(3) Provide a recommendation signed by a senior company official which:
(i) Provides a description of the applicant’s experience and qualifications;
(ii) Certifies that the individual has successfully directed, while under the supervision of an experienced rig mover, two rig moves each of surface units and of bottom bearing units; and
(iii) Certifies that one of the rig moves required under paragraph (b)(3)(ii) of this section was completed within one year preceding date of application.
© An applicant for an endorsement as OIM Unrestricted who holds an unlimited license as master or chief mate must satisfy the requirements in paragraphs (b)(2) and (b)(3) of this section and have at least 84 days of service on surface units and at least 28 days of service on bottom bearing units.
(d) To qualify for a license or endorsement as OIM Surface Units on Location, and applicant must:
(1) Present evidence of the following experience:
(i) Four years of employment assigned to MODUs including at least one year of service as driller, assistant driller, toolpusher, assistant toolpusher, barge supervisor, mechanical supervisor, electrician, crane operator, ballast control operator or equivalent supervisory position on MODUs, with a minimum of 14 days of that supervisory service on surface units; or
(ii) A degree from a program in engineering or engineering technology which is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Commanding Officer, National Maritime Center will give consideration to accepting education credentials from programs having other than ABET accreditation. An applicant qualifying through a degree program must also have at least 168 days of service as driller, assistant driller, toolpusher, assistant toolpusher, barge supervisor, mechanical supervisor, electrician, crane operator, ballast control operator or equivalent supervisory position of MODUs, with a minimum of 14 days of that supervisory service on surface units; and
(2) Present evidence of training course completion as follows:
(i) A certificate from a Coast Guard approved stability course approved for an OIM Surface Units license or endorsement;
(ii) A certificate from a Coast Guard approved survival suit and survival craft training course;
(iii) A certificate from a U.S. Minerals Management Service approved blowout prevention and well control training program for the driller, toolpusher, or operator representative position; and
(iv) A certificate from a firefighting training course as required by ? 10.205(g) of this part.
(e) An applicant for an endorsement as OIM Surface Units on Location who holds an unlimited license as master or chief mate must satisfy the requirements of paragraph (d)(2) of this section and have at least 84 days of service on surface units.
(f) To qualify for a license as OIM Surface Units Underway, an applicant must:
(1) Provide the following:
(i) Evidence of the experience described in paragraph (d)(1) of this section and a recommendation signed by a senior company official which:
(A) Provides a description of the applicant’s experience and qualifications;
(B) Certifies that the individual has successfully directed, while under the supervision of an experienced rig mover, three rig moves of surface units; and
© Certifies that one of the rig moves required under paragraph (f)(1)(i)(B) of this section was completed within one year preceding date of application; or
(ii) A recommendation signed by a senior company official which:
(A) Provides a description of the applicant’s experience and company qualifications program completed;
(B) Certifies that the applicant has witnessed ten rig moves either as an observer in training or as a rig mover under supervision;
© Certifies that the individual has successfully directed, while under the supervision of an experienced rig mover, five rig moves of surface units; and
(D) Certifies that one of the rig moves required under paragraph (f)(1)(ii)© of this section was completed within one year preceding date of application; and
(2) Present evidence of training course completion as follows:
(i) A certificate from a Coast Guard approved stability course approved for an OIM Surface Units license or endorsement;
(ii) A certificate from a Coast Guard approved survival suit and survival craft training course; and
(iii) A certificate from a firefighting training course as required by ? 10.205(g) of this part.
(g) An applicant for endorsement as OIM Surface Units Underway who holds an unlimited license as master or chief mate must satisfy the requirements in paragraph (f)(2) of this section and provide a company recommendation signed by a senior company official which:
(1) Provides a description of the applicant’s experience and qualifications;
(2) Certifies that the individual has successfully directed, while under the supervision of an experienced rig mover, three rig moves on surface units; and
(3) Certifies that one of the rig moves required under paragraph (g)(2) of this section was completed within one year preceding date of application.
(h) To qualify for a license or endorsement as OIM Bottom Bearing Units on Location, an applicant must:
(1) Present evidence of the following experience:
(i) Four years of employment assigned to MODUs including at least one year of service as driller, assistant driller, toolpusher, assistant toolpusher, barge supervisor, mechanical supervisor, electrician, crane operator, ballast control operator or equivalent supervisory position on MODUs; or
(ii) A degree from a program in engineering or engineering technology which is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Commanding Officer, National Maritime Center will give consideration to accepting education credentials from programs having other than ABET accreditation. An applicant qualifying through a degree program must also have at least 168 days of service as driller, assistant driller, toolpusher, assistant toolpusher, barge supervisor, mechanical supervisor, electrician, crane operator, ballast control operator or equivalent supervisory position on MODUs; and
(2) Present evidence of training course completion as follows:
(i) A certificate from a Coast Guard approved survival suit and survival craft training course;
(ii) A certificate from a U.S. Minerals Management Service approved blowout prevention and well control training program for the driller, toolpusher, or operator representative position; and
(iii) A certificate from a firefighting training course as required by ? 10.205(g) of this part.
(i) An applicant for an endorsement as OIM Bottom Bearing Units on Location who holds an unlimited license as master or chief mate must satisfy paragraph (h)(2) of this section and have at least 28 days of service on bottom bearing units.
(j) To qualify for a license or endorsement as OIM Bottom Bearing Units Underway, an applicant must:
(1) Provide the following:
(i) Evidence of the experience described in paragraph (h)(1) of this section with a recommendation signed by a senior company official which:
(A) Provides a description of the applicant’s experience and qualifications;
(B) Certifies that the individual has successfully directed, while under the supervision of an experienced rig mover, three rig moves of bottom bearing units; and
© Certifies that one of the rig moves required under paragraph (j)(1)(i)(B) of this section was completed within one year preceding date of application; or
(ii) A recommendation signed by a senior company official which:
(A) Provides a description of the applicant’s experience and company qualifications program completed;
(B) Certifies that the applicant has witnessed ten rig moves either as an observer in training or as a rig mover under supervision;
© Certifies that the individual has successfully directed, while under the supervision of an experienced rig mover, five rig moves of bottom bearing units; and
(D) Certifies that one of the rig moves required under paragraph (j)(1)(ii)© of this section was completed within one year preceding date of application; and
(2) Present evidence of training course completion as follows:
(i) A certificate from a Coast Guard approved stability course approved for OIM Bottom Bearing Units license or endorsement;
(ii) A certificate from a Coast Guard approved survival suit and survival craft training course; and
(iii) A certificate from a firefighting training course as required by ? 10.205(g) of this part;
(k) An applicant for endorsement as OIM Bottom Bearing Units Underway who holds an unlimited license as master or chief mate must satisfy the requirements in paragraph (j)(2) of this section and provide a company recommendation signed by a senior company official which:
(1) Provides a description of the applicant’s experience and qualifications;
(2) Certifies that the individual has successfully directed, while under the supervision of an experienced rig mover, three rig moves of bottom bearing units; and
(3) Certifies that one of the rig moves required under paragraph (k)(2) of this section was completed within one year preceding date of application.
[CGD 81-059a, 55 FR 14799, Apr. 18, 1990, as amended by CGD 95-072, 60 FR 50460, Sept. 29, 1995; CGD 95-028, 62 FR 51195, Sept. 30, 1997; USCG-1998-4442, 63 FR 52189, Sept. 30, 1998]
[QUOTE=capitanahn;67283]
If There is a structural system that enables the Master to become an OIM,
.[/QUOTE]
Seadrill runs their ship’s with a Master/OIM. Rowan is planning to do the same with their newbuild drillships.
GOMariner, Thank you so much for the lengthy details.
Unfortunately, that sounds almost overwhelming to me, though…
[QUOTE=capitanahn;67329]GOMariner, Thank you so much for the lengthy details.
Unfortunately, that sounds almost overwhelming to me, though…[/QUOTE]
If you read it, very little of those requirements applies to a person holding an unlimited license. If you have an Unlimited Masters License you don’t even have to test for OIM. All you need is a MODU stability course, Well Control, have 3 rig moves under the supervision of an experienced rig mover, and 28 days of service. There are actually four different levels of OIM. There is Unrestricted, Bottom Bearing, On location and Underway. You will never get an unrestricted OIM unless you have time on a jack up. On DP floaters all you need is On Location and Underway. It is very easy for an Unlimited Master to get a Domestic endorsement as OIM.
[QUOTE=Capt. Lee;67353]If you read it, very little of those requirements applies to a person holding an unlimited license. If you have an Unlimited Masters License you don’t even have to test for OIM. All you need is a MODU stability course, Well Control, have 3 rig moves under the supervision of an experienced rig mover, and 28 days of service. There are actually four different levels of OIM. There is Unrestricted, Bottom Bearing, On location and Underway. You will never get an unrestricted OIM unless you have time on a jack up. On DP floaters all you need is On Location and Underway. It is very easy for an Unlimited Master to get a Domestic endorsement as OIM.[/QUOTE]
Thank you Capt. Lee for making it look simple for me.
I got USCG Unl. Master Ocean License.
No configuration of ships/crafts/rigs are strange for me, though since I spent some time as a Sea Trial Capt. at shipyards in Korea.
Mostly at Samsung. But I don’t expect they will buy it as a sea time for Jack up rig.
So, I must start somewhere. If anybody knows where/which one to start, please kindly let me know…Will buy beer.
I currently have 1600/3000 master, 2nd mate unlimited, DPO unlimited…sailing on an OSV. Interested in getting on a drill ship as a DPO operator. After reading this post I am intrigued with becoming an OIM. How do you begin a career path towards an OIM? Typically how long does it take to achieve this goal? The typical salary and rotation? Any information would be most useful as I have no clue about the OIM position. Thanks
GOMariner, Thank you so much for the lengthy details.
Unfortunately, that sounds almost overwhelming to me, though… 
Swift Sure: Upgrade your license to Master (unlimited), if you get the opportunity to work in Drilling, you would go through the ranks: DPO-SrDPO-Chief Mate-Master/OIM. Dont let the OIM title fool you, you are a Captain, nothing more. I cant stand mariners who get rid of the the Captain title to adopt the OIL FIELD OIM title, its the same thing on DP rigs.
Here are all the wonderful titles for Drilling rig Captains:
1.Captain
2.OIM
3.Master
4. PIC
5.Barge Master
My advice: stick to your roots. Once you get into drilling, work your way up. Some companies will require you to get the OIM endorsement on your Masters License, some wont, it depends on Flag State Manning Certificate. Its just an endorsement like anything else. If you get your OIM endorsement before you get your Masters ticket, no company will hire you as an OIM for a DP rig, a Moored Rig or a Jack-Up!
I shed my Captain/Master title at work to become an OIM. It came with a really nice pay raise. Will it make me more offensive to you if I change my screen name to OIMmrb?
The oilfield pays my bills and has for sometime now. I chose to learn the trade instead of sitting back and letting my license hang on the wall for decoration while demanding that people call the DP Drillship a ship and not a rig.
Capt. Lee and PDCMATE
Thank you for the great advice. OIM/master is what I am going to pursue. Any recommendations as far as drilling companies to start off with? Believe most are comparable in most aspects… Right?
Captmrb,
Please change it, if you feel like my words offend you. You are a Captain on a DP Drill Rig I assume, probably working for either Seadrill, Odfjell, Stena, Maersk, maybe Sevan. Either way, if there was a well control situation on the rig, I wouldn’t be asking you for your advice, but instead the Drilling Super, and watching you sit there wandering around the control room, because you probably also never saw DP before this job and somehow got where you are by working for Noble Drilling. Cheers Mister OIM, we need more mariners like you in the oil industry. And if you want to compare the size of the body parts between our legs on how long we have been in the oil field, and who we know and what we know, you don’t want this fight.
[QUOTE=PDCMATE;67521]Here are all the wonderful titles for Drilling rig Captains:
1.Captain
2.OIM
3.Master
4. PIC
5.Barge Master
My advice: stick to your roots. Once you get into drilling, work your way up. Some companies will require you to get the OIM endorsement on your Masters License, some wont, it depends on Flag State Manning Certificate. Its just an endorsement like anything else. If you get your OIM endorsement before you get your Masters ticket, no company will hire you as an OIM for a DP rig, a Moored Rig or a Jack-Up![/QUOTE]
The only reason that mariners are on rigs is because the derrik doesn’t float. Traditional mariners were not that common until rigs became self-propelled. OIM, Barge Supervisor,and BCO is a valid career path without ever being a Master. You can easily be hired having gone up the ranks in that fashion - on moored or bottom bearing units. Having said that, yes, companies choose who has the OIM title, but it has nothing to do with manning (most all MODU’s require OIM anyway). Personally, I would not work for a company that splits the OIM title from the Master . There are regulatory reasons why. There has to be one person in charge, not one fall guy in the court room because responsibilities shift when the shit hits the fan. You have to recognize that your mariner roots are not what they once were on a merchant ship. Without having realized that, your biggest test as Master will be bumping heads with the drillers instead of working with them. A mariner on a rig supports drilling, bottom line. There are times when certain interest don’t mesh very well - while supporting drilling and running a ship, but sticking to your roots without accommodating actions will have you back shipping oil, not drilling for it.
Flag State requires an OIM endorsement, who holds it does not matter to them. Either Master, Chief Eng., or Drilling Super. Anchorman, just because you are on here way too much probably, doesn’t mean you know everything. And to tell this 2nd Mate DP OSV guy to leave that industry and go be a BCO-BS route, is absurd, why would you think that route would be good for him, instead of getting hired with the many companies that will take OSV guys and hire them directly as DPOs? That makes no sense, and his roots, his roots are with his license and upgrading to the position of Master with and OIM endorsement.
I don’t think anyone advised him to stop being a dpo and be a bco. Anchorman’s post seems like excellent advice, did you actually read it?
What is the point of this post? The oim is the “manager” not the senior driller, of course you would consult the drilling super, but you would also keep the oim informed of anything that could jeopardize safety.
[QUOTE=Capt. Phoenix;67564]What is the point of this post? The oim is the “manager” not the senior driller, of course you would consult the drilling super, but you would also keep the oim informed of anything that could jeopardize safety.[/QUOTE]
At no point did I say he would not be aware of the situation, and what is going on. And tell Transocean then, that the OIM is not the SrDriller, not sure where you have been for the past two years.
OIM, Barge Supervisor,and BCO is a valid career path without ever being a Master. You can easily be hired having gone up the ranks in that fashion - on moored or bottom bearing units.
I believe that is what he said. And if you read from the beginning, then one person is asking about advice for a drilling career path, and this person is a OSV Mate. Why even mention the BCO route and moored or bottom bearing units. That advice would be good for non-mariners. (licensed mates should not follow that path)
[QUOTE=PDCMATE;67562]Flag State requires an OIM endorsement, who holds it does not matter to them. Either Master, Chief Eng., or Drilling Super. Anchorman, just because you are on here way too much probably, doesn’t mean you know everything. And to tell this 2nd Mate DP OSV guy to leave that industry and go be a BCO-BS route, is absurd, why would you think that route would be good for him, instead of getting hired with the many companies that will take OSV guys and hire them directly as DPOs? That makes no sense, and his roots, his roots are with his license and upgrading to the position of Master with and OIM endorsement.[/QUOTE]Sorry, but I did not tell anyone anything ( only my perspective ) as I see it and it’s generally factual, but I never claim to be right all the time. Glad that you must think so, or think I think so - whatever - I do not know you and you do not know me by one post. So, back the fuck off. It’s up to the reader to take whatever information is posted, whether it be other people’s opinions, or something they never thought of - apply it or discard it as they sit fit. If I offend someone by doing that, oh well. Maybe your definition/context of roots is not what I was thinking. I still stand behind my post.