You are assuming the flag state requires licensed crew…There are several that have rules to suit US run rigs
They also have unlicensed rig mechanics on drilling rigs in Europe too.
Same roles as Capt_Phoenix mentions, the licensed engineers look after all the non-drilling systems and the rig mechanics look after the drilling stuff.
for EU companies and what flag states?
I’m talking about US run rigs…
Yes me too, I wondered of the other world had the same system?
@powerabout the above is how US run (Liberian flag, Marshall Islands flag, etc) drillships and self propelled semi subs are manned. What lower US standards are you referring to?
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I was referring to US standards compared to the rest of the world.
I assume its only that group you mentioned that cant hold on to good engineers?
I realize that, but when I pointed out how US drillships are crewed you talked about how different flag states “have rules to suit US run rigs”. How is that relevant when I’m already talking about US run rigs?
The OP and most of the commenters are talking about drillships operating is the US GoM so yes, that’s the what’s generally being discussed.
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Meaning US run rigs can only use certain flag states as they have rules that suit those operations.
The US drillship companies operate all over the world.
In what way?
manning, do you even need a Captain as in somebody that can read a chart?
Yes. And a Chief Mate, and a second mate, and a third mate, and a full fucking engineering department. As I’ve already explained to you.
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In Norway ALL rig crews have to be certified for their position, incl. drill crews:
Several Training Academies are available for Drilling and Well service personnel:
https://nortrain.no/en/
Mandatory training and certificationfor well service personnel after the “Bravo blowout”:
The Bravo Blowout 22.April, 1977 - Offshore - gCaptain Forum
For drill crews it has been in place since the early 1980s and applies for everybody, regardless of nationality.
Since the first drilling rig was registered under Norwegian flag the OIM has always been a Master Mariner. (even on non-propelled Jackups)
After the Alexander Kielland capsized in 1980:
Remembering the Alexander L. Kielland Disaster of 1980 - Life in Norway
Additional specialized training has been mandatory.
(Basic drilling technology and well control training are required)
PS> The start of offshore drilling and production in Norway is different from that of the US.
In Norway it was started by US companies with US rigs and US personnel in the mid 1960s, with some Norwegians getting jobs as Roustabout, Roughnecks and Motormen. Most of those with seafaring experience.
When Norwegian Shipowners got into the game in early 1970s they got rigs built in the US and had US partners to supply the drilling expertise, both on the rigs and ashore.
In mid-1970s the Aker H-4 rig design and the UT 704 OSV design was developed and built in Norway At the same time Norwegians gained knowledge and experience to where they slowly replaced the foreigners in senior positions, both offshore and onshore, over the next decades.
Drilling personnel need some short courses but they don’t need a licence issued by a government administration like non-drilling crew need.
The government might require them to have certain short courses, but they don’t get issues any certification directly from the government the same way that Mariners do.
Well I don’t know what you call “short courses” but to get a job as Assistant Driller or above you need “Drilling technical vocational school”:
Driller/Driller - Offshore Education (offshoreutdanning.no)
You can do that as a 4 semester (2 years) full time course at a public school. (free, with grant and/or cheap Gov. loan available to cover living expenses)
Or in a private training center:
Vocational school Petroleum science – Nortrain
This can be done over 6 semester (3 years), while working offshore on a 2-4 week rotation.
PS> You also gain the required experience at the same time.
Yes, you do.
Yes, they do.
Also in the the US all engineers are ticketed.
Seriously, what the hell are you talking about? The US doesn’t dictate other Flag States manning requirements, and every Drillship and DP semi operating in the US (or by US companies that I’ve worked on overseas for that matter) have foreign flag MSM certs requiring licensed engineers and mates. There are Captains/Mates C/E and A/E’s, as there have been for quite some time. There are in addition unlicensed mechanics, subsea engineers, electricians, ETs, etc.
Some call them by other names, like Technical Section Leader instead of Chief Engineer seems common in Norway. Some have engineers covering drilling equip rather than separate mechanic positions, but the larger DP vessels anywhere in the world tend to have both.
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They do have rig mechanics in the Norway and UK sectors. These people need to have lots of qualifications but they don’t need to have marine tickets issued directly from a government like seafarers need. There are separate engineers with marine tickets issued directly from a government who look after the non-drilling equipment.
The US drilling semi I worked on outside of the US didnt have a captain or anybody in the chain of command with deck license.
Our ChEng was licensed
The same company for the rigs in the gom had only just placed Captains on board still working out what to do with them.
Was about 7-8 years ago.
Sure the engineering dept worked very hard just to keep up and if there was a breakdown then no sleep
imho pay should be far higher than blue water shipping.
So when I was in the oil field, the pay for the engineers was always lagging the other departments. I went from second assistant engineer to ET and it was only like a $50 per pay period decrease when it was an equivalent to a third assistant spot (number of people between me and the top spot). The seconds were making less than the ADPOs too if I remember correctly. I switched departments because I wanted to learn new things and our engines were under warranty so we could t really do any of the more enjoyable work (engines) and we’re mostly doing the stuff I hated (sewage system, waste oil management).
My biggest issue with the DPOs not leaving the bridge was they didn’t know the ship and they were responsible for dispatching the fire crew. We had one DPO that sent the fire team to the wrong location when the smoke detector went off because they couldn’t tell the difference between the spaces on their kongsberg screen and just read off whatever they happen to see near by.
Planning maintenance wasn’t so bad after you got used to it. But like one of the previous posters, we could have one engine and or thruster down at a time because of redundancy. Having to wait for a between well period to do all the maintenance would have been impossible and lead to a quickly ruined ship. The permits were frustrating because someone who had no idea what we were doing was signing off that it was ok to do the work. It was the same on the electrical side too though, if I didn’t tell them the potential consequences of what was about to go down they wouldn’t have a clue. They are good for ensuring the conversations happen but if both sides don’t approach it right it’s pointless.
My other issue with the oil companies was one of the first ones mentioned in this thread, they have no idea about the marine side. Our Liberian COI called for a chief, a second and two other engineers. Already generously vauge but they couldn’t wrap their head around the fact that a second engineer Liberian is a US first assistant so they would just try to slot a us Second Assistant in there and having to explain over and over that a second engineer is NOT a second assistant. Right when I left they were managing to get mechanics unlimited STCW for certain positions without the equivalent national position on their license and claim they were equivalent, then going to Liberia with their US STCW and getting Liberian chief license with out ever testing or even understanding the equipment they were allegedly in charge of. To me professionally I found that highly insulting and wanted nothing further to do with them.
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