Careers

TAQA is offering an opportunity for an Senior Well Abandonment Engineer – MODU in the Wells Department, based onshore in the Aberdeen office. 

This position is open to both staff and contractors. If applying via an agency, this will be a contract position, and any internal contractor who applies and is successful will remain with their current contracting company.

TAQA supports diversity in the workplace and along with an inclusive environment, aims to ensure everyone feels that they can be themselves at work.  This includes supporting people with a disability or health issue in a non-judgemental environment. 

TAQA offers onshore employees and contractors a Compressed Working Week (CWW)  The CWW is an arrangement where employees and contractors work a standard two-week work period (10 days) over a compressed period of 9 working days i.e. employees contracted to work 37.5 hours per week will work 75 hours over 9 days (instead of 10 days). The 10th day in the second week of the CWW period is known as 'Flex Friday', a non-working day.

BASIC PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

• Works as part of the overall onshore MODU well abandonment team to prepare well abandonment basis of design, create well programmes, prepare examination and notification/consents, prepare time and cost estimates etc.
• Supports MODU Superintendent and rig teams with technical and planning work, including operations, contingencies, problem solving to allow rig operations to be safely, efficiently and cost effectively executed.
• Plans and executes well operations safely, efficiently and cost effectively in accordance with TAQA objectives, policies and procedures. Ensures well design and operations comply with legislation and good oilfield practice.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Well and Abandonment Planning

• Designs P&A activities and creates well programmes in compliance with the TAQA Management System by analyzing offset data, generating and evaluating design options, assessing risk, preparing detailed design and programme documents.
• Prepares Examination and Notification/Consent applications, preparing time and cost estimates, procuring services, equipment and materials and co-ordinating suppliers and service providers to meet the Well objectives for drilling, completing or working over or abandoning the well.
• Prepares well P&A philosophies to ensure they comply with TAQA standards and legislation and are aligned with OEUK guidelines.
• Keeps up to date with technology development and ensures technology developments are incorporated in well design and operations where appropriate.

Operations Support

• Supports MODU Superintendent and rig teams with technical and planning work by co-ordinating onshore internal and external team members to plan contingencies, resolve problems and execute rig operations safely, efficiently and cost effectively.
• Assists MODU Superintendent with the creation and efficient review of detailed work instructions, peer reviews, risk assessments, programme reviews, MoCs, operational deviations, AWOPs etc.
• Makes regular offshore rig visits to oversee vendor work activities and to enhance Company/vendor communications and relationships.

Commercial Support

• Provides technical support for procurement and tender evaluation processes, with subsequent technical support for the commercial contract drafting.
• During well operations, pro-actively manages vendor contracts ensuring technical & commercial compliance.

End of Well Reporting

• Creates reports for the TAQA and legislative bodies by compiling operations information and performance analysis to provide an as-installed record of events and well components.
• Leads wash-up meetings and close out non-conformance reports.

Lessons Learned

• Ensures an effective interface and communication process is established between the team, other TAQA teams and external/3rd party representatives to ensure clear understanding of project objectives/work programmes, encourage open transfer of knowledge and information and to identify, record, track and close out actions in an effective and timely manner. 
• Records lessons learned by analyzing performance and comparing the observed result against the plan to provide learning for the organization for future operations.

Cost control and invoice approval

• Monitors cost expenditure and approve invoices, assists cost tracking and checks estimated actual cost expenditure on a daily basis.

QHSE

• Complies with, and assists team members, to comply with, the Management System.
• Makes recommendations for improvements to the Management System and ensures that effective controls are maintained for drilling engineering and operations.

JOB DIMENSIONS

• Financial Authority: Refer to Delegation of Authority

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Essential

• Degree in a technical/engineering discipline
• Offshore Survival Training Certificate, UK Medical and MIST
• Fully certified by a recognised Well Control Authority for subsea activities e.g. IWCF to Supervisor level.

Preferred

• Refer to Competency Matrix

EXPERIENCE/KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS

Essential

• Extensive experience as a Senior Well/Abandonment Engineer supporting MODU subsea drilling, completion, intervention and abandonment operations.
• Experience analyzing offset data, generating and evaluating design options, assessing risk, preparing P&A basis of design and programme documents.
• Experience preparing examination and notification/consent applications, preparing time and cost estimates, procuring services, equipment and materials and co-ordinating suppliers and service providers.
• Prepares well P&A philosophies to ensure they comply with TAQA standards and legislation and are aligned with OEUK guidelines.
• Experience of peer reviews, risk assessments, programme reviews, MoCs, operational deviations, AWOPs etc.
• Experience of analysing performance and comparing the observed result against the plan to provide learning for the organization for future operations.
• High level of technical expertise in relation to drilling/completions engineering and operations, well services and well abandonment with proven ability to deal with complex scenarios, challenging environments and develop creative solutions.
• High level of commercial and contractual awareness.
• Up to date knowledge of technological developments, industry initiatives, etc.
• Sound knowledge of subsea and well abandonment operations and of the HSE regime governing well abandonment operations.

Preferred

• Experience as a Senior Well/Abandonment Engineer supporting LWIV abandonment operations.
• Technical knowledge of Vertical and Horizontal Xmas Tree (XT) systems, associated tooling and Completion / Workover (C/WO) riser systems.
• Good experience of offshore well site engineering
• Experience of working in an Operator environment and in mature assets

ADDITIONAL SKILLS/REQUIREMENTS

• Drive, energy and enthusiasm – takes on challenges/makes an impact
• Excellent communication skills
• Proven relationship-builder – internally and externally
• Requirement to make regular visits offshore
• Required to take part in out of hours duty rota covering technical and emergency response

INTERACTIONS

INTERNAL INTERACTIONS

• Onshore MODU wells team
• Offshore MODU wells team
• Other platform wells teams
• Subsurface team
• Decommissioning and asset teams
• Wells HSSEQ, contracts and finance teams

EXTERNAL INTERACTIONS

• Rig contractor onshore and offshore teams
• Key service providers/specialist consultants
• Well Examiner
• HSE and NSTA
• Oil & Gas UK / Industry peers
• Technical networks
• Key service providers/specialist consultants