An industry with an exciting future ...
Your Exciting Future
There's an exciting future in the marine contracting industry, with many new vessels and technologies arriving in the marketplace in support of new oil and gas developments and more.
Those working in the industry know they have a lifetime of exciting possibilities ahead of them, with many opportunities for career and personal development on offer.
An exciting future for oil and gas ...
Oil and gas - exciting global prospects
Today's oil and gas industry still has many world-wide prospects to explore, develop and produce. Despite media reports to the contrary, the industry is not in decline. The facts tell a different story.
At the end of 2007, there were 1237.9 thousand million barrels of proved oil reserves in the world (BP Statistical Review). These are reserves that geological and engineering information indicates with reasonable certainty can be recovered in the future from known reservoirs using existing economic and operating conditions. This does not include possible reserves or those still to be discovered. In 2007 daily production amounted to nearly 81.5 million barrels or some 13,000 million litres. There is plenty of gas too. Daily gas production in 2007 totalled 8,055 million cubic metres per day, equivalent to around 50.6 million barrels of oil. It can take decades between making an oil and/or gas discovery and bringing it on to production. The field may then allow production for decades before it is no longer economically viable and is decommissioned. At all stages through the oil and gas life cycle there are different and exciting activities taking place - all of which offer huge opportunities for IMCA members and their staff.
Continuing growth in the developed world, the emergence of China, India and others as industrial giants and a general increase in economic activity around the world mean that together we are consuming more energy than ever, in all its forms. Oil and gas will remain a considerable source of energy long into the future.
... and that's not all ...
Renewable energy
Worries about global warming and the effects of pollution are leading the world to develop a variety of alternative energy extraction and processing techniques. The power of the sea is being harnessed through tidal generation, while offshore wind farms are growing in number and size. The expertise of IMCA members gathered in support of oil and gas will prove invaluable as this new equipment is installed offshore, maintained and, eventually, decommissioned.
Global communications
Subsea cables have been in use for over 150 years, but it is in recent times that the explosion and development of the internet, telephony and other modes of communication have seen the emergence of the ‘global village' and ever higher demands being placed on telecomms carriers that require continued investment in transoceanic cables - involving trenching, cablelay and ongoing maintenance undertaken by IMCA members.
An exciting future for marine contracting ...
New opportunities in marine contracting
Most people would like to be involved in a $20 billion annual turnover business, which is why the marine contracting industry is such an exciting place to work. Job opportunities abound across the whole spectrum of activities, particularly in view of today's buoyant oil and gas sector. Constructing new offshore oil and gas installations; operating new and ever-more sophisticated vessels and equipment; being part of an offshore diving team or acting as a life support technician; operating underwater remotely operated vehicles; or grasping opportunities to survey, explore and chart the seas and oceans of the world are just some of the chances on offer. Our industry is certainly one that combines travel, technology, good pay, safe working conditions, responsibility and real opportunities to reach your full potential and gain promotion to decision-making levels.
Offshore marine contractors have more than $17 billion-worth of vessels in yards or at the planning and engineering phase to help the large existing fleet support increasing world-wide activity. In a relatively short time we will be seeing the arrival of some 50 new marine construction vessels and 40 floating drilling rigs, 100 new ROVs; and 10 diving systems.
In terms of people, this means:
- 2,000 additional watchkeepers across the bridge, deck and engine room of new vessels/rigs
- 1,000 additional survey and inspection discipline personnel for the new vessels
- 1,200 additional personnel to operate the ROV spreads
- 800 additional personnel in saturation diving and related positions.
Extra air diving personnel will also be required, plus deck, catering and ancillary crew, and onshore and engineering support personnel to operate the vessels.
Some 800 new offshore support vessels are also coming to the market over the same time period, requiring huge numbers of skilled personnel too.
An exciting future to work in
The range of IMCA careers articles describes the broad array of possibilities open to you - from being a technician working with cutting edge technology, through diving- and ROV-related work through to engineering, project management and more.
To the right is just one example of some of the offshore career paths open to those working for an IMCA member (click to view full size or download this article in full below). There are many more besides, together with opportunities to switch to suitable onshore roles as well.
So get onboard with marine contracting and it'll be an exciting future for you.
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