Hello! New here and want to work on oil rigs please

[Goodwelder]

Morning all! Iv been welding since before Xmas now and I'm pretty good if I do say so myself, how do I get to work on oil rigs? My welds are good and strong and I don't get sea sick either.
Thanks

 

[Wozzaaah]

Welcome to the forum.
How old are you? What sort of welding have you been doing? What qualifications do you have? What equipment are you familiar with and what real-world experience do you have?
If the answers are 'rusty old cars with a hobby mig', 'none', 'hobby mig' and 'none' then you're really going to have problems, sorry.
You'll need years of experience and would probably need to pass many weld tests to even get a foot in the door.
It's unlikely ay oil rig anywhere in the world would take on a trainee welder, it's just way too risky. You'll be expected to be able to do any welding job they ask to a VERY high standard.
It will also be a VERY expensive process if you have to fund all your training yourself.
"I'm pretty good if I do say so myself" won't cut it on your CV, there are many, many time served welders out there and you'll be competing with them for jobs.
Remember, this is safety critical stuff you're talking about, not just blobbing a patch on a sill to get a rusty old pile of poo through it's MOT.

 

[Goodwelder]

Well at Xmas we made LOADS of railings but I started teaching myself pipe and I'm quite good, Iv been using a tig and a sticks set. Im even welding stainless today

 

[rtbcomp]

Any photos of your welds?

 

[Wozzaaah]

you've not answered the rest of my questions.

Is any of your welding anywhere near this standard?

 

[Goodwelder]

I'm only on my phone so I don't know how to upload photos? Can I email them to someone to put up for criticism? My welds look as strong as them in the picture I think

 

[rtbcomp]

I've sent you a PM with my email address in it.

 

[penfold]

2 basic paths to offshore work of this nature;
1. get on one of the many apprentice schemes run by the larger oil service companies; they do most of the running these days, the big oil companies keep this stuff at arm's length now. Wood Group, PSN, etc.
2. Acquire codings by whatever means(pay for them yourself or get an employer to cough for it), ginger up a CV and carpet bomb the personnel agencies in Aberdeen.

 

[Goodwelder]

Hi thanks penfold, I would like to work on an oil rig and I hear the money's pretty good, better than in this workshop anyway!
Iv tried to upload and email pics but it won't work off my phone I'll have a go off my sisters netbook tonight instead

 

[bpcoryton]

its not just working on them,theirs all the training for the surival coarses that you have to compleat as well,i know time served pipeline welders that have failed that alone.good welders who have done countless tests inc restrictive tests in all types of materials,but couldnt get out of a 'helicoptor' upside down in submerged in water in total darkness,in the time permited!.

 

[hotrodder]

^^ This. Unless you can get a start into an proper apprentice scheme i'd forget about it for the time being. There are plenty of places that'll relieve you of a bunch of money in exchange for courses/certs... medical, offshore survival (google 'bosiet/mist'), rope access, suitable welding certs but you'll never get a job offshore with them without suitable experience and railings that 'look strong' doesn't count

 

[Terrapin]

Is this a wind up? I'm in the industry and he doesn't stand a chance. Best advice was apprenticeship unless he has unlimited funds to self train?

 

[Goodwelder]

I reckon I should manage that, but I just want to make sure my weldings good enough first I weld the pipe at 45 degrees and all from the outside

 

[Wozzaaah]

Terrapin, can you tell us how you got into it, how long you've been doing it, what qualifications you needed and where you got them, roughly what they cost you or your employer etc.?
Basically, anything you can offer to encourage or dissuade the OP from pursuing his dream.
It will give the OP and anyone else thinking of making the same career choice some real-world insight into what they would need to do.
Thanks.

 

[penfold]

I would add that any apprentice scheme for either welders or fitter/welders would get you the necessary bits of paper, it doesn't need to be a oil services co; as an apprentice you wouldn't be on much money offshore or otherwise.

Depending on where you are in the UK there are loads of others offered by the likes of Rolls Royce, Babcock, British Aerospace, etc. If you apprentice with a company building nuclear submarines or jet engines, or maintaining chemical works or oil refineries, you can probably go on to weld anything.

 

[Terrapin]

Your welding needs to be top notch - precise & excellent. It will have to pass x-ray testing. Lots of practical experience, mentoring support by an expert. There’s a lot of good welders out there and you need to get up to their level of expertise & competence before they will let you loose on a multi million pound rig with all the associated HSE complexities.
BSEN 287-1 (Qualification test of welders – fusion welding of steels)
BSEN 1418:1998 (Approval testing of welding operators – fusion welding and resistance weld setters for automatic and fully mechanized welding of metallic materials)
BSEN ISO 9606-2: 2004 (Aluminium & aluminium alloys)
AWS D1.1M:2008 Structural welding code – steel
D3.6M-99 Specification for underwater welding
ASME 1X ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section IX: Welding and Brazing Qualifications
BS 4872 (Qualification of welders without the need for an approved welding procedure)
BSEN ISO 24394:2008 (Qualification test for welders and welding operators. Fusion welding of metallic components)
BSEN ISO 15609-1:2004 (Arc welding)
BSEN ISO 15609-2: 2001 (Gas welding)
BSEN ISO 15614-1: 2004 (Arc & gas welding of steels, nickel and nickel alloys)
ASME IX
AWS
CAA

 

[Terrapin]

Penfold is spot on You collect the paperwork along the road.

 

[Wozzaaah]

Thanks Terrapin.

So in essence, a few pics of some pretty railings you've made won't get you a job on an oil rig.
Good luck with this but don't get your hopes up. Keep us posted.

 

[Terrapin]

Good advice. If you are passionate about going into this trade then you will find a way. It will take time and dedication. Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort.

 

[Goodwelder]

Oh no the pics Iv got are of some of my tig stuff 5cm stainless pipe. 15cm mild steel pipe I stick welded and things. Wen I get chance I'll add some pictures up