Aberdeen Pupils Peek into Subsea Oil & Gas Technology

 

Pupils at an Aberdeen primary school were given a rare insight into the depths of the oil and gas industry’s subsea sector after getting to sit in the driving seat of a remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) simulator.

The Tullos Primary visit to i-Tech was organised by EnQuest as part of the company’s ongoing commitment to encouraging youngsters to consider a career in the oil and gas industry.

Around 20 primary five pupils were shown why ROVs are increasingly becoming pivotal to the critical path of subsea operations during the tour at i-Tech, which is a division of Subsea 7 and a global-leading supplier of ROV and intervention tooling solutions.

The pupils visited i-Tech’s electronic and tooling equipment workshop areas where they learned about the diverse range of tools that ROVs can be outfitted with to perform a wide scope of subsea tasks and took part in a hands-on inspection of an ROV and control van.

They also saw a seven-function manipulator in full operation and experienced what life is like as an ROV pilot by taking the controls of i-Tech’s cutting-edge SP simulator. The simulator simulator allows ROVs, subsea structures, and manipulator movements to be re-created very accurately which enhances the training of ROV pilots as well as allowing for advanced mission planning and Site Integration Testing (SIT) in advance of work being carried out offshore.

EnQuest, which is the largest UK independent producer in the UK North Sea, facilitated the visit as part of the company’s long-standing partnership with Tullos Primary School. This year, the focus is on creating educational and hands-on experiences that will help to inspire the pupils to work towards oil and gas related careers.

Neil McCulloch, president, North Sea, EnQuest, said: “To many,  subsea operations can appear as something of a black art and as the oil and gas industry moves into new frontiers, the sector is hugely reliant on the expertise of ROV pilots as well as the sophistication and intelligence of the vehicles. In this digital era, it is important that young people are aware of why technology is a fascinating facet that continues to underpin the industry’s long-term prosperity so that they learn about long-term careers they can carve out on both a local and global stage.”

i-Tech operates one of the world’s largest and most advanced fleets of ROVs, providing on-board support for drilling rigs, field support and construction vessels in increasingly challenging territories including harsher and deepwater environments.

Neil Goodburn, i-Tech’s Operations Manager for Europe, Africa and Canada said: ”Subsea infrastructure and ROV operations will increase in the coming years as we move to deeper environments throughout the world. We were delighted to welcome EnQuest and the teachers and pupils from Tullos Primary to our ROV facility in Aberdeen, providing them with an insight into this aspect of the oil and gas industry from our workshop and system testing to our state-of-the-art simulator suite.”

As a result of EnQuest’s support and supply chain contacts, Tullos Primary School has established an initiative to give pupils hands-on experience of the world of work.

Aileen McGowan, Head Teacher at Tullos Primary, said: “We are committed to giving our pupils opportunities which allow them to experience the world of work. These opportunities can help our pupils achieve their potential and ultimately fulfil their aspirations for future careers. We are grateful to EnQuest for their on-going support and for facilitating these visits.”

EnQuest is the largest UK independent producer in the UK North Sea. EnQuest PLC trades on both the London stock exchange and the NASDAQ OMX Stockholm. Its operated assets include the Thistle, Deveron, Heather, Broom, West Don, Don Southwest, Conrie, Kittiwake, Mallard, Gadwall, Goosander and Grouse producing fields and the Alma/Galia, Kraken and Ythan developments. EnQuest also has an interest in the non-operated Alba producing oil field. EnQuest had 34 UK production licences at the start of 2015, covering 45 blocks or part blocks, and was the operator of 29 of these licences. This increases to 38 production licences including the 28th round awards awarded in Q1 2015, covering 54 blocks or part blocks in the UKCS, 33 of the licences are operated by EnQuest.

EnQuest believes that the UKCS represents a significant hydrocarbon basin in a low risk region, which continues to benefit from an extensive installed infrastructure base and skilled labour. EnQuest believes that its assets offer material organic growth opportunities, driven by exploitation of current infrastructure on the UKCS and the development of low risk near field opportunities.

EnQuest has begun replicating its existing model in the UKCS by targeting previously underdeveloped assets in a small number of other maturing regions; complementing our operations and utilising our deep skills in the UK North Sea. In which context, EnQuest has interests in Malaysia where its operated assets include the PM8/Seligi Production Sharing Contract ('PSC') and the Tanjong Baram development, EnQuest also has an interest in the non-operated SB307/SB308 blocks.