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Working in an oilfield is not cut out for everyone, at least that’s what I’ve been through. It took some times to accept that I work really under-pressure and away from families and friends for some kind of noble act, securing national energy supply 
😛 😛 😛 .
I have been assigned both onshore and offshore. However, I love being offshore. For me, to be there is a blessing since not everybody get that chance, especially when the company has just few offshore jobs.
I do love being a Field Engineer, but I don’t think to stay there forever. So, I keep searching for what I really want in this life and I have no idea what it is. Well, until now 🙂 . Some people said that one of the best way to find out your passion is by changing roles. I’m no longer an engineer in a Service Co 🙂 and I have different role right now, although the core business remain the same. For quite some times, I’m working onshore in the jungle and I definitely miss being offshore again 😥 . I wish the oil price will be bounced back anytime soon.
Anyway, I just want to give you an idea on how the workplace is look like that almost everybody enjoy being there. I’d rather flood this article with images than too much chit-chat 😛
Arrival
It is mandatory for every single one who go offshore to have special certification, e.g T-BOSIET – how to escape from helicopter in the event of ditching, Basic Sea Survival, Fire Fighting, Travel Safety by boat, etc. Don’t worry, It’s all fun 🙂
Upon arrival, first-timer will have a safety induction and a quick facility tour to familiarize the site and his/her dedicated life boat. You’ll get excited in your first day, but you’ll also be stressful since you need to get familiar and get involved very quick.
Working
Every personnel has its particular job. For me, as a Mud Engineer, the work place would be like this :
Sacks room is the place where you store chemicals needed to build mud. Those chemicals are regularly supplied by boat by request.
Mixing deck is the place where those chemicals are mixed. There are surge tank, where the Barite and Bentonite is put (transferred from its Silo’s) along with the control Panel. Sophisticated, huh? 🙂 .
The Mud Lab is where mud engineer check the mud. They do some titrations for chemistry analysis, Check on rheology, and conduct other test to maintain the quality of mud and to diagnose problem in the hole. LCD monitor is provided in the lab (special for me 😛 ) to get me informed with the current operation.
Mud Pit is where the mud is built. I have around three personnels who help me out on this. They lift piles of chemicals, mix those and check mud weight and viscosity in regular basis. They are people who are very helpful during my job. Thx buddies 🙂
Typically, there is a special room where Service Company personnel do their paper works. We do some gossiping there. So fun!
Mostly offshore site is in remote area which means there are no cellular service. There’s a phone where you can call the town, but you need to get in line as so many people want to have some calls as well 😆 . If you’re lucky enough, you’ll get access to the wifi. That makes your life problem may be 50% easier .
Off-Duty
Typically, we work 12 hrs a day. So, what else do we do in the rest? Sleeping 😆
Most of the time, sleeping is the preferred things to do after working, but going early to bed is sometimes boring. We spend a couple hours in recreation room enjoying some movies, doing karaoke, playing PS, etc.
What’s about food? don’t worry. The foods are healthy (at least it is guaranteed that no MSG is added) with wide range of menu to choose from. We have national and western cuisine, nice salads, soft-drinks, cakes, fresh fruits, juice, 24-hours ice cream box. We also have a barbecue time every week and special dinner every holiday (Ied, Christmas, Independence day, etc). Very entertaining 🙂 .
If you’re a gym rat, you don’t need to worry being away from town. Here, you still can keep your body shaped properly 😆 .
Living in the sea is easy to get bored. So, get something to entertain yourself. I always bring along movies and TV series in my hard drive. Sometime I bring camera or go-pro to take some random pictures 😆
There was rumours that working in the field is for an asshole, means that company provides some ‘hookers’ . 😆 😆 , Don’t get me wrong, people. We came all the way from the town to work. We have no time doing stuff like that. Instead, we still have some religious activities; jum’ah prayer, tarawih (at some occasion), christmas celebration, ied prayer, etc.
Departure
Everybody loves crew change day. This is the most entertaining things I’ve got when I am on board. For some occasions, as I was too excited, I couldn’t go to bed, imagining what I’m gonna do in town. Seriously. Oh man, that was really priceless. 🙂 🙂 I guess most of people will feel the same.
Some offshore site is near the shore, so boat is reasonable. For the site that is very far, then chopper become necessary.
Oh, I miss these stuff. I wish I’ll be assigned there again 🙂
Adventures! 
Hi Agushoe, Great blog! I would really like to use your picture of the Mud Mixing deck in an Offshore brochure where we show how to measure the level of Barite and Bentonite (Drilling Powders) in silos, we want an actual picture and yours looks really good, would this be ok? Can you get/give permission for us? This is the current basic application page (we are rewriting it!) Many Thanks for your time
https://www.vega.com/en/home_uk/Applications/Oil%20and%20Gas%20-%20Offshore/Storage%20of%20solid%20materials
Here is the page address, sorry!
Doug,
Yes Sure.
You’re welcome, buds 🙂
There was rumours that working in the field is for an asshole, means that company provides some ‘hookers’ . <— The most frequent question I receive, is just about this as well. Dan jawabannya hahaha aja, soalnya selama di Offshore malah lebih banyak ketemu orang-orang sholeh. Ibadah dan pengajian malah lebih intens dibandingin selama kerja di darat. Tapi ini baru kesimpulan selama kerja di offshore Indonesia aja sih. Soalnya belum pernah nyobain offshore di luar Indonesia 😀
Btw, seumur-umur kerja di offshore, saya malah belum pernah berbagi cerita soal ini secara lengkap. Ada rencana mau cerita soal HUET, tapi sampai sekarang postingannya masih ngendon di bagian draft. O iya, kalau ngeliat kolam nya ,,, kayanya itu TBOSIET dan HUET nya di Samson Tiara Cilegon ya? 😀
Anyway, semoga harga minyak semakin baik, dan gejolak badai yang menerpa dunia perminyakan segera berlalu ya. Aamiin 🙂
Amiin. Amin. Amin. Semoga harga minyak kembali normal seperti seblumnya.
Btw, betul banget, itu di Cilegon. hahaha. disitu juga ya dulu ambil HUET nya? katanya sih paling enak dibanding tempat-tempat lain. saya dua kali ambil disitu terus soalnya.
Hmm, Selain Indonesia, saya baru coba rig-rig di India. Sama aja kok mas bart, gak ada yang aneh-aneh seperti yang orang-orang sangka. wkwkwk. Di mana kerjanya mas? rig site atau platform?