Tabi basa and greetings family and friends,
How was your week so far? I hope it is great for you in this final week of October. Soon it will be November, and December will follow. 2019 is at its final quarter, and I do hope that you are making a lot of memories this year, because there will no longer the same year. Back in the 90s, I thought I would see cars flying around once we have reached 2020. It sounds so futuristic, with high hopes of our country will achieve accelerated modernisation. However, in 2019, all I wish for is road users to be able to use their turn signal light properly. There is no point for me to complain on something I can’t control, but I should do something within my control.
For this edition, I want to show to you the challenges, hopes and dreams of these wonderful ladies that joined the Dayung Laut Competition. SInce these ladies are working offshore, I was unable to reach some of them for the full interview.
Regardsless, the intention of this post is to show how these ladies started their offshore career, what do they love about it, challenges faced and future plans/dreams.
First Contest: Felicitie George
Full name: Felicitie George
Profession : Piping Engineer
Company : Petra Resources Sdn. Bhd.
Location : F12
How did you join offshore / oil and gas industry?
- I was pushing my lucks applying offshore jobs after I graduated from Uni.
What do you love about offshore?
- I love the environment. The sounds of wave crashing, the cold breeze and the skies full of stars at night. It give you sense of peace and serenity regardless chaotic day you have to endure when you at offshore.
Challenges faced offshore and how do you stay resilient offshore?
- There are time when I cant deliver my work to meet my client’s expectations. Things didn’t turn out as planned. I always find a simplest and efficient way to solve it rather than making it worse. I will just ignore the negativity and focus on the goals.
Advice to ladies planning to work offshore
- Be safe wherever you are.
Future career plan for yourself
- To become a specialist in my field and working with big players in oil and gas
Second Contestant: Sandra Sim
Full name : Sandra Sim Vi Ting
Profession : Site Planner / Associate Engineer
Company : Petra Resources Sdn. Bhd.
Location : West Lutong Oil Field
How did you join offshore / oil and gas industry?
- Kick-started with internship in Sarawak Shell Berhad as Trainee Process Engineer.
What do you love about offshore?
- It’s an amazing creation, a cool job place.
Challenges faced offshore and how do you stay resilient offshore?
- Adverse weather, that causes the boat to roll. As the result, I vomit, and have to sleep before I can recover. Also, you will meet all kinds of men out there. So, be open minded, dedicated and firmed.
Advice to ladies planning to work offshore
- No hesitate, no fear, no regret.
Future career plan for yourself
- Build solid knowledge foundation by hands on experience which able to contribute in planning. Ultimate goal is to move into project management.
Third Contestant: Esther Michael
Full name : Esther Michael
Proffession : Wellsite/Operations Geologist
Company : Repsol Malaysia
Location : PM3
How did you join offshore / oil and gas industry
- My name is Esther Michael a mix Sebob/ Lun Bawang from Miri. Started career in oil and gas as a Sample Catcher/Mudlogger with International Logging in year 2005. Joines Petronas Carigali after that as a Wellsite/Operations Geologist / Geoscientist for 8 years and finally to Repsol Oil & Gas Limited (previously known as Talisman) for about 6 years till present.
What do you love about offshore?
- What I love about offshore is the fact that the workplace is just steps away from bedroom and only wearing coveralls! Concentration on work is more in offshore as there are less meetings compared to being in office so less interuption. People treat you with respect (despite being a woman!) and listens to your input and takes them into consideration. But of course, being on the rig/platform is like its own small little world, therefore people are usually really nice.
What is the challenge faced offshore?
- Challenges faced is to manage your time because the critical job can go for few days non stop. People rely on your intepretation and input to plan for next way forward of the well. Scary part is at times, you are worried whether your inputs are inaccurate that it may lead to another issue. So far touch wood..all okay! And of course being away from my 3 boys! Those early days, harrasments were encountered but nowadays you don’t hear that anymore. Regulations are rather strict when it comes to harrasments.
Advice to ladies:
- Be professional and treat everyone from all colour coveralls with respect. Not using gender as an excuse to not perform or demand special treatment. Own the well and always aim to perform your best.
Future plan
- To be an entrepreneur!
Note: She won Mrs Chipao Malaysia 2018. Chipao is cheongsam.
Fourth Contestant: Stephie Kayus
Full name: Stephanie Kayus
Profession : Field Engineer
Company : FugroTSM
Location : Jasmine Field, Thailand
How did you join offshore / oil and gas industry
- I joined O&G upstream since 2009 as a graduate engineer with Subsea 7 in subsea construction. My main task as project/field engineer is to ensure sufficient preparation for subsea construction. I develop installation procedure for offshore campaign and join in the execution on construction boats. I worked mostly in Sabah’s water. Currently, I’m an operation engineer with Cortez Subsea oversee their operation in Malaysia.
What do you love about offshore?
- The smell of the sea and the adrenaline of executing the subsea construction whether with divers or ROV. Sometimes, we got surprises when encountered sea creatures during construction. When we went to the very deep of the sea, everything would be just quiet and serene. At night, I love looking at the bright stars. And my favourite when going offshore is counting the day of going home 🙂
Challenges faced offshore and how do you stay resilient offshore?
- Always being the only lady on the construction boat could be very challenging for me. As a lady engineer, giving instruction to some guys could be very challenging as my scope involve a lot of preparation at the back deck.I have to be smart to ensure work is done safely and according to procedure. But I always have the peak of being in the only lady. Most of the time, i get my own cabin, washroom and locker room. When things get tough, I just tell myself, what doesnt kill me, make me stronger and most of the time, it’s true.
Advice to ladies planning to work offshore
- Offshore is not for everyone. But once you are in, you are hooked. Ladies, you can be yourself, you don’t need to prove you are equal to your male colleagues but you can be as good or better than them. Work safely and enjoy the moment.
Future career plan for yourself
- My future career plan is to be the boss..Lol..joking..I would like to be a project manager in near future and to lead a team for more subsea construction work offshore.
Fifth Contestant: Grace Tolebin
Full name : Gracy Tolebin
Proffession : Project Engineer
Company : Boilermaster
Location : Puteri Zamrud
How did you join offshore / oil and gas industry?
- After completing my study in mechanical engineering, I joined Boilermaster company in 2016 until now. My boss gave me an opportunity to study again and I believe I can go further. Some people has a different mindset, i.e. they think that ladies are weak, “ladies no need to go offshore. They don’t know what to do, so it is better for them to sit at the office only”. I have travelled to follow projects, Turnarounds and for training. Also, I have the opportunity to go offshore. My boss gave me hope and believe that I can do it even though I am a lady. Various experiences I have gone through. From this company and myself, I managed to go places.
What do you love about offshore?
- I love new experiences because it is seldom for woman to go offshore. We know different culture that they have over there. With the five star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 😂 foods, another thing is the mind therapy, where we can think a lot about future as we gaze upon the blue sea, fishes, wide open sky. I am amazed by the wondrous creation of God.
Challenges faced offshore and how do you stay resilient offshore?
- I have to be tough, mentally strong, fit physically, be safe everywhere, alert all the time. This is because I saw Deepwater Horizon which is based on true story (highly recommended to watch 😿). I need to look after my ethiques because I am the only lady. Team work also has to be strong.
Advice to ladies planning to work offshore:
- For ladies out there , don’t be afraid to try something new. Like what they said, “belum cuba, belum tahu” (you wouln’t know until you try). Before we do something, we need to ask our parents so that they can bless our career. You also must be active and strong (power). 💪🏻💪🏻
Future career plan for yourself:
- My career is still long, and there is a lot that I want to accomplish. My dream is when I am 30 plus years old, i want to have my own business. Probably hardware shop, material supplies that relates to oil and gas. 😅
Sixth Contestant: Amelda Rowellna
Full name : Amelda Rowellna Anak Awang
Proffession : Cook
Company : Maersk Drilling, Brunei Darussalam
Location : SWA 108 Ampa Oil Field
In July 2012 to July 2014🎩, im taking course DIPLOMA IN HOTEL&CATERING MANAGEMENT at MTSSR (maktab teknik sultan saiful rijal) ,😊 after graduating, there is BMA (Brunei Marine Academy) programme , 🙌 which 1 year seatimes as a Trainee Cook 🍽️under vessel of Pacific Radiance Ltd.
Working rotation 3 months on board, difficult times when rough sea🌊😭 season, the sea sickness but its okay, good experience to be remembered 😊👍. After completing the seatimes in July 2016 to July 2017, i ve got another job opportunity worked in drilling rig, Maersk Convincer😍.
What i love the most about working offshore is there is no trafficking xp, 😂😂despite the fact that working offshore will be far from families & love one, plus, we must have tough heart&mind, surround ur self with good peoples & vibes, love ur job! cause everyday is like Monday to us 😂🙌.
For those ladies, wanted to challenge their self, just go for it! dont hesitate, 😎believe that you can do it👏!
Seventh Contestant: Jennet Blasius
Full name : Jennet Blasius
Proffession : Offshore/Site Planner
Company : Petra Resources Sdn Bhd
Location : Sumandak, Petra Endeavour
How did you join offshore / oil and gas industry?
- I’ve started my career in oil & gas industry on March 2015. Started working on offshore based on May 2019.
What do you love about offshore?
- Plan to put my career on higher level through exposing myself more on technical part & field experience. Also felt want to experience offshore life myself.
Challenges faced offshore:
- Task as offshore planner, the most challenging part is handling and dealing with construction crews.. the highest volume of crews that i had handled is 230pax. Apart from that is doing daily reporting & in charge of admin works at offshore at the same time. Boat & gangway transfer has always been challenging my courage. But, all challenges can be adapted..we just need a little time & a lot of patience & confidence.
Advices to ladies planning to work offshore:
- Don’t afraid to work at offshore. You need to grab it once given opportunity..the expereince is priceless.
Future plan for yourself
- become construction engineer..
The one from Jennet makes the end of interview.
These are the participants that I was unable to reach due to connection issue. But nevertheless, I just put the basic info here based on the info that they have placed for the competitions.
Eigth Contestant: Nuraisha Abd Halim
Full name: Nuraisha Abd Halim@ Robert Henry Eli
Profession : Material coordinator
Company: Brooke Dockyard
Location/field: Bokor
Ninth Contestant: Nor Afzan
Full name : Nor Afzan Binti Wahid
Profession : Safety Health Officer(SHO)
Company : Sapura Energy
Location : NC3
Tenth Contestant: Jill Uring
Full name: Jill Uring Paul
Profession : Inspection Engineer
Company: Oceancare corporation sdn bhd.
Location : Bayan
End Note:
From the words from these ladies, I know there is a lot of challenges. However with the right spirit, mindset and mental fortitude, you can work offshore and become respectable part of the bigger oil and gas community. I sincerely hope that these stories inspires you to work offshore.
To say offshore industry if only for men and men alone is not entirely true as there are a lot of women out there working offshore, helping to grow our national economic growth from oil and gas. This is a tough business, especially if you are a mother and have to leave behind your little ones onshore. Another misconception that I always hear is that if you are a lady working offshore, you will become more man-like, which is not true. You still can be a lady and work offshore, no problem at all. Besides, there are rules about any form of harassment, be it physical or verbal, to deter any kind of such offense, all to provide a better working environment to everyone. Therefore, for the young girls out there, don’t be afraid to make offshore jobs your career path of choice. Emilia has done it, these ladies also has done it, and so can you. You can do it. Have faith in yourself. God bless!
Your Tukang Rantek,
Claudius Weson
