Pipeline career change consideration: consultant engineer to operator engineer?

[LearnerN]

Everyone:

I'm needing some career advice. For a while now, I've been considering if it would be a good fit (and career move) for me to move from working as a consultant engineer in liquids/gas transmissions pipelines to working as an engineer for an operator company. I'd greatly appreciate any input, experiences, suggestions, advice on the topic, or maybe some descriptions of the pros & cons both ways.

I have 5 years of pipeline engineering experience which has entirely been on the consultant side, and a mix of pipeline integrity and pipeline design and project management. In integrity, I enjoyed working in encroachments, MAOP verification work, class location determination projects, etc. In design, I've done large pipeline projects, directional drill design, foundation design as a civil engineer, some station facility design. In addition to managing most of my projects, I've done most of my own drafting using AutoCAD and Civil 3D. Some of what I've not cared as much for in my current position in a smaller firm is doing more drafting than engineering at times, the narrower focus of types of projects we take on as a smaller company, how there's not much room for advancement or working in other areas in my current position in a small company, and just how consultant engineers don't get out in the field and get hands-on experience nearly as much. I would prefer a different engineering position in this industry where I could get more hands on experience and do more engineering, and work on more of a variety of projects.

I have very much enjoyed both integrity and design, and I'd say my 5 years was pretty evenly split between those two aspects, so I have about 2.5 years of experience in each, which is a solid foundation, but still pretty young. I also have my PE. I'm pretty laid-back and so it takes me some time to really clarify what things I like to do, and I don't have a variety of experiences to pull from in knowing what other types of work would be like in the broader industry. So that's why I'm asking our knowledgeable discussion forum!

One thing that early on partly initiated my interest in working for an operator company is that all the things I'd hear of my clients doing is what I kind of want to be doing - working with all the various parties within the company that bring a project together, getting out on the work site more, etc. And working for an operator, I think, would give much more room for career advancement into whichever area really suits my interest, as well as increased job stability from not being employed for a small company with a narrow focus. But I also know life well enough to know there are strong pro's and strong con's about everything, so it's just a matter of which pro's and con's together that you're willing to accept.

Based on everything I've said, how would you advise me? What are some of the negatives of working for an operator that I should be aware of? Do you think it'd be a good career move? How would you recommend finding a good operator company I'd want to work for? (Considering my clients is one idea, but I'm open to considering other operators I could work for.)

Thank you sincerely!

 

[jte]

LearnerN-

I’ll start by stating the obvious, specifically, “What, are you nuts?”

Given the less than secure job environment among most of the oil and gas industry, a steady job is a good job. If your job is not in jeopardy, I’d suggest staying where you are. For a while, anyway, until things get better. The midstream / pipeline business isn’t suffering as much as upstream (and downstream is ok but not great). Nonetheless, there are better times to make the switch. Maybe a few months from now, so not bad to be making some plans and contacts, but I'd suggest waiting a bit before actually making the move.

So, assuming we are moving a few months into the future, then getting experience as a direct employee of a company which is responsible for the steel which is used for transporting fluids would be a very valuable move for most people. I was in a leadership team meeting a while back and somehow the question came up about experience. My manager pointed out that everybody in the room had one thing in common: Every one of us has worked directly in an operating facility. Not a single leader in my organization had gotten to that role without first having a job which involved the realities of operating a hydrocarbon facility. Thus, long term your choice is simple to me: Get out of the consulting business – at least for a while – and get some “real” experience. Learn what rust looks like. Get to know the families of the people who are in harm’s way if you make an engineering mistake. Even if you are doing essentially the same thing for an operator as you are doing now, simply knowing the people and their families puts a substantially different perspective on your work. Similarly, the day to day mundane operations issues are invaluable experience.

After getting the operating company experience, you can either stay with the company or explore other options, including going back to external consulting where your opco experience and insight will be valuable. Note I said “valuable”, not “valued”. The first is a given, the second is merely a hope.

 

[LittleInch]

I gree with jte, getting true hands on experience of pipeline operations is a good move and will reap dividends later. I did mine the other way around and was very fortunate to start work for a company which did everything, operate, maintain, engineer, construct (via contractors) and commission.

The pros - You can often see projects through from start to finish and then also see where they work well or not so well in actual operation, because everyone will tell you about it if it doesn't work..... Right company, right job can be a more long term security, but nothings certain any more.
You get to write the scopes of work for companies like the one you work for and can shape the direction of them.

Cons - If you hang around too long, then your experience tends to be with one type of fluid, perhaps in one state or country and you don't get the variety of project you might as a consultant.
As an operator you're always on call to fix things.
Depends on the company and how it's organized as to whether the pros are actually there.
It is possible to get quite stale in design terms and start to believe that that companies way of doing things is the ONLY WAY (!)
Things can get very repetitive, once you've done the same thing 50 times it tends to loose its newness.

Overall though the pluses should outweigh the negatives, but the key is the right role in the right company. Easy to say, difficult to find, but go in with your vision of what it is you want to do (realistic) and get the closest you can.

Be aware that in operating companies, many many people have not worked anywhere else, have their way of doing things and often don't really appreciate some new boy coming in and telling them they've been doing it wrong for the past 30 years... Indeed they might have been, but bring your experience to the table and gently nudge them in the right direction.

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