Not sure coz I'm a subsurface person (Geology/Petroleum Engineering) so I don't want to give advice with things I'm not familiar with.

They can do what ever they want especially in Petronas. They have even allowed women to go to offshore platforms (which was an issue before in the early to late 90's) so there is no limitation.

Why do you guys like to go to offshore? Other than getting some experience I mean? It's dangerous (the heli trip), has a lot of dangerous materials onboard etc etc. It's good to get a couple of years experience of going there, but I wouldn't want anymore than that.

Is it the allowances?

My brother works with one of the service providers and after 3 years, he's really tired of going offshore. Having to leave his kids a month at a time sometimes. He was in Sakhalin when the Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami hits .. it was terrifying.

I think someone who got an interview with Petronas started digging up all the Petronas thread and basically asked the same question on all the threads. That's why it's been visible for the last 3 days I think.

I supposed this would be normal procedure. I would not say that you have been shortlisted so don't put your hopes too high. Polish your CV (not too long etc) and Good Luck.

Project engineers are usually engineering graduates. As for how many departments in an O&G company, no one will know as different company will have different organisation structure.

If you have an applied science degree like chemistry/physics or biochemistry, you can still apply but I don't think a project engineer is appropriate. I would think that you would fit in the Geoscience department/division of the company

1. Physics - should fit Petrophysics, Geophysics division
2. Chemistry - Geochemistry will be a good area to explore
3. Biochemistry - Geochem and maybe palynology etc.

If you are an engineering graduates especially in Mechanical engineering, don't go for subsurface activities because you will be lost and the company will not even try to convert you to subsurface engineering skill groups. It's too difficult.

You seem to know your Subsurface software (I'm quite impressed) but knowing the software won't help you as you will need some fundamental applied science knowledge (Geology/Geophysics/RE etc) to enable you use the software properly.

For mechanical engineering grads I always point them towards the Facilities Engineering skill group (which is considered upstream still) where you will need to know about all the engineering basics of the upstream facilities (like the water injection pump, gas compressor etc etc, pipeline dimensions etc etc)

Hope that helps.

In this industry, you have to suffer for the first 5 to 7 years before you really reap the rewards. In my case, after 10 years, I was offered a position that gave me 5 times my earnings ... finally got to harvest all the experienced I gained earning low pay in the previous company.

Your market value in O&G will see a step change once you get 10 years, after that it's the 15 years step, and after that 20 years ...

Aiyoooo, ExxonMobil is still the largest operator in Malaysia. All PSC95 blocks are operated by ExxonMobil. Tapis, Seligi, Guntong, Semangkok, Palas are all operated by ExxonMobil. Production wise, you are looking at 150k barrels per day from this fields.

When I joined my first company, I was getting RM2K per month, can't even afford to buy a car so borrowed my mum's kancil for work. Went through all the training, eagerly accepted all the work/project given and basically hunkered down and did my job.

After 5 years, salary was around 4K per month after 3 promotions (which was rare) and got assigned to do those reorganization project. Learned that networking is extremely important in the O&G cause, let's face it, it's a small group of people with the same skill sets.

Got my first offer at 5 years experience from a contractor, was a bit reluctant coz the pay increase though significant was only around double my salary. After 10 years, got the opportunity to be an expatriate, so jumped on that offer and now reaching my 15 years experience soon.

Now with Malaysia experiencing a sharp drop in Oil Production and with so many Malaysians with experience out of the country, the Operators are seriously recruiting. I have an offer that is almost similar in package to what I am getting right now and I can return to Malaysia. Nothing beats working in Malaysia. In this industry, your value just goes up and up .... and I am seriously tempted to returning.

ADNOC is a HUGE company in UAE so please be careful as with huge companies, there will be huge scams as a lot if people will want to work there. If they ask you for deposit, for sure it's a scam because ADNOC will NEVER ask for money.

The interview invitation also should be super professional, if you start seeing grammar mistake or spelling errors or fishy email address. For sure that's a scam also.

Where in Saudi are you working? Eastern Province?

A lot of times in O&G, it's the experience that counts. A lot of the companies (not all but a lot) put the emphasis on expereinece as this will reduce their training cost. I'll be frank, a lot of the graduates nowadays requires at least 5 years of training before they can be deemed to be able to handle the work independently. Only majors are willing to spend time and money to develop fresh grads, a lot of other companies do not have the time to do the capability development. They mostly are on project basis and requires people who can immediately do the work. That is why even those without a degree but have experienced doing the job for 5-10 years are valued higher than the fresh grads.

There are scales in the O&G industry where your value gets a step jump every 5 years (that is why there is a different ad for those with 5 years, for those with 10 years and for those with 15 years). I have 15 years experience and my market value just shot up. Just got an offer (from my network ... another thing that I keep stressing about in this industry) for a 2 year contract in Malaysia paying me RM70K a month .... now need to persuade the other half that this is a good offer ....

Certain companies (usually the small O&G players really live by hiring experience personnel. The reason being is that if you go for a tender, almost all of the tender requires the company to provide experience personnel.

When you go to a medium sized company, then you will see that they are hiring fresh grads as they are comfortable with their long term prospect and they know the importance of having fresh blood in the company

When you go to the MNCs and major oil companies, then you will definitely see them hiring fresh grads, the thing is, it's all a cycle. Once they hire let's say 200 fresh grads (like PETRONAS for example) then the next year they will not need to hire so many. The last hiring boom for Petronas I believe was 2006-2007 (I remembered having assigned 20 new staff under my watch and all freshies). I suspect the next wave is coming soon as a lot of the old timers are retiring and those new grads that was taken in 2006, have their 5 years experience and they will start itching to leave for greener pastures .... that is how it is in the O&G company, you just need to catch the right window of opportunity.

Seriously, if you go to the open houses or visits your sedara mara, listen up to the conversation, don't be shy to ask them (your cousins, your uncles or your second cousins) where they work and if they work in Oil and Gas. I've had a couple of enquiries that way and they will ask for my phone number, ask for my email and a couple of days later a CV will appear in my inbox. (That shows initiative and persisitence).

jangan malu malu lah .... how are you going to strike up a conversation with your vendors/operators if you can't even strike up a conversation with a total strangers or your sedara mara?

+1, that's why I say that don't be malu malu .... make friends, and asks around. Then you can tell us that it was your luck that one day you went to this open house or this party, and you met with this guy who you sent your CV to, and now you're in O&G ...

You ask them for help to at least get them an interview. Get at least one foot in the door I say. All you asking is an opportunity to show them how good you are. Why ungkit ungkit one

Eleh, if I were you I pekak telinga jer with these people ... did they take the degree for you? Yes, I would be grateful because without their help I won't be able to get the interview but if it was brought up, I'd just smile and say ... Thank you so much for helping ... that's about it.

Even my company which is the biggest Oil company in the world uses their online job application BUT, we also have an internal resume screener who receives resume via email and what not. Those goes directly to the supervisors which then direct the resume to the resume coordinator which then calls the person for interviews. Beat sending those resume via online application.