If you're working offshore and not getting 5 digit salary, now that's low!

Normally, your allowance would be for each day you go out offshore to the platform/rig/offshore installation.

This post has been edited by ravensteele: May 13 2012, 11:12 PM

It really depends if you're a direct hire or 3rd party engineers who go offshore once in awhile when operations need. In your case I would think it's the latter? I work on exploration rigs, and is direct hired working 28/28 on/off, so anything less than 5 digits would be low in my case. But even for 3rd party engineers, and for your case, a fresh grad, basic plus allowance (assuming you average 15 days offshore) would be nearing the 5 digits payscale. 4.6k is a pretty high basic for freshies, you just have to know what allowances they give and how much (duh!).

Stay for a few of years and once experience is gained, your payscale will shoot up exponentially, at least for the MWD and DD's I know. It's a lucrative job working offshore, so no worries.

I can only give examples for exploration rigs as I've only worked on them. Take for example, Petronas wants to explore a block, they hire, take for example, Transocean, for a drilling/exploration rig. Direct hire would mean people hired by Transocean working on the rig, and they make up the OIM, Tool/tourpushers, drillers, mechanics etc. These are the direct hired guys working full time for Transocean. Petronas of course will have some direct hired guys working for them on the rig, ie Drilling Supervisor, Well site engineers etc. 3rd party guys would be guys working for other companies needed for certain projects/operations, like Scomi (mud engineers mostly), Halliburton/Schlumberger (MWD, DD, Wireline, Cement engineers) etc.

Basically (and normally), direct hired personnel works on standard shifts (28/28, 14/14 - ie they work for 28 days and get the next 28 days off, and their salary is basically fixed every month, regardless of whether you're on or off). 3rd party contractors come and go as needed. They have a basic salary, and also allowance added on by the days they're offshore. So if they don't get sent offshore, they only get their basic salary.

From my point of view, if you get a chance to work offshore (in your case an engineer), and don't mind to make certain sacrifices, by all means take it. You can't and won't find a similar job on land that pays that well. Especially when you have tonnes of experience under your belt.

Don't really know as I was never close to any cementers lol But the obvious one would be nothing less than 5 digits. And I also don't really know how BJ/Dowell (2 of the cementer companies I know) pay, whether it's monthly or allowance-based. I would think it's the former, and judging and comparing to a mud engineer who's on 28/28, I'm assuming 7-9k for freshies till 15/16k with experience? I really don't know and just guessing lol.

It's because they save on the EPF they need to contribute for you.

Hmmmm ok yea, let me re-phrase my reply before: Anything that goes into payslip is subjected to taxes and EPF. Anything given out of the payslip is not. My bad.

1. Yes.

2. I've worked both 14/14 and 28/28, I'd prefer 21/21 lol (perhaps cos I've never done that).
14/14 has too short a time off, and takes up 1 extra day off for travels compared to 28/28.
28/28 you'll feel the pinch of being away for too long.

3. Main concern would be being away from family for quite some time, especially for young families, ie marriage in the first couple of years, or with young kids. Next would be not being able to choose when to be on or off, thus missing any special occasions while you're away from home, since there's no leave, unless emergencies.

I haven't been in this field long enough to tell you in too much detail. But I do believe you can do the above switches. I've seen aeronautical degree graduates working as well site engineers and later promoted to drilling supervisors/drill site managers.

I think it really depends on what exactly you do. Wire line, mud or cement engineers, MW/Directional Drillers, tong operators, they all command different salaries. But for general fresh grad engineers I would think can command around RM4k basic + RM200/300 per day offshore allowance?

This post has been edited by ravensteele: May 24 2012, 05:51 PM

One can have all the qualifications or experience, but everything comes to nought if you don't get that lucky break/chance.