Mark Guest sees hiring trends increase across oil & gas sectors
The past three years have been something of a rollercoaster for the energy sector – not just in terms of fluctuating oil and gas prices, but also with regard to hiring trends. A current upturn in activity across the industry is seeing oil and gas employers once again looking to fill new positions.
West Africa has been identified as a key region for future sector growth with offshore drillers including Transocean and ENSCO competing in deep water reserves in the area, while major fields are being brought into production; notably Total’s deepwater Pazflor field. There is tremendous potential across a number of countries in the region, with Ghana and Nigeria both ranking highly in terms of the exploration possibilities they present.
There is clear demand for roles within the oil and gas industry in the region too; more than 10,500 candidates from Ghana have registered with OilCareers.com to date; this number is considerably higher from within Nigeria, with in excess of 109,000 candidates registering. Engineering opportunities remain the most sought after from both countries, with IT/communications opportunities also in high demand.
Engineering and management
In Ghana, vacancies are highest in the fields of engineering and management, with a 43 per cent rise in engineering opportunities between 2009 and 2010, while 42 positions have been posted already for 2011. The expectation is for that number to grow further by the end of the year. Management skills are also in demand in the country, with the number of vacancies rising more than two-fold between 2010 and 2011 to date, from eight to 19.
In Nigeria the highest number of vacancies are in engineering, management and marine, diving and ROV positions.
Subsea, safety and environmental expertise continue to remain in high demand across the region, while the burgeoning local natural gas industry in Nigeria is expected to present further demand for qualified LNG personnel, already in short supply worldwide. External talent too is being sourced in order to ensure that the infrastructure is in place to leverage the most out of potential exploratory opportunities.
The most recent workforce survey produced by OilCareers and Air Energi suggests that despite the unprecedented opportunities in West Africa, it faces a number of issues, with a poor track record for infrastructure and civil unrest coupled with day-to-day challenges such as high living costs and personal security. Operators are also finding that there is a need to develop a strong network of technical skills in response to the complex requirements posed by technically difficult plays. In order for the country and its population to benefit, such issues must be addressed to ensure activity is properly supported.
Nigeria has some of the largest natural gas reserves in Africa, though it lacks the adequate infrastructure to capitalise on them. With its ‘Master Gas Plan’, Nigeria aims to position itself among the world’s top natural gas producing countries.
Meanwhile oil majors are continuing to observe Nigerian prospects from the sidelines until they know for certain what impact the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) will have on revenue and taxation. Convincing qualified expat personnel to accept contracts in Nigeria is also a challenge. Once passed however, the PIB is expected to usher a major influx of work in the region, increasing demand across the board.
The first large-scale, commercially viable oil field was discovered in Ghana in 2007, with a number of sedimentary basins since identified, including the inland Voltaian basin and the offshore Tano basin. Oil and gas discoveries in this part of West Africa, however, come with high environmental concerns. An additional layer of complexity is added as a result of Ghana’s coastal landscape and those investing in exploration in the country will have to ensure adequate monitoring provision of their oil and gas operations in order to prevent risk and respond promptly to incidents.
What is clear is that while there is a great scope in the region for activity, recruitment, retention and training will prove crucial considerations in sustaining sector growth.
Mark Guest, managing director of OilCareers.com
