Oil & Gas
With a consultant experienced in this sector of activity and who has held strategic positions in Engineering within the largest international groups, Phénicia Conseil provides its clients with effective support in the search for international talent for positions such as Project Managers, Electricians, Petroleum Engineers, etc.
Presentation of the sector
Nuclear or hydroelectric power plants, wind or solar farms, electricity or gas networks, oil platforms… energy professionals work in various fields with the aim of improving the safety of installations and meeting environmental challenges.
The first step is to design and build installations, and sometimes to define processes. This is the domain of researchers, project managers in design offices, research and development engineers, test technicians, etc.
Operating and maintenance technicians and engineers then take over. They control processes, monitor and repair equipment or networks, and improve machines and installations.
Sales representatives and advisors negotiate contracts for the former and reduce energy bills for the latter.
Particularity of the sector: most of the activity is located on production and operating sites, in France and abroad, especially for very large groups. Mobility and fluency in English are therefore expected.
Jobs, training and diplomas:
Wind power project manager :
Capturing the energy of the wind and transforming it into electrical energy… To achieve this result in the best possible conditions, the project manager supervises the implementation of a wind farm, from the preparatory work to the actual construction.
He must first choose the site by analysing the topographical context and evaluating the potential for energy production. He carries out himself, or has experts draw up a series of technical and economic feasibility studies: wind studies (frequency, average speed), meteorology, impacts on the landscape or the environment, etc.
To convince people of the project’s interest, this technician must be a man of dialogue and consultation. In constant contact with local authorities, citizens and the press, he or she solicits and reaches agreements with landowners or administrations… Although wind farms are developing in France, in all regions, on land and at sea, wind energy raises questions. The project manager must go against the received ideas (noise pollution, pollution…) and convince the populations concerned. Most often working in a design office, he nevertheless frequently travels to the site.
Education and qualifications:
5 years of study leading to an engineering degree (generalist or specialist) or a university master’s degree in the field of energy or the environment.
Electrician:
To distribute electricity in buildings, electricians install cable lines to which they connect the various electrical equipment. Working on construction or renovation sites, he coordinates his activities with those of other workers. After studying the plans and diagrams concerning the laying of cables, he locates the future location of circuit breakers, switchboards or electrical cabinets. He then installs the pipes and supports, lays the cable network, installs the various equipment (switches, sockets, heating appliances) and makes the necessary connections. Once this work is completed, he carries out a series of tests to check that the installation complies with the plans and diagrams provided at the outset. He takes part in the commissioning in the presence of the customer and the site manager. Depending on the site, the electrician may b responsible for wiring computer links or telephony, installing and adjusting video surveillance, alarm systems, heating and air conditioning management.
Team spirit, thoroughness and a sense of responsibility are his main assets. There is no shortage of job opportunities and the chances of moving up to the position of team leader or site manager are real.
Education and qualifications:
2 years to prepare for the CAP electrician, possibly supplemented by the BP electrician (2 years), the BTM electrical equipment installer (2 years) or a FCIL (complementary local initiative training) in the field (1 year); 3 years for the bac pro in electricity and its connected environments
After the baccalaureate:
1 year to obtain the MC renewable energy technician, option A: electrical energy; 2 years for the school certificate of electrical installation site manager.
CAP or equivalent
● CAP Electrician
● Building Equipment Electrician Baccalaureate or equivalent:
● Bac pro Electricity and its connected environments
● BP Electrician
● BTM Electrical Equipment Installer
● TP Technician of equipment and exploitation in electricity
● Electrical Equipment and Operations Technician Bac + 1 :
● FCIL Electrical technician installer in efficient lighting ● MC Renewable Energy Technician option A electrical energy
Geophysicist:
The geophysicist is a physicist and mathematician trained in geology, who studies the depths of the Earth. He works in a
research laboratory, a university or a co pany, and can specialize in the study of earthquakes, the analysis of geological structures or the detection of natural resources (water, minerals, oil…).
In the field, he works with other professionals (geologists, engineers, tectonists, etc.) and measures the waves (electric fields, magnetic fields, seismic waves, etc.) that travel underground. Back in the laboratory, he or she interprets the results of the measurements. In addition to scientific knowledge, this professional must have a good knowledge of computer tools. They must also know English and have good writing skills to write reports, articles or publish the results of their research.
Education and qualifications:
Minimum 5 years of higher education: engineering degree or master’s degree with a specialization in geophysics.
Gas engineer:
Exploring for and extracting gas: that’s the job of geologists, geophysicists and drilling engineers.
The latter most often work abroad because the gas consumed in France is mainly imported.
It is distributed from the LNG terminals to consumers through various networks.
A large transport network carries it to the entrances of municipalities and industrial sites. It then reaches the kitchens of private individuals via a distribution network.
Engineers and project managers are responsible for the extension, renewal and maintenance of gas pipelines, underground storage facilities, pipelines and building conduits. Other engineers orchestrate gas movements, taking into account weather conditions and consumption forecasts.
Education and qualifications:
Engineering degr e or master’s degree i energy or geo-resources, geo-risks, geotechnics (5 years of higher education).
Nuclear Engineer:
From the development of nuclear equipment or installations to the dismantling of power plants, via safety and risk prevention, different profiles of nuclear engineers are involved. Their function: to carry out studies or tests, to monitor engineering, to manage processes, to carry out controls… They can thus participate in the design or modernization of reactors, supervise the recycling of spent fuel, organize production within a power plant, control the operating status of equipment, etc.
The nuclear industry employs 125,000 people, mainly in energy groups (Areva, EDF, GDF Suez), in design and engineering offices, and in research and control organizations. The rejuvenation of the workforce and the many projects underway benefit young graduates.
Education and qualifications
Bac + 5: engineering degree (generalist or specialized) or master’s degree.
Petroleum Engineer:
Discovering oil deposits, 4,000 m deep underground or in the deep sea, is the domain of geologists and geophysicists. They work with reservoir engineers, who are responsible for evaluating the reservoirs and optimizing their performance. It is then the drilling engineer who designs and supervises the installation of the wells that will extract the black gold. It is up to him to determine the best route to the field and to manage the project. But before crude oil can be transported and refined, it must be purified. The petroleum installation engineer designs and sup rvises the installation f pipelines and processing plants. Gasoline, diesel, fuel oil… before it reaches the tanks of cars or the boilers, oil is transformed in refineries. Process engineers are responsible for ensuring that they run smoothly.
Education and qualifications:
Bac + 5: engineering degree or master.
Hydraulic engineer:
Turning on the tap to get a glass of water is a simple act.
This is due to water specialists such as the hydraulic engineer. The latter knows the irrigation and drinking water supply networks and the sewage systems.
They know how to design supply networks from pumping stations to consumers’ taps. He evaluates the installations necessary for the distribution of water.
He organizes projects and supervises the construction of springs, wells, etc.
Whether he works for a water treatment company or for a design office, he divides his time between trips to the field and office activities.
He may be required to work abroad
Education and qualifications:
5 years to obtain an engineering degree specialized in hydraulics, hydrogeology, sanitary engineering or civil engineering.
High voltage electrician:
Electricity at 400º000 volts transported from its place of production to large urban areas.
A project made possible thanks to the energy highways and the high voltage lines technician.
He is responsible for monitoring and maintaining the electrical installations to ensure that power is always transmitted. His role
also consists of d tecting any anomaly or accident on the high-voltage line network.
An emergency call (EDF, neighbour, etc.) often triggers his intervention. He is quickly on the scene and implements the most appropriate device. Sometimes, he intervenes on the lines themselves to replace an insulator or reinforce a protection system.
Education and qualifications:
Bac + 2: BTS electrotechnics..
Geologist:
A modern detective who deciphers the secrets of the Earth, the geologist collects rock fragments and fossils, and takes gas from the top of a volcano.
From microscopes to aerial photographs, he is as interested in a soil sample as in a uranium deposit.
Examining the composition of a metal allows, for example, hypotheses to be made about the pollution risks it may cause in a region.
The geologist is also looking for new deposits of raw material. Observing and collecting materials is only part of the geologist’s job.
He must also exploit laboratory work, research documentation on the subject and propose new interpretations on the history of our planet, the relationships between the soil, the subsoil and the biosphere.
He is both a naturalist and a scientist using digital data, with skills as a physicist, chemist and computer scientist. He may be assisted by a geological technician who takes samples to be studied (for drilling and boring) and performs chemical assays on the rocks.
Field and laboratory work:
When the geologist specializes in the study of soils, he is called a pedologist.
When it comes to groundwater, he is a hydrogeologist.
Education and qualifications:
2 years to obtain a BTS in applied geology for the technician; 5 years for a master’s degree (Earth and planetary sciences, environment; bio-geosciences with a specialization in geology), an engineering degree in geology (École des mines, Eost Strasbourg, Institut Polytechnique LaSalle Beauvais) for the engineer.