Subsea Engineering: The Basics
Are you interested in subsea engineering? This exciting career choice is one that few people really know about, mainly because it is very specialized. Subsea engineers, sometimes called marine engineers or seabed-to-surface engineers, deal mostly with underwater projects or projects done on offshore platforms. Working as a subsea engineer means designing, maintaining, and using underwater vehicles, equipment, and structures. While many careers in the industry revolve around the oil and gas industry, there are jobs in other areas.
What other career options are out there? As a subsea engineer, there are a number of other projects you can work on. Many pursue a job doing research projects for cable-laying companies or work with marine biologists. Others may supervise dive crews. Many energy companies continue to work to supply islands and other offshore areas with a steady, dependable source of energy. This often means burying electrical cables under the seabed. A subsea engineer may be called in to study the seabed, the soil, and the marine life to determine the best location for laying these cables.
Subsea engineers may also find themselves employed by oceanography study groups and marine scientists. These engineers will often be tasked with designing, modifying, or maintaining undersea equipment. They may need to build a new underwater vehicle for scientists to use in their studies, for example, or modify an underwater camera. Often, these projects require creativity since they are not standard problems. An understanding of some marine biology and geology may also be necessary. Some subsea engineers in these fields also need to understand the special software that is used and the diving techniques employed by the scientists and study groups.
There are some positions that have subsea engineers working more as managers or project leads. For example, some companies may wish to have a subsea engineer act as a supervisor on a project, managing other engineers who do the actual work. These positions require engineers to have a grasp of budgeting, workforce management, and resource management. Other subsea engineers may act more as consultants and analysts. They may evaluate procedures, equipment, and projects or do a risk evaluation of a project.
Not all subsea engineering specialists will need to know the same things. Obviously, those who are dealing with cable laying will need to know the basics of electrical wiring and how energy is conducted, while those working on offshore drilling platforms will need to know how oil drills work. Some of this special knowledge can be learned in university programs that focus on subsea engineering. However, a number of subsea engineers will learn on the job after earning an engineering degree with a focus on subsea engineering. Apprenticeships are often available for those looking to go into this industry as well.
Some Problems Just Won't Sort Themselves Out!
It is interesting to wonder whether toys influence children in later years. At Claxton Engineering did all their engineers, when they were children play with Meccano or Lego or other educational toys which encouraged them into making buildings? Certainly as far as we have been concerned these kits have been a wonderful investment. Our son studied engineering at university and although it is some years since he moved away from home, both the Meccano and Lego kits went with him. Last weekend his girlfriend’s nephews stayed with them for a couple of days and my son and the children apparently had a wonderful time playing Lego! In fact a couple of days earlier it was my son’s birthday and his girlfriend bought him the Lego train set and all the accessories! Some children just don’t grow up!
Over the years we have known many engineers in one guise or another and it is interesting that they all enjoyed making things when they were children. We always enjoyed baking and painting and playing with modelling clay. Perhaps it’s a really good excuse for getting messy and leaving chaos everywhere.
Regardless of that fact, engineers are in short supply everywhere with many more vacancies than recruits. Whether or not Claxton Engineering has a shortage of engineers it isn’t possible to know, but given that many other companies in the same industry do have a problem in recruiting qualified engineers it is likely that Claxton Engineering will have the same or a similar problem. This appears to be true across the whole of the UK. Perhaps if more children were encouraged to make things when they are little, you never know, there may be more engineers. Apparently there are going to be many more vacancies in the energy industry when a huge number of alternative energy installers will be required for the installation of solar panels. It has already been suggested that there aren’t enough qualified people to fit these panels. Why are there so many unemployed people, yet so many vacancies which can’t be successfully filled?
It is a difficult set of circumstances and, of course, people qualified in one field can’t just morph into a different industry. In a few years it will be interesting to know whether there has been a specific response to the requirements for engineers and what sort of incentive has needed to be offered in order to gain more recruits. Something does need to happen and it may even need to be that there are more collaborations between companies to ensure that sufficiently high quality engineers are available. Maybe combining forces to enable more joint ventures could be a sensible way forward – only time will tell.
Keeping Up To Date with Subsea Engineering
Individuals working in the subsea engineering industry need to be constantly updated on all of the developments that are occurring within the field. Innovations are constantly being made in this industry and companies need to ensure that they are aware of all of these changes if they are to be successful. Companies that wish to be leaders in this industry need to make use of employees that are in the know concerning all of the current trends and advancements in the field and this is one way to ensure that they are an asset to the company.
Engineering courses are one of the best ways to learn about the progress that is occurring within the industry. Courses are being offered year round and they are being attended by both new comers and veterans of the field of engineering. As the technology that is being used in the industry continues to grow, those working within the field need to ensure that they are up to speed on all of the developments.
Focusing On Project Managers
Courses are not only useful to those that are new to the field of subsea engineering. These courses can assist project managers in learning about the advancements in the technology that they will be overseeing on a regular basis. Those who are constantly kept in the dark concerning these technologies might find that they no longer understand the field that they are working in and this could be a problem.
Those that specialise in a certain field of engineering might want to learn about others and these courses give them the chance. Learning about new technologies is one way to ensure that you are valuable in many more aspects of your chosen career and this allows you more variety when it comes to choosing the projects you would like to work on.
Experienced Engineers Who Want To Work In Subsea Engineering
Those engineers that have been working in other fields for most of their career might want to try their hand at this type of engineering and these courses can assist them in doing so. This is a great way to expand your knowledge of the industry and ensure that you always have options when it comes to your career.
Those that have recently graduated and would like to learn more about the industry that they have begun working in can take the courses in order to do so. Those that are inexperienced can never have enough knowledge about their field. This is also a great way to make connections within the industry and speak to like-minded people about your future in this field of engineering.
Oil – The Future and Decline of All Societies
While the global economies of the world are at the breaking point, the one commodity that is the last stick on our breaking backs is oil. We all need it. We all use it and the world now and in the near future cannot get rid of it or its use because there is no way to function without it.
The sleeping giant that is about to take over the world and all the precious resources is China. The global melting pot of cheap labour and manufacturing is in a position to buy up a large part of natural resources making everyone else pay more for the things we use to take for granted.
All the wars and fights over oil, do you see China involved?
They do not spend their money on fighting wars. They leave that up to the rest of us suckers. They regulate their money, are investing hugely in Africa (where a lot of precious resources lie) and manufacturing cheap, worthless products at a price that everyone can afford to buy then have to buy all over again because their products do not last.
Why would OPEC and other oil producing countries sell their oil for a lesser price when China is and has been buying up huge contracts at a high price just for the future use of this commodity?
While a lot of countries are trying to wean themselves off of imported oil by investing in HPHT drilling technology, the price of doing so keeps the cost high. This is happening all over the world. Using HPHT drilling technology is working but also creating major environmental damage due to shoddy work and the rush to produce more so as to try and drive the price down.
It is a vicious cycle and Wal-Mart and China are both trying to put everyone out of business. Stop shopping at Wal-Mart. What once started out as a mom and pop business has now positioned itself to take over all the retail trade everywhere, not just the USA.
Greed has taken over the world conciseness and the leaders of all our countries have gone down the road of no return. Vote; don’t vote it does not matter. The powers to be are far above what the common people can comprehend and unless we all take a stand against OPEC, we will forever be at their mercy.
Wars do not solve the world’s problems. It is a matter of communication. Let us stop spending all the money fighting useless wars over oil and invest it all on renewable energy resources.
It will take some time but we all must stand firm about how we go about dealing with OPEC. Let them take the hit – they can afford it!