My first taste of Offshore Life

Young Professional Committee Member Emil Baigildin reflects on his first taste of life offshore in the North Sea!

'You never really forget your first trip offshore. It’s a bit like your first time driving on a motorway, only it’s at sea, in the dark, and you’re in charge of a multi-million-pound well. No pressure, right?

I’d been in the oil and gas industry for seven months, fresh out of uni, buzzing with theory but absolutely zero real-world experience. So when I was asked to go offshore to the Jade platform as a night-shift new well start-up engineer, I said yes before my brain had the chance to say, “Wait, what?”

I was excited, of course, but also slightly terrified. Offshore isn’t exactly your average office job. You don’t just pop to Pret for lunch and moan about the printer. You’re on a giant metal structure in the middle of the North Sea, surrounded by people who know their stuff and expect you to know yours too.

Luckily, I wasn’t alone. A proper seasoned Senior Engineer came along with me, cool as a cucumber and happy to guide me through it all. He didn’t talk down to me, didn’t throw jargon at me to look smart. Just calm, straight talk. That alone helped calm my nerves. He was on the day shift, so we had solid handovers, and he gave me the confidence that I was capable, that I knew what I needed to know to lead the start-up safely. That trust meant a lot, especially on your very first offshore trip.

As often happens offshore, the plan went sideways pretty quickly. The well start-up got delayed until the weekend, naturally when there’s the least onshore support. And to top it off, it landed smack in the middle of the night – my shift. So there I was, in the early hours, standing in front of the night crew, giving my first proper toolbox talk. Trying to sound like I knew exactly what I was doing, while my brain was quietly screaming, “Don’t mess this up!”

We walked through the procedure, step by step. Everyone chipped in. I could feel the energy shift. It wasn’t just my start-up anymore, it was our start-up. The crew were brilliant, experienced, focused, but still up for a laugh. We were ready.

And then we did it. We opened the choke on a live well for the first time in my life. No fireworks, no dramatic music, but inside, it felt like a proper movie moment. We brought the well online, safely and smoothly. Just a group of people doing their jobs, trusting each other.

That trip taught me more than seven months in the office ever could. Offshore is the frontline. It’s where all our spreadsheets and procedures meet real pressure, metal, and human hands. I walked the lines like a detective, asking questions, following pipes like they were clues. Every valve had a story. Every system a purpose. It finally all made sense.

Most importantly, I started building real relationships with the offshore crew. That’s something they don’t teach you in university or onboarding sessions: the value of trust, of just being a decent human. Offshore people can spot a fake from a mile off. If you’re honest, curious, and actually listen, they’ll welcome you in. That connection? That’s gold when you're back onshore trying to plan things from behind a desk.

Since that trip, I’ve been offshore multiple times, visited different platforms, even a floating production boat. I’ve led new well start-ups during the day shift now, but nothing compares to that first night on Jade.

It made me believe in myself. It showed me what this job really is about: teamwork, responsibility, and knowing that behind every valve and every system, there’s a person who cares.

And sure, things don’t always go to plan. Start-ups get delayed, the hours are odd, and you're constantly thinking two steps ahead. But what struck me most was how safety is woven into everything. It’s not just rules on a poster, it’s how people talk, how they plan, how they watch out for one another. That’s the real offshore mindset. And honestly, after that first trip, I knew I’d always carry a bit of offshore with me — and I’d jump at the chance to go back!'