Not surprisingly, Statoil tops the list.

In recent years, Aibel has won many large and important contracts, we are recruiting large numbers of new employees, and have built up a good reputation.

"The company has moved up into the first division, proving that we are good at what we do and are an attractive workplace and business partner", Skogseth adds.

What is important?

According to the survey, the most important thing for the students is that the company delivers high quality services. In addition, they are keen to have a job that will allow them to achieve a sensible work–life balance. The students also reported that they would like interesting work tasks and the opportunity to build a good network. The companies' ability to invest in their employees was also ranked as important.

The most attractive companies

The engineering students rated the companies based on their "knowledge of the company".

Here are the top ten most attractive prospective workplaces for engineering students:

1) Statoil

2) Aker Solutions

3) Subsea 7

4) SINTEF

5) Aibel

6) GE Oil & Gas

7) FMC

8) Kværner

9) Multiconsult

10) Schlumberger

The survey was conducted by Norway’s leading student portal Studenttorget and the consultancy firm Evidente.

(Photo: Kilian Munch/TCM)

Aibel has had an EPCM contract for the Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM) project. The contract includes engineering, procurement and construction management for all process and utility systems. In addition, Aibel has also been responsible for development of the infrastructure and tie-ins to the refinery and the new gas-fired power plant.

– Aibel is proud to have contributed to the realisation of the TCM project. It is important to develop and test new technologies which can contribute to emission reductions today whilst we can at the same time develop other renewable energy resources, says Aibel’s CEO Jan Skogseth.

Two different carbon capture technologies are now ready to be tested. One is delivered by Aker Clean Carbon and the other by Alstom Carbon Capture GmbH .

250 national and international guests attended the inauguration ceremony, amongst whom were Aibel’s CEO Jan Skogseth. After the ceremony they were taken on a guided tour of the new plant. (Photo: Kilian Munch/TCM)

.

Flåthen was given a tour of Aibel’s yard in Haugesund.(All photos: Aibel/Trond Skree)

Many years have passed since a leader of LO has visited the yard in Haugesund. Roar Flåthen was welcomed by Aibel’s union leaders and the management of the yard who informed about the challenges regarding the high activity of the industry.

– We want him to use his influence to achieve a more balanced pace over longer periods of time, says director of Aibel’s resource unit, Jan Ståle Skår.

Flåthen agreed that this is necessary, but said that he thought it would be difficult.

The LO leader has a chat with a worker he meets at the smoker’s corner outside on of the construction halls.

Met the workers on the floor

The leader of LO was also encouraged to influence the school system to educate more operators and engineers, which the industry is desperately in need of.

A large number of Aibel’s empoyees are members of The Norwegian United Federation of Trade Unions (Fellesforbundet) and The Electrician and IT workers union (EL & IT), so Flåthen visited the yard to get an update on the situation. During the tour he took time to talk to several of the union members.

Roar Flåthen meets steel worker Charlie Smistad who has worked at the yard for 47 years.

In addition to contributing to Aibel’s projects in Norway, the Singapore office and the construction yard in Thailand are getting set to manage an increasing number of assignments internationally.

“The company’s strategy is to perform more split-location work and also to win more contracts internationally through this office and the Thailand yard. To achieve that, we need to expand our capacity by recruiting more employees”, says general manager for Aibel’s office in Singapore Ramalingom Venkateswaran.

Job fairs led to 20 new trainees

Early this year, the general manager personally participated in recruiting new talent.

“We had stands at two job fairs at the two universities in Singapore in January and February, and they were very successful. A lot of undergraduates visited us, and 20 new trainees are now joining the company,” he says.

General manager Ramalingom Venkateswaran talks to interested students at the recruitment fair.

But there is still a long list of positions vacant in Singapore, most of them within the different engineering disciplines and also in the commercial, project management and support functions.

“We can offer our employees the opportunity to develop their skills and careers, and we make sure they get experience from a variety of projects. Also, some employees have the opportunity to be seconded to work in Norway,” Venkateswaran adds.

Aiming high

Aibel’s office in Singapore was established in 2007, and now employs over 400 people of 12 nationalities, reflecting the cultural diversity of Aibel.

The goal is to be a preferred provider of engineering, procurement and construction in the Singapore region, with more than 500 employees by the end of 2012.

"Now it's beginning to look like a platform," says Liv Auestad Skaar, building manager for the module being constructed at Haugesund. Two other modules are being built in Thailand.

The operation was performed at night, with the minimum of personnel present. The lift itself took a couple of hours, and the welding on the deck started as soon as the deck was in place.

"Everything went according to plan. Now the process of welding the two decks together will go on for a while," explains Skaar.

Nearly there.The second floor is about to join the first floor.

Fitting out continues

A large amount of mechanical equipment is being installed between the two decks.

"Getting the deck in place was vital to progress. We can now get started on the thousands of hours of fitting out work on this level. The third deck will be lifted into place around the middle of May," adds Skaar.

The Haugesund module for Gudrun is starting to look like a platform.

Increasing activity at the yard

A total of 170 workers are employed on the Gudrun project at Haugesund. New modules for the Troll A platform are also under construction. All this activity is affecting the everyday work according to Skaar:

"The atmosphere at the yard is highly positive at the moment with the number of people working here.”

There will be even more activity in the autumn. The Troll project is ramping up, and in September/October the two Gudrun modules being built in Thailand will arrive to be joined to the Haugesund module. Gudrun is scheduled for delivery to Statoil in March, 2013.

The background to this visit was that Aibel gave last year's Christmas present to the flood victims in Thailand.

"After checking potential recipient organisations, the choice fell on the Thai Red Cross, a respected and dependable organisation. Princess Sirindhorn is the patron of the Red Cross in Thailand. The princess invited four representatives of the company to meet her and hand over the gift," says Bjørg Sandal, SVP Communications of Aibel AS.

Commitment to social responsibility

The royal family holds a strong position in Thai society and the princess shows great commitment to helping the flood victims.

"We are proud to have been invited to present this gift in person. Giving this year's Christmas present to her and the Red Cross shows that we take our social responsibilities seriously," says Jim Ryan, manager of Aibel's office in Thailand.

Jim Ryan presents the monetary gift from Aibel to the princess.

The Red Cross helped families with the most essential needs during the acute phase. The organisation then intensified the work of finding the victims somewhere to live and helping them to get on with their everyday lives.

"It is inspiring to know that the money given by Aibel is helping so many people to get their lives back on the right track," says Sandal.

Bjørg Sandal presents a gift from Aibel, a crystal polar bear.

Flood disaster

The flooding that hit Thailand in 2011 was the worst for several decades. Official figures show that about 850,000 households were affected and that the total cost of the damage was more than NOK 20 billion. Agriculture, industry and tourism were all affected and countless buildings were flooded.

The gift from Aibel and other donations are enabling the Red Cross to help many families to get back on their feet after the flood disaster.

Monarchy

The monarchy plays an important role in Thailand. The king and his four heirs are loved and respected. The members of the royal family are patrons of many charitable organisations, as Princess Sirindhorn is for the Red Cross in Thailand.

The present king, Rama IX, has reigned for longer than any other monarch in the world, since 1946.

Friday 13th of April - that must be a lucky day. Because the steel being cut today represents the start of a very exciting period for the Troll A project.

"This is the first of three new modules that we are building for the Troll A platform. It will weigh 300 tonnes when finished and will be the smallest module," explains Erling Larssen, head of fabrication for the project.

On 18 June 2013 it will be sent out to the platform.

Fabrication of the other two modules will begin in July and August this year. The biggest of these will house the two new compressors on Troll A and will weigh as much as 4,500 tonnes. The final module will weigh 2,000 tonnes.

Project director Bruce McPherson, construction manager Einar Tomin Urnes, Statoil's Jan Gunnar Gjerstad and location manager in Haugesund Bjørn Tollefsen.

Extending the lifetime of the Troll field

Statoil has given Aibel the job of carrying out major modifications to the Troll A platform. As the gas is brought out, pressure in the reservoir falls. To maintain gas production for many years to come, powerful compressors are needed to keep up the export pressure.

"Our job involves designing, building and delivering three new modules. We shall also demolish and remove 2,000 tonnes of existing equipment on the platform and install about 1,000 tonnes of pipes, structure and equipment," says project director Bruce McPherson.

According to McPherson, the Troll A platform assignment is an unusual one, because it involves a great deal of modification work, while at the same time building large, new modules.

Non-alcoholic champagne is part of the first steel tradition. Afterwards the bottle is marked and added to the yard's collection.

Big platform – big project

Troll A is the biggest platform on the Norwegian continental shelf, producing gas worth NOK 250 million every day.

At the height of this project, 600 of Aibel's employees will be working on it. The plan is for the modification work to be completed by January 2015.

"Yes, this is the biggest in terms of hours and money," says Project Manager Rolf Torvik, Aibel AS.

The field Njord North West Flank is in the Norwegian Sea, around six kilometres North West of the Njord platform. The field contains rich gas and condensate and is expected to extend Njord's service life by up to two years.

"We're modifying the process plant on Njord A to get it ready for the North West Flank wells. The North West Flank has higher pressure than the main reservoir, which affects the design," says Torvik.

Order worth NOK 100 million

The project started in late 2010 and was the first which Aibel in Kristiansund received as a result of the new framework agreement for maintenance and modification work with Statoil.

"A framework agreement such as this one always puts pressure on resources. And we have also had to adjust to the new conditions in the contract, new tools and we have gotten to know the people on the other side of the table," explains Torvik.

What sort of challenge does the size of the project represent?

"Aibel in Kristiansund is a location which usually handles smaller modification work. The North West Flank is a medium-sized project with 110,000 man hours, and worth about NOK 100 million. We've kept to the schedule all the way, which shows that even a small office like Kristiansund can handle larger projects," states Torvik.

Aibels office in Kristiansund. (Photo: Heine Schølberg/Aibel)

About 85% complete

Between 40 and 50 engineers in Kristiansund have been involved in the project. Prefabrication work has been performed at the Haugesund yard and by local subcontractors in the Kristiansund region.

"We are building units as much as possible onshore, and then lifting them into place on the platform. This helps us save time offshore as capacity on Njord is limited," explains Torvik.

Only the actual installation work is left to do on the platform now.

(Photo: Aibel)

"The first stage of the installation work started in May last year, and must be completed by the end of April. That means that about 85% of the project is complete," states the project manager. As far as Aibel are concerned, there will be a break in the work of about a year. This is because the work on the Hyme fast track project will be prioritised on the platform.

"We know Njord well"

Aibel has been working on Njord since it was built in 1997.

"We know the platform very well, and it's always great to be part of lifetime extension for the field," says Torvik.

The remaining offshore installation work will start in Q2 next year. Aibel is to be finished with the refurbishment work by Q4 2013.

"By that time, the process plant on Njord A will be ready to receive production from the North West Flank," concludes the project manager.

(Photo: Øyvind Nesvåg/ Statoil)

Aibel's Gudrun project director Jon Garborg was in Haugesund to oversee the safe arrival of the first delivery from Poland.

"The Haugesund module is an extremely important part of the Gudrun project. It's great being here to experience such an important project milestone," he says.

Read also: The first deck is jacked into place

Freeing up capacity

Aibel is supplying the top deck for the new Gudrun platform and is building three modules – two in Thailand and one in Haugesund. The Haugesund module has been named M10, and the structures of several M10 sections are being built in Poland. The living quarters have been commissioned from Apply in Stord.

"We have received two decks and several walkways from the Morska shipyard in Poland. The decks weigh 320 and 275 tonnes respectively and their delivery has been in accordance with schedule," says Liv Auestad Skaar.

She is the construction manager for the Haugesund module and currently has around 170 workers in full swing at the shipyard.

"Having help to build the structure in Poland frees up our capacity here in Haugesund, and we are consequently able to devote more time to the actual equipping of the sections," says Skaar.

The barge left Poland last Friday and the sections were lifted ashore in Haugesund on Tuesday and Wednesday.

"They will now be hosed down to remove the salt and then they will be taken into the North Sea Hall where work on the structure, pipework and electrical systems will continue", explains construction manager Skaar.

Read also: Gudrun rising in Thailand

Moving for Gudrun

In the middle of March the first deck of the M10 module was lifted into place on the building foundations in Haugesund. The decks which have just arrived will be lifted into place at the end of April and in May.

"It is good to see that the North Sea Hall is starting to fill up. A lot of exciting and demanding work will be taking place there during the forthcoming period," says Project Director Jon Garborg.

He adds that the project in Thailand is also in the middle of its most hectic period right now and that a substantial lifting programme will be concluded there at the end of April. The two modules that are being built in Thailand will be leaving the Laem Chabang shipyard in the middle of August and will arrive in Haugesund in October. Garborg will also be in Haugesund then.

"Yes, that is when I and many of the other project managers in Oslo will be moving to Haugesund and we will remain here until we have delivered Gudrun to Statoil in March 2013," he concludes.

Sigurd Fløgstad listens closely to what Isabel says. (All photos: Helge Skodvin)

“It was very positive and instructive to tag along with one engineer, and we could ask about everything we wanted to know. It's a more independent job than I had imagined,” Eirik says. Sigurd Naustdal concurs.

“I really enjoyed the visit. We experienced what it was like to work in an office. We saw that it wasn't just a bore. It seemed exciting to work on projects. And it was very positive with so many social activities,” he says.

Aibel engineer Torgeir Hansen is showing Sigurd Naustdal which tools they use as structural engineers.

We have to make an effort

Jan Konrad Olseth is the head of Aibel's Bergen office. He has this to say about the visit.

“When we received the request from the school to receive a group of students for a company visit, it was only natural for us to agree so that we could contribute to establish an interest in the field of engineering.

“We can't sit back and relax, waiting for the Government and educational institutions to sort out the lack of engineers for us. We have to make an effort ourselves to contribute to greater interest in the profession,” Olseth continues.

Followed an Aibel employee

The students were first given a short introduction to the industry, about Aibel and about pursuing a scientific education. Then the students were given an Aibel associate each, who showed them what the job as an engineer entails.

“16 Aibel employees were involved. The students were introduced to the various aspects of the work and were shown what an engineers’ job is and which tools they use,” says Hildegunn Engelsen.

She is section manager in Bergen and was responsible for carrying out the student visit.

“The students seemed very interested and a lot of them were good at asking questions. I hope they found engineering to be an exciting profession. It was also fun and interesting for us as well. We would be happy to do it again,” says Engelsen.

Process engineers Madeleine Njøten and Line Grindheim explains to Kristin Aase what a process drawing is.

Positive towards a repeat

Olseth does not rule out future student visits to Aibel in Bergen.

“If this proves to establish an interest in the engineering profession among young people, this could be something we could contribute with on a regular basis and establish long-term cooperation with the schools,” Olseth concludes.

The students Eirik Fløgstad and Sigurd Naustdal had considered the engineering profession, but neither of them really knew what it involved or that there were so many different specialist areas to choose from. Following the visit, they were even more sure of studying engineering after leaving school. And perhaps they will aim for a career with Aibel.

“The only thing missing was an offshore trip,” Sigurd Naustdal adds with a grin.

Aibel opened its office in Harstad a little over a year ago, and the office has now grown to 80 staff. Aibel CEO Skogseth was therefore pleased when he read the news from Statoil yesterday.

President and CEO Jan Skogseth. (Photo: Øyvind Sætre/Aibel)

"It's very positive for us that Statoil is reinforcing its presence in the north. It shows that our decision to invest heavily in Harstad as a major oil capital was correct," says Skogseth.

The new operating area will be responsible for the operation of Norne, the Snøhvit fields and Åsta Hansteen when the decision to develop it is made later this year. Eventually, it will also be responsible for Skrugard/Havis.

"There are many exciting things happening in the northern areas. We already have strong organisations in place in both Harstad and Hammerfest, and we will continue to grow in both cities. We look forward to further cooperation with Statoil in our two northernmost counties."

"Yes, it is, and it has given us a lot of experience and improved our skills because this is a totally new type of job for us," says Ronny Henden. He is Aibel's project manager.

Improving the working environment

The project is part of the maintenance and modification agreement which Aibel has with Statoil on Njord. The work started as far back as in 2009, and the main study was delivered the following year. The actual project started up in December last year.

"The main purpose of the job is to improve the working environment for operators on Njord A. We are therefore upgrading the control room in terms of lighting, heating, ventilation and ergonomics. In addition, we are going to upgrade the screen system the operators use," explains Henden.

Siemens is supplying the screen system, and has worked with Aibel throughout the entire study phase.

"This was a big success factor, as the system is complicated, and we were dependent on close collaboration with the supplier," states Henden.

The temporary control room at Njord A.

Training courses in the system

The new system has been tested over a period of several weeks. During testing, the new system has been running in parallel with the old one in the control room. A temporary control room has now been set up in an adjoining room, and rebuilding of the old one is in progress.

"We are going almost right down to bare walls, and rebuilding the ceiling, floor, walls, ventilation and electrical systems right from scratch."

What's it like for the operators to work under these conditions?

"We have had to keep an eye on everything the whole time, but the temporary room is working well," explains Henden. He goes on to add that the operators go through a training course the week before they come offshore, to familiarise themselves with the new system.

17 Aibel employees divided between the day and night shifts are working on the project based on the platform. By mid-April, the Njord A operators will be able to move in to their new control room.

The road, Aibels vei, runs across the site from east to west.

An important supplier

Technology Centre Mongstad, TCM, is a joint venture between the Norwegian state, Statoil, Shell and Sasol. TCM is the world's largest facility for testing and improving carbon capture and storage technologies.

“Aibel is one of several suppliers to this large-scale project. We decided to name the roads in the plant after the most important ones,” says Sverre J. Overå, Statoil's project manager at TCM.

Aibel representative Hamed Kahlil at Aibel's new road sign at Mongstad technology centre.

Aibel's contribution

Aibel has an EPCM contract for Technology Centre Mongstad. The contract includes engineering, procurement and construction management for all the process and utility systems. In addition, Aibel is also responsible for development of the infrastructure and tie-ins to the refinery and the new gas-fired power plant.

The administration complex at Technology Centre Mongstad opened in October 2010. The official opening of the centre as a whole will take place on 7 May 2012.

"The work has been successfully completed, but it has taken time," confirms Jarle Østenstad. He has been responsible for the operation in Nordsjøhallen.

Aibel is supplying the topsides for the new Gudrun platform and is building three modules - two in Thailand and one in Haugesund.

Now the first part of the Haugesund module is in place. "The lowest deck weighs 630 tonnes. It is composed of two sections, which have both been built in Haugesund," says Østenstad.

Read: First shipment with parts for Gudrun

Record jacking operation

The preparations began as early as Saturday. On Sunday the work of jacking up the deck by 2.9 metres, to a height of 4.9 metres, commenced.

"We have never jacked anything up so high before, and we do not have the equipment to manage jacking operations of these dimensions either. Therefore we hired an English company this time," explains Østenstad.

On Monday the right height was reached. On Tuesday trailers were placed under the deck and it was then transported 50 metres from one end of Nordsjøhallen to the other.

"Stability is vital both during the jacking up and transportation of the deck. We must always ensure that the jack-up point, the trailers and the ground can hold the weight," says Østenstad.

The deck, which is 38 by 38 metres in size, was then carefully lowered onto the grillage. The entire operation was completed by 20 pm on Tuesday.

Read: Gudrun is rising at the yard in Thailand

The grillage is prepared for the deck.

The busiest period

At the end of March, several more sections for the M10 module are scheduled to arrive from Poland. At the same time the work on the two last modules is also in the busiest period at the yard in Laem Chabang in Thailand. Currently 700 employees are working there on Gudrun.

On 16 March 2013 the Gudrun deck is scheduled to be handed over to Statoil.


The deck on the grillage. The operation was completed Tuesday.

"This is a milestone for us. We appreciate the confidence that Shell has shown us," said Mr. Skogseth at the signing.

"I would like to thank those who have been working on the tender. It has been an orderly process," said Mr. Granås. He went on to say that Shell for a while had wanted to do business with Aibel.

Important step for the company

Aibel was awarded the framework agreement for modifications to the Draugen platform last week. The agreement applies for six years, with options for additional two plus two years. It is worth around NOK six billion.

"This framework agreement provides us with highly appreciated long-term prospects," says Mr. Skogseth.

Shell's Bernt Granås, Aibel's EVP Modifications Nils Arne Hatleskog, Aibel's Draugen project director Kjetil Sævareid and CEO Jan Skogseth.

Aibel's offices in Stavanger, Oslo, Kristiansund and Harstad will be collaborating on the Draugen projects.

"Shell is a new customer for us. Today marks a very important step for Aibel AS, and it is particularly important for our offices in Kristiansund and Harstad," says Mr. Skogseth. He refers to the fact that the contract will bring substantial growth for Aibel in these two towns.

Read more about job opportunities: More job vacancies after Draugen

All the company's knowledge

In order to maintain the platform’s integrity, to increase production and to make further development possible, both large and smaller modifications to the Draugen platform are planned in the years to come.

Read more about the projects: Mulit-billion six year contract on Draugen

Work on several projects will commence during the spring. By the summer of 2013 around 500 Aibel employees will be working on the contract.

"Draugen will require us to draw on all our competencies," says Mr. Skogseth.