A passion for offshore life: Emin's story
As a designate offshore installation manager at bp, Emin is responsible for the health and safety of all personnel, management of site-based teams and efficient execution of integrated activities and management of risks
Emin is passionate about his role in the energy industry. As a designate offshore installation manager at bp, he is responsible for the health and safety of all personnel, management of site-based teams and efficient execution of integrated activities and management of risks. What he loves most about his role is the exposure to everything from production operations, to maintenance, drilling, logistics and fabrication activities. “As an offshore installation manager, you have so many opportunities to drive change and there are so many things you can do for the company. It’s really exciting”.
But interestingly, Emin’s academic career started off on a completely different path: “I graduated from university with a degree in International Relations and Diplomacy in my pocket. I would have never imagined myself working in the energy industry. My career goal at the time was to become an ambassador or work for an international organisation like the UN”, he recalls.
Turning dreams into reality
After graduating, Emin joined a local construction company, gaining experience as a site environment, health and safety officer. Then in 2006, he joined bp as an offshore site officer on Chirag-1, the first bp operated offshore installation in the Caspian Sea, where he discovered his passion for offshore operations. “I was working very closely with the offshore installation manager. He gave me a glimpse of what it was like to be an offshore ‘operator’. I gradually realised that this was my dream job”, he says.
Emin admits that he had knowledge and experience gaps, but refused to let this stop him. He joined training courses at bp and also enrolled at the Heriot Watt University, where he is currently studying for a Master’s degree in Safety and Risk Management.
In 2018, his dream became a reality when he was offered the role of designate offshore installation manager. But what did he learn from this journey? “Believe in yourself!” he says. “I’ve faced many challenges in the oil and gas industry, and have had people who doubted whether I had the skills for the job. But I worked hard and proved that there are no limits to what you can achieve when it comes to your career, as long as you’re willing to put in the time and effort.”
Balancing personal and professional lives
Emin really enjoys working offshore, on a rotational basis: “When I’m offshore, I can be fully dedicated to my work, pursue long-term priorities for the platform and dedicate time to my personal development.” In fact, Emin recently joined a programme called Your Growth Our Future, which involves several interactive sessions with coaches and colleagues from different parts of the world.
Equally, Emin loves being onshore and spending time with his wife and three kids, as well as dedicating time to another passion of his – playing basketball.