Meet Billy McBain, Rig Inspection Engineer, ABL Newcastle
The team at ABL Group shares the passion, vision and values for working in energy and the world’s oceans, de-risking and driving the energy transition. We are driven by the idea that the best work is born from professionalism, diligence… and fun. You know ABL Group, but do you know our team?
Give us a glimpse into your day-to-day life at ABL. What keeps you on your toes?
“As an Inspection Engineer within the ABL Rig Inspection Team, I am utilised as a Team Lead for a variety of Rig Inspection services. This can cover everything from older generation Land Rigs & mobile units all the way through to 7th Generation Drillships & Semi-Submersibles and everything in-between.
Work-scopes can cover basic assurance inspections to full Rig Acceptance inspections lasting several weeks. No two jobs are the same and I love the diversity of tasking.”
What drew you to our industry and what keeps you passionate about it?
After spending 25+ years in the Royal Navy Submarine Service, latterly as an Electrical Supervisor and Nuclear Plant Supervisor, the synergies with the Oil and Gas Industry attracted me, and pulled me in. Ultimately it boils down to Engineering & Safety in high risk industries & environments. Although it was initially a steep learning curve to transition to Oil & Gas; the teamwork, camaraderie and strong work ethic appealed to me then and still does now.
I love the travelling aspects of the job, and since joining ABL I have worked on projects as far afield as Indonesia, Malaysia, Namibia & Greenland as well as all over Europe. Meeting & working with people from different countries and cultures excites me; my mantra is always to treat everyone with the same respect and humility, no matter who they are.
Can you tell us about something exciting you are working on right now?
“I’ve literally just returned from a period in Pennsylvania, inspecting a Land Rig in the Marcellus Shale gas play for an important client. The Inspection consisted of a Documentation Review, full Visual Inspections and an Endurance Test of rig systems prior to the client accepting the rig.
An interesting job, with the opportunity to meet and work with some great people.”
We have several upcoming projects in the pipeline, including a Rig Selection survey for a client looking for a Semi-Submersible. This will likely consist of visiting 3 or 4 rigs for a few days each to carry out high level inspections & reviews, before presenting the client with reports and a SWOT analysis, enabling them to make an informed choice of the rig they will take on contract.
From your experience in rig inspections, what are some of the biggest challenges or changes you’re seeing in the industry, and how are you and your team adapting to maintain high standards of safety and reliability
The challenges in the Rig Inspection arena, and in the wider Oil & Gas industry are huge as the industry faces evolving demands in the coming years. Ageing rigs, meeting the required regulatory compliance for the area of operation, cutbacks in maintenance, job insecurity for the workforce are all factors. In my opinion, this is why Rig Inspections are vital for mitigating the risks of Safety, Non-Productive Time, and compliance with the many regulations.
Beyond the work, what’s your favourite part about being part of the ABL Group team in Newcastle? Any fun team moments you’d like to share?
Having carried out hundreds, if not thousands of Rig Inspections between the Team members; it’s great to have this depth of experience available to any of our Engineers. There’s also the immense knowledge & experience of the wider ABL Group. Our team is strewn over the length of the country, from Newcastle to the North of Scotland.
However, we make full use of technology to keep in touch and remain a close-knit team. Some of the team managed to get together in Aberdeen for a celebratory Christmas meal in December, however, as is always the case a few of the team were away on a job at the time.
If you could change one thing about our industry, what would it be and why?
I would change the perception of the Industry. The Oil & Gas industry and people who work in the industry often get an unfair ‘bad press’ from some quarters of Society. I can never see a time when we will not need the Oil & Gas industry and Hydrocarbons. The industry is full of exceptionally talented people who work incredibly hard for their Companies and their families. This should be celebrated, and not vilified.
More about Billy
Position: Inspection Engineer
Office: Newcastle
Hobbies: Food (both cooking & consumption), part-time Restaurant Critic, Swimming, spending time with my 10 year-old granddaughter.
Favourite Movie: Some Kind of Wonderful – back in 1990, watched it about 20 times in 3 months whilst on Patrol
ABL has extensive rig inspection expertise including, rig selection, reactivation assurance, new-build delivery and preservation inspection. The company’s dedicated rig inspection team consists of multi-disciplined engineers with decades of practical rig inspection experience that helps to provide regulatory compliance and equipment operability assurance to rig owners and operators.
Discover ABL’s Rigs Rundown to read expert news and insights from our global rigs inspection team: