Requirements and working conditions for translators in oil and gas fields. Are all accepted or some can be refused?
Vlad Belousov, member of the Union of translators of Russia, author of text-books and training courses for oil and gas translators and interpreters.
It is quite possible that for many translators, who never worked on rotation, it will be interesting what work of translators in oil fields includes and how it is arranged. As long as I worked on rotation in the far north for over 10 years, this is my story about that.
Work of translators in the oil field has big advantages because provides for excellent practice allowing to gain knowledge directly on the front line of operations. In addition, it is interesting and romantic, though sometimes also hazardous. However such work is not for all. If you decided to go to the oilfield, then first of all you need to check if you meet all requirements.
First, you must have good health, particularly for work in the Far North. In the process of employment you will have to pass medical examination. In most cases field camp is at significant distance from town. Normally there is only a paramedic who may render only first medical assistance. And if you have any chronic diseases, there will be no chance to buy medication. However it should be pointed out that many translators stay for work in the town office, and then everything is easier, but if you do not pass medical examination, they will not accept you.
Second, along with fluent foreign language, you need knowledge of oil and gas industry and relevant terminology. You should think about it in advance, because currently employers do not train translators in operations, they want to find competent personnel in the market. The first thing you will be asked to do in the process of employment is to pass a test for knowledge of oil and gas operations and terminology. You may try to prepare independently, but in this case there is a risk to miss something important. In order to systemize your knowledge, it is better to attend a special training course for translators, receive a relevant certificate that you may demonstrate to the employer.
Third, you need to have specific good temper, know how get along with people, and it is also important. In the field camp, during the entire rotation (28 days) people live in different rooms, but in the same building. It is like in a submarine, every day the same faces during a month. All are in the same situation and therefore always help each other in any way. If you feel that cannot get along with people, it is better not to go to the field, because it will be revealed during the first few days. At least in my practice there were several cases when translators went home in the middle of rotation for that reason.
In general, working locations of translators in the field can be conditionally divided into three levels: camp in the nearest town – field camp – facilities at wells (well drilling and workover rigs, oil treatment facilities, pump stations, etc.). Such division can be different, but that is how it was in my case.
Working conditions in the town camp are very similar to usual office work. These are management offices. You, as a translator, just go to work and perform interpretation at meetings and translation of documentation. Periodically you accompany the expat who you assist in trips to the field.
The second half of translators (“field workers”) are located in the field camp. They also can be divided into those who permanently live and work in the camp, and those who daily go to field facilities and stay there. In our field camp each translator worked with one or several expats: camp manager, paramedic, heads of field departments (well drilling and completion, production, logistics, etc.), mechanics and welders, also performing interpretation and translation duties.
Translators from the group daily working at field facilities. It is a special category due to several reasons. First, opposite to all others, they work in the open for the whole day. If it is far north, winters there are very cold. In my practice the lowest temperature was -460С, but other people witnessed even colder weather. Hordes of horse flies, mosquitoes and sand flies attack people in tundra in summer time. Even mosquito nets not always can save you. Sometimes you cannot even see people nearby because of clouds of flying bloodsucking insects.
Second, for such translators working mode can be both day and night. Normally half of rotation is day work, and the other half is night shift. When working at night, particularly in winter, you start losing yourself in time. Going to bed – it is dark outside, getting up – it is dark, when working at night – it is also dark. But that is only for translators working at well drilling and workover rigs, where operations are performed round the clock. There is only one advantage of the night shift – there is much less work, provided there are no accidents. Normally at night time crews try to perform only routine works with low risk, for example, pipe-tripping operations in the well.
In most cases linguists at field facilities perform consequent interpretation, sometimes translation, but not much. Translators at drilling and workover rigs have much more work than others. For example, at the well workover rig, where I worked, we had a crew of five Canadians, and the same size crew of Russians. So I had to interpret all and any communications between them every day during 12-hour shift, and after, until I went to my room for rest.
You should remember that in the field translators not only translate, but also assist when possible. Of course, nobody is going to force a translator to do some additional work, however his refusal to help just like a normal person will be also perceived negatively. I used to see hysterics of some translators: “I will not do that, and by the way, I have higher education!!!” As a rule, such translators did not stay long with us. Actually I still do not understand why they came to the field at all and what they hoped for.
As a rule, living conditions in the field are very good. Normally, particularly if the field is developed by a joint venture, they build a very good camp using new technologies, that provides for all needed for personnel accommodation, meals and rest. As an example, let us describe the camp where I lived when working in the field. Though many years have passed, I think that now living conditions are even better.
We had a very warm and nice camp built of modules by Finnish technology and designed for 200 persons. Accommodation of 2 persons in a room, toilet and shower in each room. Wonderful big canteen where French cooks, including pastry-man worked. TV room, billiard room, gym and event sauna with с Jacuzzi. So it is quite possible that at an international project living conditions in the field will be descent.
Normally, translators in the field, similarly to other employees, are provided with clothes and personal protective equipment, including warm jacket, winter boots with protective metallic toe, hard hat, safety glasses, winter and summer coveralls, mosquito nets and repellents, however that depends upon a specific project.
Specifics of translator’s work in the field also include the necessity to know big number of equipment used in the field and its details, understand local slang and swear words, which, of course, you don’t need to translate, but lack of their knowledge also results in misunderstanding of many other aspects.
