“The oil and gas supply chain has a huge role to play in helping reach the UK Government’s ambitious carbon reduction targets.”

Originally from Great Yarmouth, Chris Kirkland (40) lives in Aberdeen with his family. As a health and safety expert, he’s worked with drillers and production companies, both offshore and onshore. Today, he is a Health, Safety, Environment and Quality (HSEQ) Advisor for Dron & Dickson, supporting the company’s five branches across the UK.

My career in oil and gas has come full circle. I was born in Great Yarmouth and moved to the north-east of Scotland aged 10. After completing a Higher National Diploma in legal studies, and with an interest in health and safety law, I set about gaining work experience to help with my job prospects. Naturally, the oil and gas industry is governed by strong health and safety requirements, so it seemed a logical place to start – especially given the importance of the industry in the region.

What would become a lifelong career began with a stint offering general support on North Sea rigs, including Brittania and Heather. While working on the drill floor, I progressed to become part of the drill crew, working my way through various positions including Materials Co-ordinator, Roustabout, and Roughneck. After completing these roles, I took on a position as a Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) adviser for a drilling company. After a few years, I joined another oil and gas company, holding various health and safety roles, including offshore HSE Advisor, onshore Corporate HSE Advisor and finally Operations HSE Advisor.

Today, I’m based onshore in Aberdeen with Dron & Dickson, which supplies and maintains hazardous area electrical equipment. My job as HSEQ Advisor sees me support our five onshore branches across the UK, as well as our engineering services teams both onshore and offshore. Working in the supply chain, there’s a great culture of support from the ground up. That builds trust within the organisation – something that is incredibly important to me. The success of a company is truly built around the people that work there.

Looking beyond production and drilling, the wider supply chain has a huge role to play to support oil and gas companies in reaching the UK Government’s ambitious carbon reduction targets. At Dron & Dickson, we have set our own target of net zero by 2030 – 20 years before the UK Government aims to reach net zero! We are aiming to achieve this goal through a variety of different ways; from electric vehicle charge points and shifting our company fleet to electric vehicles, to switching to renewable energy supplies and taking active steps to reduce our own personal carbon footprints.

Looking at the oil and gas industry more generally, I think there are two big tasks that need to be achieved to reach a low carbon future. The first is supporting the Government in understanding what relies on oil and gas – helping to identify what can and cannot be replaced with renewable energy sources. Understanding this will then allow us to focus on ensuring oil reserves are directed towards products and services that simply can’t be fully decarbonised. Secondly, the oil and gas sector must use its vast experience and the incredible talent pool to explore its own move towards carbon neutral facilities and renewable energy projects.

Exploration must continue, as we will require oil and gas for many years to come, but enthusiasm and resources must be used to explore how we will support the demand for energy from future generations, without relying on fossil fuels. A significant commitment to new technology and funding of low carbon projects is crucial. It will be an exciting transition from fossil fuels to cleaner sources.

My advice for someone looking to start a career in the energy industry is to learn from the experienced, knowledgeable, and helpful people already working in the sector. I recommend taking every opportunity presented to you, even if it’s outside your comfort zone. It’s a great way to expand your knowledge and experience – and with the rapid changes taking place across the industry, it certainly won’t be boring!