“Engineers play a vital role in meeting the needs of our society.”

Clare Ashton (36) works as a senior project engineer for Shell based in Aberdeen. She is currently working on a project called Acorn, an ambitious CO2 mitigation programme to establish cutting-edge carbon capture and storage (CCS) and hydrogen infrastructure in the north east of Scotland.

I was born and raised in County Meath in the Republic of Ireland, an area without much oil and gas activity. Growing up, I was interested in everything to do with conservation and had a lot of pets – goldfish, hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, dogs. Pretty much anything you could fit in a house! Summers were spent on my grandparents’ farm and I had originally wanted to become a vet. It wasn’t until I was a bit older that my interests in engineering grew – owed in part, I think, to being a huge Formula 1 fan.

I hadn’t considered a career in oil and gas until I was studying mechanical engineering at university. I’d chosen this form of engineering as I liked physics and loved Formula 1 – so it was a chance to merge my interests and work in the field of aerodynamics. However, I soon became much more interested in the energy industry as it was becoming evident, even at that time, that we were expecting a big change in the energy mix in the UK. This felt like a really exciting opportunity.

One aspect of engineering that has always appealed to me is that engineers play a vital role in meeting the needs of our society. While I was studying, an opportunity arose with Shell for an internship in Aberdeen, which was really my first introduction to oil and gas. This internship showed me the complexities associated with the production of oil and gas and gave me a much deeper understanding of what it means to contribute to the energy industry. 

I’ve stayed with Shell ever since, working mostly in project development and execution. I’ve been lucky enough to travel the world through my work, spending time in countries such as Italy and the USA in different roles. I’ve even been able to work back home in Ireland!

Today, I’m a Senior Project Engineer with Shell, working on the Acorn Project. Acorn is at the forefront of the industry’s work to meet the UK’s climate goals by safely storing carbon dioxide deep underground. The project is leading the way to decarbonise the oil and gas industry, as well as other carbon-intensive industries. For me, one of the most exciting things about Acorn, is that we will be able to re-use legacy oil and gas infrastructure, reducing the need for the construction of new pipelines.

While my day-to-day role is not dissimilar to previous projects, the main difference is the flexibility required to react to and manage changes. Carbon capture and storage is a relatively new technology for the industry, so there is still plenty to learn!

It’s incredibly rewarding to see that the momentum is building in society and private companies to get to net zero by 2050, but I do recognise that there is still a lot of work to be done – after all, we are on a journey. At the moment we just need to keep exploring which technologies will ultimately be the right ones to build the energy system of the future.

Oil and gas will need to play a continuing role in the energy transition. Firstly, they will be needed to continue supplying energy for heating and transport, while net zero infrastructure is developed. Secondly, there are many skilled people working in oil and gas who can apply their expertise to the development of greener energy projects and products.

For those looking to join the industry, I’d say be flexible and open to all opportunities. The oil and gas industry has changed massively over the past five years, and we can definitely expect more to come. Stay engaged, be positive and be ready for anything.