I'm seeing a wide variation in Covid testing requirements for North sea oil companies. The approaches I've either had personal experience of or heard of others undergoing are:
- A temperature check and a bloke at the heliport asking if you're displaying symptoms then you're good to go
- A self test posted to you 2 days prior to mobilisation
- 2 days isolation in a hotel prior to mobilisation with 2 tests prior to flight
- A test on the morning of departure and one offshore 48 hrs after arrival
Any positive offshore test is resulting in a call out of the Covid-copter at £50k a pop (so I'm told) to "medi-vac" the "patient". At my current gig, I've been here 2 weeks and seen it twice.
The OGUK guidance doesn't appear to recommend pre-mob testing and the oil companies are very much applying their own variation on the rules.
I can't help but feel for some of the contractors caught up in some of the scenarios - particularly as contract work is very thin on the ground given the oil price and general state of the industry (and contracting in general).
I saw one guy test "borderline positive" on a private (company administered) antigen test on the morning of mobilisation. Following advice from the client he did not use public transport to get to Aberdeen and had driven around 10hrs up from down south. He then had to drive 10 hrs back down. The private test triggered Track and Trace meaning his wife and kids were identified as "close contacts" meaning his wife can't work for 2 weeks, he has to pull the kids out of school. Whilst he could invoice travel expenses, he couldn't invoice any days as he was considered "sick" and couldn't get a sub in time for the flight. He then went home and got an NHS test - negative.
If anyone is planning a nice vacation in aberdeen, residing at one of the splendid airport hotels. Don't because:
- Most of them are tulipholes
- It's Aberdeen
- Every 2nd room is being used for covid testing
Stories from overseas are even more grim. I spoke to a manager of a facility in the gulf of guinea. His regular 28 day trip turned into 4 months when el presidente shut the air space.
Anyone else experiencing the joys of contracting for oil companies at present?
- A temperature check and a bloke at the heliport asking if you're displaying symptoms then you're good to go
- A self test posted to you 2 days prior to mobilisation
- 2 days isolation in a hotel prior to mobilisation with 2 tests prior to flight
- A test on the morning of departure and one offshore 48 hrs after arrival
Any positive offshore test is resulting in a call out of the Covid-copter at £50k a pop (so I'm told) to "medi-vac" the "patient". At my current gig, I've been here 2 weeks and seen it twice.
The OGUK guidance doesn't appear to recommend pre-mob testing and the oil companies are very much applying their own variation on the rules.
I can't help but feel for some of the contractors caught up in some of the scenarios - particularly as contract work is very thin on the ground given the oil price and general state of the industry (and contracting in general).
I saw one guy test "borderline positive" on a private (company administered) antigen test on the morning of mobilisation. Following advice from the client he did not use public transport to get to Aberdeen and had driven around 10hrs up from down south. He then had to drive 10 hrs back down. The private test triggered Track and Trace meaning his wife and kids were identified as "close contacts" meaning his wife can't work for 2 weeks, he has to pull the kids out of school. Whilst he could invoice travel expenses, he couldn't invoice any days as he was considered "sick" and couldn't get a sub in time for the flight. He then went home and got an NHS test - negative.
If anyone is planning a nice vacation in aberdeen, residing at one of the splendid airport hotels. Don't because:
- Most of them are tulipholes
- It's Aberdeen
- Every 2nd room is being used for covid testing
Stories from overseas are even more grim. I spoke to a manager of a facility in the gulf of guinea. His regular 28 day trip turned into 4 months when el presidente shut the air space.
Anyone else experiencing the joys of contracting for oil companies at present?
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