About this role
Job Overview:
Weatherford have a great opportunity for an experienced Applications Engineer to join the Fishing and Re-Entry Team in Aberdeen.
The Applications Engineer – Fishing & Re-Entry is responsible for providing technical engineering support, application expertise and fit-for-purpose solutions for Weatherford’s Fishing & Re-Entry product and service portfolio. Based in Aberdeen, the role supports customers operating primarily in the UK Continental Shelf and wider North Sea region, with potential involvement in international operations as required.
Working closely with customers, the commercial team, operations personnel, field specialists and product line management, the Applications Engineer will evaluate well conditions, identify operational challenges, engineer appropriate fishing and re-entry solutions, and develop technically sound, commercially competitive proposals.
The position plays a key role in the complete job lifecycle, from initial customer enquiry and technical assessment through engineering design, program preparation, operational support and post-job evaluation.
The primary objective is to deliver safe, reliable and cost-effective solutions that minimise non-productive time (NPT), recover lost or obstructing equipment, restore wellbore access and enable successful well intervention, sidetrack and re-entry operations.
Responsibilities:
Technical Engineering and Applications
- Review customer enquiries, well data, drilling and completion programs, and operational histories to establish job requirements and identify technical constraints.
- Design and recommend appropriate Fishing & Re-Entry solutions for open-hole and cased-hole applications.
- Develop fishing strategies and bottom-hole assembly (BHA) configurations for the recovery of stuck, lost or damaged equipment, including tubulars, drillpipe, bottom-hole assemblies and other wellbore obstructions.
- Evaluate and recommend suitable fishing tools, including overshots, spears, jars, milling assemblies, washover equipment, junk baskets and associated accessories.
- Provide engineering support for milling, wellbore cleanout, stuck-pipe recovery, casing-exit operations, whipstock applications and sidetrack preparation.
- Assess casing and tubular dimensions, drift restrictions, fish geometry, well trajectory, downhole loads, torque and drag, pressure conditions and other relevant operating parameters.
- Prepare technical calculations, tool configurations, engineering drawings, equipment specifications and operational procedures.
- Identify technical risks, operating limitations and potential failure modes, ensuring proposed solutions are supported by appropriate engineering analysis.
- Ensure designs and recommendations comply with applicable Weatherford procedures, engineering standards, product specifications and customer requirements.
Tendering, Proposals and Commercial Support
- Provide technical input to customer quotations, tenders, proposals and requests for information.
- Develop technically compliant and commercially competitive solutions aligned with customer objectives and contractual requirements.
- Prepare equipment lists, technical descriptions, cost estimates and supporting documentation for proposed operations.
- Work with Sales, Business Development and Operations to assess customer requirements, identify opportunities and develop appropriate service offerings.
- Participate in technical meetings, customer presentations, pre-tender discussions and clarification sessions.
- Identify opportunities to introduce additional Fishing & Re-Entry services and complementary Weatherford technologies where they provide demonstrable customer value.
- Support the preparation of technical justifications and value propositions, including anticipated reductions in NPT, operational risk and overall well intervention costs.
Operational Planning and Execution Support
- Prepare detailed job programs, fishing procedures, BHA schematics and equipment-running sequences.
- Participate in pre-job planning meetings, risk assessments, operational readiness reviews and, where appropriate, drill-the-well-on-paper (DWOP) exercises.
- Liaise with field personnel, operations coordinators, workshop teams and equipment specialists to ensure tools and equipment are correctly specified and ready for mobilisation.
- Verify that proposed equipment configurations are compatible with the well design, rig or intervention unit, operating envelope and customer requirements.
- Provide onshore technical support during offshore operations, assisting field personnel with troubleshooting, operational decision-making and contingency planning.
- Review operational data and provide engineering recommendations when actual well conditions differ from the original program.
- Support investigations into equipment failures, unexpected operating conditions and deviations from planned procedures.
- Travel offshore when required to support critical operations, customer meetings, equipment inspections or technical reviews, subject to the role's operational requirements and appropriate offshore certification.
Customer and Stakeholder Management
- Act as a technical point of contact for customers, developing a clear understanding of their well objectives, operational challenges and commercial priorities.
- Build effective working relationships with drilling engineers, well intervention engineers, well operations teams, drilling contractors and other relevant stakeholders.
- Translate customer requirements into practical, technically justified engineering solutions.
- Communicate technical recommendations, operational limitations and potential risks clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
- Work collaboratively with regional and global Weatherford engineering teams to access specialist expertise and share best practices.
- Maintain a customer-focused approach, supporting service quality, responsiveness and long-term customer relationships.
Post-Job Engineering and Continuous Improvement
- Review completed job reports, operational data, equipment performance and lessons learned.
- Compare actual operational performance against the planned program and identify opportunities for improvement.
- Contribute to root-cause investigations, technical incident reviews and corrective-action plans as required.
- Maintain accurate engineering records, calculations, drawings, procedures and technical documentation.
- Identify opportunities to improve tool performance, operational efficiency, equipment reliability and engineering workflows.
- Share lessons learned and application knowledge with the wider Fishing & Re-Entry team.
- Support product development, field trials, equipment qualification and technical evaluations where appropriate.
Health, Safety, Environment and Quality
- Demonstrate a strong commitment to Weatherford’s health, safety, environmental and quality requirements.
- Ensure engineering recommendations and operational programs adequately address identified hazards and technical risks.
- Participate in risk assessments, management-of-change processes and relevant operational reviews.
- Ensure that equipment specifications, procedures and technical documentation are appropriately reviewed and controlled.
- Promote compliance with applicable legislation, industry standards, customer requirements and company policies.
- Challenge unsafe practices and support a culture of continuous improvement, operational integrity and personal accountability.
Qualifications & Experience Required:
- Degree or equivalent qualification in Mechanical Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, Drilling Engineering or another relevant engineering discipline; equivalent relevant industry experience may be considered.
- Relevant experience in oilfield services, well intervention, drilling, fishing operations, completions or a closely related technical discipline.
- Sound understanding of fishing principles, wellbore conditions and the selection and application of downhole tools.
- Experience interpreting well data, technical specifications, engineering drawings and operational programs.
- Ability to prepare clear technical proposals, engineering calculations, equipment configurations and operating procedures.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills.
- Effective written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage confidently with customers and operational personnel.
- Good organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple engineering requests and competing priorities.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and the ability to use relevant engineering and technical software.
Qualifications & Experience Preferred:
- Experience supporting Fishing & Re-Entry operations in the UK Continental Shelf or wider North Sea.
- Practical knowledge of open-hole and cased-hole fishing, milling, washover, stuck-pipe recovery and BHA design.
- Experience with whipstocks, casing-exit systems, sidetrack preparation and re-entry drilling.
- Familiarity with well intervention, workover, abandonment and well integrity operations.
- Experience preparing technical tenders, cost estimates and customer-specific engineering proposals.
- Previous offshore or rig-site exposure.
- Familiarity with relevant industry standards, well control principles, risk assessment methodologies and quality management systems.
- Experience using engineering design tools, CAD packages or well-planning software.
About Us:
Weatherford is a leading global energy services company. Our world-class experts partner with customers to optimize their resources and realize the full potential of their assets. Across our operating locations, including manufacturing, research and development, service, and training facilities, operators choose us for strategic solutions that add efficiency, flexibility, and responsibility to any energy operation.
When you join Weatherford, you instantly feel connected to something bigger – a community that is grounded by our core values and driven to create innovative solutions for our customers. We celebrate each other’s successes, grow together, and learn from each other constantly. Individually, we are impressive. Together, we are unstoppable. We are One Weatherford.
Weatherford is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.
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