Q&A: Three Women Detail Life Working Offshore
D’Eramo: Mentorship is incredibly important for women working offshore. Many times, unspoken rules and social norms may not be apparent to new entrants. There can be an unfortunate reluctance to give women direct feedback or constructive criticism for fear of hurting their feelings. Having someone who is committed to your development and willing to give you honest and objective feedback and support is crucial for growth and success. I have not always had a mentor, however once I did find one, it became immediately clear just how invaluable that relationship was.
Rigzone: What’s the most challenging part of your job?
When Ally Cedeno created WomenOffshore.org, she wasn’t worried the name would deter men from joining or supporting the cause.
“I know quite a few fearless men in the industry who are proud of the women they work/worked with,” Cedeno told Rigzone. “Not only do they support an inclusive workforce, but they recognize the advantages diversity provides to their operations. I wasn’t worried about the guys shying away because I knew a lot would support us and they have.”
Cedeno said her website’s mission is to support a diverse workforce on the water, which includes reporting news and inclusion efforts in maritime and offshore industries, conducting interviews with women to share their testimonies and providing resources to foster long-term careers.
“We want anyone who is not adjusting well to know that they’re not alone and that many of us have had similar experiences,” she said. “Our contributors provide perceptions that normalize some of the offshore challenges and lean into some of the more challenging topics for women and men to talk about, such as establishing boundaries with coworkers. Whether it’s an interview on our site or a resource we can reference, WomenOffshore.org is here to offer support.”
Cedeno: Being gone for weeks at a time. I have worked on ships for more than nine years, but it has never been easy to leave home. I remind myself that it’s a good problem to have because I have people and events to look forward to when my hitch offshore is complete.
Ryals: It’s a mentally taxing job that requires critical decision-making nearly every day. Dynamic positioning is what keeps the rig in one place over the wellhead and it requires constant attention to positioning, the weather and simultaneous operations to maintain that position. You have to be able to make a quick decision with confidence.
D’Eramo: Regulating personal energy usage and managing energy reserves. It can be tempting to work long hours or take on additional projects since the delineation between work time and personal time starts to disappear when you live where you work. Taking time to recharge is important, whether it’s setting a firm bedtime each evening, committing to one early night per week or hitting the gym during lunchtime, carving out time that is specifically for you is crucial for the long haul. An offshore hitch is an endurance run, not a sprint, and burning yourself out can lead to exhaustion, poor decisions and emotional fatigue.
Rigzone: How do you handle and manage living arrangements with men when working offshore?
Cedeno: The companies I’ve worked for have very respectful policies regarding sharing rooms. When I’m off tour, I have a cabin to myself. Before I head up to the bridge again, I clean up my cabin and put all of my stuff away in a locker, as if I haven’t even been there.
Ryals: I am not at all uncomfortable sharing rooms with my male coworkers. I’ve been doing it safely and cleanly for nine years. I don’t think I’ve ever had a female roommate. What makes it simple for me is that my coworker is my relief, so when I am not in the room, he is on the bridge and vice versa. We are literally never in the room at the same time.
D’Eramo: I find restrictions on room sharing to be a hindrance at times. In my earlier days, it wasn’t uncommon to be told that I’d be sent to shore since having one woman in a room took up to an entire cabin and was an inefficient use of bed space. When bed space is tight, I usually offer to share a cabin with a man on the opposite shift, so that we do not need to be in the room at the same time.
Rigzone: What can be done to address the oil and gas industry’s gender gap and how can we encourage these efforts?
Cedeno: One way is by encouraging women to stay within the industry when they no longer want to work offshore. We understand that a long-term career offshore is not for everyone, but we also believe that experience working offshore can be used as a stepping stone toward another career in the maritime or offshore industries. We also want to see more women in upper management, especially the board room … we encourage women to work offshore for a couple of years and take that experience to a graduate program to become the decision-makers at companies in which we work.
Ryals: The only thing that’s going to fix the gender gap is getting more women out there. A lot of the men I’ve encountered have never worked with a woman in their environment before, or have only done so recently. Getting more women interested and engaged in the oil and gas industry will make it more normal to see women out there, which will in turn make everyone more comfortable with having women in that space.
D’Eramo: Any time we discuss increasing the number of women in male-dominated fields, there are concerns raised regarding the lowering of standards. Any perception of lowered standards or special consideration is counterproductive to our long-term efforts. We should be evaluating whether the measurements we put in place to determine performance are the correct ones. Often, women in oil and gas are rated on how well they can conform to a masculine environment. This seems like a waste of resources for everyone involved. Instead, we should broaden what we measure to include valuable behaviors that are typically associated with women and rate both men and women on their performance in these areas.
123
View Full Article
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Generated by readers, the comments included herein do not reflect the views and opinions of Rigzone. All comments are subject to editorial review. Off-topic, inappropriate or insulting comments will be removed.
- Blockchain Demands Attention in Oil and Gas
- Macquarie Sees USA Oil Production Exiting 2024 at 14MM Barrels Per Day
- CNPC Opens Sea-Land Oil Storage and Transport Facility in Bangladesh
- Oman Sees Increasing Ship-to-Ship Transfers of Russian Oil Bound for India
- US Govt Makes Record Investment of $6B for Industrial Decarbonization
- Eni, Fincantieri, RINA Ink Deal on Maritime Decarbonization
- Perenco Still Searching for Missing Person After Platform Incident
- Czech Utility CEZ Bucks Weaker Prices, Demand to Log Record Annual Profit
- Oil Falls as US Inventories Increase
- Ithaca Energy Studies Deal for Eni's UK Upstream Assets
- Equinor Makes Discovery in North Sea
- Standard Chartered Reiterates $94 Brent Call
- India Halts Russia Oil Supplies From Sanctioned Tanker Giant
- DOI Announces Proposal for Second GOM Offshore Wind Auction
- Centcom, Dryad Outline Recent Moves Around Red Sea Region
- PetroChina Set to Receive Venezuelan Oil
- Czech Conglomerate to Buy Major Stake in Gasnet for $917MM
- US DOE Offers $44MM in Funding to Boost Clean Power Distribution
- Oil Settles Lower as Stronger Dollar Offsets Tighter Market
- UK Grid Operator Receives Aid to Advance Rural Decarbonization
- Chinese Mega Company Makes Major Oilfield Discovery
- VIDEO: Missile Attack Kills Crew Transiting Gulf of Aden
- Norway Regulator Blasts Proposal to Halt New Oil and Gas Permits
- Chinese Mega Company Makes Another Major Oilfield Discovery
- What Is the Biggest Risk to Offshore Oil and Gas Personnel in 2024?
- Vessel Sinks in Red Sea After Missile Strike
- Exxon Rights in Stabroek Do Not Apply to Hess Merger with Chevron: Hess
- Analysts Reveal Latest Oil Price Outlook Following OPEC+ Cut Extension
- Equinor Makes Discovery in North Sea
- Standard Chartered Reiterates $94 Brent Call