For this month’s ‘Meet the Tutor’, we sat down with Phil Goby, our IM expert, who shared some memorable experiences and key bits of advice for anyone hoping to further a career in the sector. With nearly 40 years of experience in the industry, Phil has been working with Jee in Aberdeen since March 2021.
Hi Phil, thank you for talking to us. How long have you been in the industry?
Nearly 40 years! I first joined BP Chemicals/BP Petroleum Development in East Yorkshire as a commercial apprentice back in 1985 but later studied and crossed over to Engineering. That saw me make the move up to Shetland in 1997 (as my ‘overseas’ assignment), and eventually back down to Aberdeen in 2003 where I remain to this day.
What do you specialise in?
I’m a Mechanical Engineer and have mainly specialised in pipeline operations and Integrity Management where I take a keen interest in the latest inspection tools and techniques.
I’ve also been heavily involved in onboarding of major projects into operations, decommissioning and numerous subsea acquisitions and divestments.
Can you share a memorable experience or challenge you've faced in your career related to Integrity Management, and how you overcame it?
Amongst many Integrity Management challenges, probably the most memorable was during summer 2008 when a tanker broke loose in a summer storm off the UK, with its anchor snagging a critical gas pipeline and dragging it out of burial.
I was part of a dedicated response team that was assembled; collectively we overcame a number of challenges to inspect, assess damage, repair and determine that the pipeline could be returned to service.
The compressed timescales, open access to industry Subject Matter Experts (SME’s) and wider industry collaboration and support was incredible, I learnt so much that summer!
What is the best piece of advice you can give for anyone who wants to come into Engineering, and especially Integrity Management?
Be curious and ask questions, ‘how does this work?’ ‘How do we validate this?’
It is also important to establish mentors and know who to reach out to across different specialist areas- especially the SME’s.
Explore our Integrity Management courses here.