Perenco UK - Oil and Gas | A Leading Independent Exploration and Production Company

United Kingdom

Perenco has been operating in the UK Southern North Sea (SNS) basin since 2003 and operating Europe’s largest onshore oilfield at Wytch Farm since 2011.

OPERATED PRODUCTION 90 000 BOEPD for 2014

Perenco
in the UK

In the North Sea, Perenco is the operator of a large number of offshore gas fields.

OPERATIONS

Perenco operated production is now in excess of 90 000 boepd.

Southern North Sea
Wytch Farm

In the North Sea, Perenco is the operator of 48 offshore platforms producing offshore gas from fields including: Leman, Indefatigable, the LAP’s complex, Trent and Tyne (and their associated satellite fields), the Cleeton fields (including Wollaston, Whittle, Ravenspurn North, Ravenspurn South), the West Sole stream fields (including West Sole, Hyde, Hoton, Newsham) and the Amethyst field. Perenco’s gas production in the North Sea is around 72 000 boepd and represents approximately. 15% of UK demand. Perenco has recently drilled three wells representing a gross investment of £92 million searching for new gas reserves.

Several of the gas fields are beginning to reach the end of their economic lives and Perenco is building expertise and knowledge in the decommissioning of these facilities via the successful completion of the Welland programme and the start of the Thames programme. In addition to its own gas, and that of its joint-venture partners, Perenco transports a significant quantity of third-party gas through its operated infrastructure and pipeline system to its two operated gas terminals, Bacton and Dimlington, where the gas is processed and exported . Bacton is the recipient terminal for the GDF Cygnus development which with a £1.4 billion capex is the largest UK gas discovery to be developed in the last 25 years.

Wytch Farm is Europe's largest onshore oilfield, situated in one of the most environmentally sensitive areas of the UK.

Its operations are on the southern shores of Poole Harbour, Furzey Island, Wareham and at Kimmeridge Bay. In 1995 it won the Queen's Award for Environmental Achievement. It is currently producing 18 000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (crude oil, liquid petroleum gas and gas) and employs 170 staff and 250 contractors.

It is a conventional oilfield extracting oil (with some associated gas) from sandstone and limestone reservoirs. There is no known shale gas or coalbed methane in Perenco's licence blocks in Dorset, nor are there any plans to seek any such opportunities.

Perenco UK Limited took over the operation of the oilfield in 2011.

In September 2012, Perenco UK Limited applied to Dorset County Council to extend the duration of 39 existing planning permissions for the Wytch Farm, Wareham and Kimmeridge oilfields to 2037. Perenco held a public exhibition at Furzebrook Village Hall, Wareham in May 2012 to provide key information regarding the applications and invite public feedback. Dorset County Council have also undertaken consultations concerning the applications.

Dorset County Council's Planning Committee recommended approval of the applications on 6th September, 2013. Perenco looks forward to maintaining the highest operating standards and continuing to make a very positive economic and social contribution into the future.

Documents:

Onglet correspondant:

Southern North Sea

Community

Discover the Kimmeridge project and The Duke of Edinburgh's Award

Kimmeridge Project
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award

Perenco is proud to be supporting the Kimmeridge Project, which will see the world famous Etches Kimmeridge Clay Fossil Collection permanently housed in a purpose built museum in the heart of the village of Kimmeridge.

As well as being an important educational facility for students to learn more about Dorset's Jurassic Coast, the museum will also serve as a new community centre and hall for the village.

The museum, which has recently announced that it has received a significant grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), is expected to open in 2016.

Commenting on Perenco's support, Eric d'Argentré, Head of Perenco UK, said:

"We are delighted to be involved with the Kimmeridge Project, a very worthwhile educational and community programme in the heart of our area of operations. The Etches Collection is truly outstanding and is deserving of a permanent home. This will not only showcase the lifetime's work of an amazing local character, Steve Etches, but the museum will also provide a unique learning facility. The Project will give the village a much needed improved hall for, as well as significant economic benefits to the area, whilst preserving its unique character.

The mix of geology, education and community support makes The Kimmeridge Project and Perenco a perfect partnership. We look forward to continuing to support this very worthwhile enterprise."

John Woodward, Kimmeridge Project Director, said:

"We are extremely grateful to Perenco for their support as one of our main corporate sponsors. Their early interest in the project played an important part in us being able to subsequently secure Heritage Lottery Funding. There is still much to be done but we have a clear path to the successful completion of the project and to the creation of a world class facility for both the local community and visitors alike."

Perenco UK has pledged its continuing support to the leading youth charity, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, and has become a Gold Partner of the charity.

Set up in 1956 by HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award (DofE) supports more than 300,000 young people every year, offering them a programme which, over time, develops self-confidence, commitment, a social conscience and the skills and attributes required for work.

Perenco believes in the DofE's transformational effect on young people's lives, and is keen to lend its support to give more young people the chance to develop the skills and opportunities they need to get into work and lead a successful adult life.

The charity wants to double the number of young people from all backgrounds doing their DofE in the next five years, and Perenco's support of this excellent scheme can help in making this bold ambition a reality.

APPLY

Discover our current vacancies on Perenco Careers

Go to Perenco Careers

Starting
out

Find out about our graduates, student placements and internships, apprenticeships and testimonials

Graduates
Student Placements & Internships
Apprenticeships
Testimonials

At Perenco we believe that Graduates are the future of our organisation, as we move into the next generation of energy production and recovery. The focus of the Perenco Graduate Programme is personal development, professional growth and career progression. As the future of Perenco, your success is our success!

Perenco is one of the largest independent operators in the world and one of the largest operators in the Southern North Sea. The graduate programme provides a real opportunity for new Graduates to gain a breadth of experience in the industry, with the potential for international assignment a real possibility. The programme is based around a number of 'core' principles:

Exposure

To stretch you, but in doing so provide support, development opportunities and reward!

Flexibility

Part of our culture and a significant requirement of all who work for us.

Responsibility

For your career, your growth and your own development. In everything we do, we are responsible.

Challenge, Innovation & Adaptation

For the betterment of you and the company.

Drive

You'll need to be self-motivated in order to obtain the most from this programme and in-turn, a career at Perenco.

To find out more about our Graduate opportunities, including how to apply, please click here

Perenco offer a number of exciting opportunities for undergraduate students. Whether you're looking for a 12 month placement as part of your degree (sandwich/industrial placement year) or just a summer placement, Perenco have opportunities across a range of engineering disciplines:

Process (Chemical)
Electrical
Mechanical
Instrumentation/Control
Petroleum engineering

Candidates will have exceptional communication skills, team working skills, drive and flexibility, with a passion for working within the energy industry.

Humberside
East Anglia
Wytch Farm

Perenco has a number of apprentice programmes in place; each one has been designed to recruit people local to our operations. Apprenticeships are an excellent way to enter the industry, whether straight from school or following A-levels, for those wishing to pursue a hands-on career as a Technician (and beyond!).

The Humberside apprenticeship scheme, designed to cater for our Southern North Sea assets (both offshore and Dimlington), is managed and delivered via the Humberside Engineering Training Association (HETA).

Apprenticeships are available in Mechanical, Electrical and Instrumentation (Electronics) disciplines.

The apprenticeship consists of a 3 year programme, with the first year being full-time based at HETA in Hull. During this time a mix of both practical and academic qualifications will be achieved, including:

NVQ Level 2 & Technical Certificate in Performing Engineering Operations
Start the BTEC qualification in Engineering Maintenance

On successful completion of the college stage, trainees will commence their worksite training with Perenco. Initially based onshore at our Dimlington Gas Terminal, apprentices will be eased into working shift patterns and day/night rotas. After a short time apprentices will then begin their rotation around the organisation and over the next 2 years, covering the main onshore and offshore assets within the Southern North Sea.

Over the next 2 years apprentices will gather a portfolio of evidence, with regular visits from external NVQ assessors, in support of an NVQ Level 3 in Engineering Maintenance.

On completion of this period, apprentices will have the option of progressing on to an appropriate Higher National Certificate qualification.

For more information on current apprenticeship opportunities and to apply to this scheme, please visit www.heta.co.uk and select "Apprenticeships", "Being An Apprentice".

Applicants will apply to HETA and be short-listed via interview and aptitude testing. On successful completion, applicants will have the opportunity to meet representatives from Perenco as part of the annual apprenticeships open day (May each year) and apply.

The Norfolk apprenticeship scheme, designed to cater for our Southern North Sea assets (both offshore and Bacton), is managed and delivered via the Engineering and Construction Industry Training Board (eCITB).
Apprenticeships are available in Mechanical, Electrical and Instrumentation (Electronics) disciplines.

The apprenticeship consists of a 4 year Programme, with the first 2 years being full-time at college. During this time a mix of both practical and academic qualifications will be achieved, including:

A National Certificate in Operations Engineering
A Higher National Certificate and NVQ Level 2 in their chosen discipline
Relevant supplementary training (offshore survival etc.)

On successful completion of the college stage, trainees will commence their worksite training with Perenco. Initially based onshore at our Bacton Gas Terminal, apprentices will be eased into working shift patterns and day/night rotas.

After a short time apprentices will then begin their rotation around the organisation and over the next 2 years, covering the main onshore and offshore assets within the Southern North Sea.During this time a portfolio of evidence will be gathered alongside regular visits from external NVQ assessors.

For more information on current apprenticeship opportunities and to apply to this scheme, please visit www.ecitb.org.uk/Programmes/Apprenticeships/Apply/.

Applicants will apply to the eCITB and be short-listed via interview and aptitude testing.

The window for applications opens around January and will close in May annually.

The Wytch Farm apprenticeship scheme, designed to cater for our Wytch Farm assets located near Wareham, Dorset, is managed and delivered via the Southampton Engineering Training Association (SETA).

Apprenticeships are available in Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation (Electronics) and Process disciplines.

The apprenticeship consists of a 3 year programme, with the first year being full-time based at SETA in Southampton. During this time a mix of both practical and academic qualifications will be achieved, including:

NVQ Level 2 & Technical Certificate in Performing Engineering Operations
Start the BTEC qualification in Engineering Maintenance

On successful completion of the college stage, trainees will commence their worksite training at Wytch Farm, with day release (one day per week) at SETA, to complete the BTEC qualification. Over the next 2 years apprentices will gather a portfolio of evidence, with regular visits from external NVQ assessors, in support of an NVQ Level 3 in Engineering Maintenance.

On completion of this period, apprentices will have the option of progressing on to an appropriate Higher National Certificate qualification.

For more information on current apprenticeship opportunities and to apply to this scheme, please visit www.apprenticeships.co.uk and search for "Perenco".

The window for applications opens around January and will close in May annually.

Richard Fry
Helen Quinn
Glen Jones
Gareth Hughes

Richard Fry

Graduate Mechanical Engineer, SNS North assets
Graduate Programme: 2013 - Present

Originally I started on a motorsport engineering course at Brunel University with the sole aim to enhance my understanding & practical competence around four wheeled machines. Having completed my first year, I transferred to the mechanical engineering course in pursuit of my new found interest, energy. It became apparent to me that behind all the magnificent engineering technological achievements & developments that form our modern world, there lies energy.

In between my second & third academic year, I took the option to take an industrial placement. With no definitive career aspiration, I ended up spending a year employed as a mechanical engineer on an operational UK Oil & Gas refinery. It was here I found a whole new environment which provided a life time of technical exposure and challenge giving me invaluable opportunity to link university theory to practical application. Combined with engineering summer placements in a range of other industries, this was by far the most impressive undergraduate work experience. As a result, I tailored my graduate job search to the Oil & Gas industry.

Having worked on live Oil & Gas processing plant before, I knew this is where I wanted to remain & build on my relevant experience. However, with long term career aspirations to travel, I wanted to be part of an organisation where this was an option. Not only does Perenco operate worldwide, but in three locations in the UK. Furthermore, being an exploration & production focused business; I wanted to experience the obscure & extreme locations of the upstream sector, something that had fascinated me since I discovered the industry. Perenco had exactly what I was looking for, a technical rotational graduate scheme that offers real placements on operating assets with ample opportunity to get the hands on experience.

Having been on the scheme for a mere 6 months, it's everything I anticipated and more. I hit the ground running as a graduate mechanical engineer in a department supporting our North Sea gas asset in Humberside. Having responsibility over projects, being entrusted with budgets, time and decisions were all prerequisite for me. Perenco's flexibility has allowed this, resulting in my technical confidence developing significantly.

Perenco provides a platform to an extensive array of engineering challenge & variety, subsequently allowing me to achieve personal job satisfaction whilst adding value to the company from a very early stage. This has most definitely been attributed to the highly competent members of my team & asset who have been most welcoming and supportive in my initial months. It must also be mentioned that Perenco proactively engage in developing your skill set by providing relevant and accredited training throughout your scheme and career.

Currently about to commence my second placement in the major maintenance & projects team, I hope to gain invaluable multidisciplinary project management experience on some of Perenco's biggest capital projects. Looking to the future, my aim is to complete a specialist Oil & Gas Engineering master's degree alongside monitored professional development with the IMechE, eventually achieving chartered engineering status. Thereafter, my ambition would be to work abroad on some major exploration & production campaigns whilst maintaining involvement from an operational/management perspective. To get the most out of the Perenco's engineering graduate scheme, being proactive, self driven with strong communication skills is essential. A genuine interest in the Oil & Gas industry would be of real benefit.

Helen Quinn

Graduate Process Engineer, Bacton Gas Terminal
Student Placement: 2011 - 2012
Graduate Programme: 2013 to Present

I chose to study Chemical Engineering at Loughborough University because I had always enjoyed maths and science and wanted to study something that combined them in a useful and practical way.

When considering potential placements for my sandwich year at University I knew I wanted to work in the oil and gas industry, so Perenco was a natural choice. Although it was not necessarily as well known as other oil and gas companies, it had strong links with the University and I had heard good things from previous placement students, so I applied.

When I started working here I quickly realised that even though Perenco is a large company, in terms of its assets and production, in terms of the personnel, it wasn't so large that you felt ?lost' or forgotten about. Whilst working in Operations Support, I was involved in the day to day operations/maintenance of the offshore platforms, small scale plant projects aimed to increase the efficiency of the transport process and I was responsible for the MEG (Mono-Ethylene Glycol) injection rates and stocks across the SNS-S (Southern North Sea South) assets.

At the end of my student placement, I was offered a place on the graduate training programme. Coming back as a graduate, I found that people's expectations of me had increased and the responsibility I was given had grown too. This presented new challenges and meant I was still on a very steep learning curve!

I started the graduate programme in Projects, working on drilling of new wells, subsea tie backs, relocation of existing equipment and sizing of equipment to optimise production and reduce costs. I will be spending my next 6 months at the Bacton Gas Terminal where I will get on-site experience in the processing and conditioning of gas. The variety and depth of the six month rotations, combined with training courses on the graduate scheme, will allow me to collect the skills required for my IChemE chartership application.

My favourite thing about Perenco is the offshore aspect; as a student and graduate I have had plenty of offshore experience and it has always been positive. My aim is to work towards being an Offshore Operations Engineer (OOE) when I have completed the graduate scheme and I'm looking forward to spending one of my 6 month rotations offshore in preparation.

Glen Jones

Petroleum Engineer, SNS South assets
Graduate Programme: 2011 - 2013

A keen interest in buildings and an enjoyment of the mechanics modules during A-Level Maths led me to pursue a degree in Civil and Maritime Engineering at the University of Liverpool. Throughout the course I thoroughly enjoyed applying the theoretical with the practical for a tangible end result.
Graduating with a 2:1 MEng allowed me to consider a wide variety of career paths. While I already had a Structural Engineering job secured through my time working for a consultancy in the summer holidays, I was attracted to Perenco as their Graduate scheme appeared to offer a more adventurous challenge.

I initially started on the Graduate scheme in the Integrity Department. Working closely with the Structural Engineer I was involved in maintaining the structural integrity of the offshore installations, many of which are now in operation well beyond there original design life due to Perenco's ability to continually extend field life. I then moved to the onshore reception facilities at the Bacton Terminal. Here I really got a feel for the Oil and Gas industry. It was an intense 6 months working as a Project Engineer; being immersed into large scale projects gave me the opportunity to learn about the many departments and trades within Perenco.

I finished the graduate scheme over a year ago and I am now currently working as a Petroleum Engineer which was my final placement, it is a role that focuses on optimising production and extending field life. The business model for Perenco is to find economic strategies to produce fields to their full potential, often towards their end of field life when there is a need for both simple and innovative solutions. To this end it is left to the employee to be proactive to overcome production challenges. Along with the high levels of responsibility given, Perenco is also very supportive, in the short space of time I have been in the role I have had extensive training and even spent 2 weeks in West Africa for a high intensity exposure to production enhancement techniques. Also I have now just started a Petroleum Engineering Msc sponsored by Perenco.

While at University I had not really heard of, let alone considered, being a Petroleum Engineer. The graduate scheme gave me the chance to try something new (which interested me) and I haven't looked back since. It was a great introduction to the Oil & Gas industry and exposes you to the vast opportunities within the company.

Going forward I would like to continue my development as a Petroleum Engineer and take advantage of the overseas work opportunities that Perenco offers in the Far East, Africa and South America.

Gareth Hughes

Apprentice Instrument Technician, Wytch Farm
Apprentice Scheme: 2012

I was 25 when I started my Apprenticeship, quite late compared to a lot of people but it's a decision I don't regret at all!

Since leaving school, I'd always had a job of some sort, mostly bar work and I'd even run a night club at one point. I fancied a change of scene and decided to move to Bournemouth I'm from Preston originally. I found a job there labouring for a chap who was self-employed and he suggested looking at an Apprenticeship.

Someone I know told me that Perenco at Wytch Farm were recruiting Apprentices, my initial reaction was "I don't want to work on a farm!" but then I discovered it was engineering so was just what I was looking for. I thought the interview went quite well and I was really chuffed to be offered the job.

I started the Apprenticeship with a year off-the-job at SETA's training centre, learning practical engineering skills and the theory. Although I was older than most of the other Apprentices, coming to SETA didn't feel like I was going back to school, it felt like a really positive step forward into a career. In many ways, I think being older was actually an advantage. I knew what a great opportunity this was and had the maturity to make the most of it.

I really enjoyed SETA - it was a great atmosphere and we learnt loads, but I am enjoying being on site now even more. We are buddied up with a skilled engineer so there was lots of watching them and holding stuff to start with but, as our knowledge and experience grows, then us Apprentices get to do much more on site.

I think engineering was a really great choice for me; as soon as I tried practical work, I realised that was what I wanted to do. Although we don't do as much "mass production" in the UK as we used to, we still need engineers to keep things running and British engineering still has a quality reputation. The progression opportunities are there as well; I will be starting an HNC in September and one of my colleagues, who did an Apprenticeship a few years ago, is now doing his engineering degree. The Apprenticeship seems to give you the best all-round mix of practical skills and academic qualifications to enable that to happen.

So, I don't have any regrets starting my Apprenticeship at 25; perhaps my only regret is that I didn't know at 16 what a great thing it would be!

CONTACT

1 Franklins Row
London
SW3 4SW
Tel: +44 (0)207 368 9250
Fax: +44 (0)207 730 3340

3 Central Avenue
St Andrews Business Park
Norwich
Norfolk - NR7 0HR
Tel: +44 (0)1603 771 000

Wytch Farm
Furzebrook Road
Wareham
Dorset - BH20 5AR
Tel: +44 (0)1929 476000

Perenco in the UK

Operations