Position overview
The Superintendent will oversee all aspects of drilling & completion fluids, cementing, solids control and waste management operations for offshore wells in Gabon. This role is instrumental in ensuring safe, time & cost efficient, and environmentally compliant execution of drilling programs using both WBM and OBM systems.
Requirements
Key responsibilities
Drilling & completion fluids management
- Direct fluids contractor in optimization of drilling mud recipes for WBM and OBM systems.
- Monitor drilling mud properties during all phases of drilling to optimize wellbore stability, minimize formation damage and ensure drilling efficiency.
- Coordinate with fluids contractor for preparation of mud pre-mix & completion brine at liquid mud plant.
- Maintain sensible plan for use of pit space onboard drilling rig & supply vessels.
- Maintain sensible plan for kill mud & LCM pills during all phases of drilling.
- Perform fluids displacement simulations as required.
- Validate wellbore strengthening & stress caging simulations with fluids contractor as required.
Cementing operations
- Direct cementing contractor in optimization of slurry designs & placement techniques for all casing cement jobs & hole abandonment plugs.
- Prepare operational cement job programs with on-the-fly mixing or batch mixing.
- Perform slurry displacement simulations as required.
- Verify compliance with offshore safety and environmental standards.
Solids Control & Waste Management
- Manage solids control contractor to ensure equipment up-time and adequate working parameters (shale shakers, centrifuges, desanders, desalters).
- Optimize cuttings removal to maintain mud properties and reduce dilution costs.
- Implement offshore waste management strategies for cuttings, fluids, and cement returns.
- Follow-up with contractor on equipment troubleshooting and preventive maintenance.
- Oversee cuttings skip-and-ship process as required.
- Ensure compliance with Gabonese and international environmental regulations.
Safety & Compliance
- Enforce HSE standards across all fluids and waste operations.
- Conduct risk assessments and ensure emergency response readiness.
- Maintain documentation for audits and regulatory reporting.
Team Leadership
- Supervise mud engineers, solids control technicians, and cementing crews from office.
- Provide training and mentorship to ensure operational excellence as required.
- Coordinate with drilling supervisors, rig managers, and contractors.
Procurement & Contract Management
- Actively participate in the Invitation to Tender (ITT) process for fluids, cementing, solids control and waste management services, including preparation of technical scopes of work, evaluation of technical bids, and contribution to contractor selection recommendations.
- Track costs of all services under supervision on a well-by-well basis, ensuring accurate and timely cost reporting, and actively contribute to the well cost reconciliation process led by the Drilling Engineer in charge of well delivery.
- Manage and resolve contractual disputes with service contractors, ensuring fair and timely resolution in line with contract terms and company policies.
- Lead Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA-QC) activities for all services under supervision, ensuring contractor performance meets agreed technical and contractual standards.
- Initiate, track and close out Non-Conformance Reports (NCR) for services under his watch, driving corrective and preventive actions to improve contractor performance and service quality.
Qualification requirements
Education
- Degree in Petroleum Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related discipline.
Experience
- 10+ years of relevant experience with drilling fluids, including 5 years in offshore environment.
- Strong expertise in WBM and OBM systems, cementing practices, and solids control equipment.
- Proven track record in offshore waste management and environmental compliance.
- Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
- Familiarity with Gabonese offshore regulations and international standards (API, ISO, OSPAR).
Interpersonal skills
- Team player with the ability to lead.
- Proactive and able to work independently, applying a structured and systematic approach.
- Strong communication skills and the ability to ask relevant questions and provide thorough explanations.
- Ability to deliver in a high pressure, fast pace project environment.
- Ability to deliver high quality work on time.
- Ability to work in a multidisciplinary / multinational environment.
- Ability to think strategically.
Knowledge
- Understand the various engineering disciplines and their interaction.
- Fluent in English (oral and written).
- Capability in French (oral and written) desirable.
Other
- The position may require temporary assignments at project premises or onboard drilling rig.
- The position may require travel and long working hours in peak periods.
