Michael McCulloch

Keeping it local!

Michael is our second person to join our 100 club in 2022 for scoring 100% in his Principles and Prococedures paper, congratulations! Currently working as a Drilling Supervisor, Michael started his career as a Drilling Engineer with TotalEnergies (at the time Maersk Oil) in 2011. Since starting he has had a varied career of both office based Drilling Engineering and site based Drilling Supervisor positions in Norway, Denmark, UK, Qatar and Italy.

Michael enjoys skiing and cycling in his spare time.

His choosen charity to donate the £200 cash fund is to a local one – Aberdeen Foyers. Aberdeen Foyers helps engage with people through education and learning opportunities, and helps get people back into work through education. Michael has chosen this charity as he says he has been fortunate in his career to have been given a good education (including Aberdeen Drilling School), so would like to donate to a charity that helps people with education and developing their skills.

We think they are a great choice, congratulations again Michael!

Jonathan Mayers

Top marks for Jonathan!

Jonathan is our first member of the 100 club for 2022! He is currently working as a senior drilling supervisor on HPHT wells in North Sea. He has been a drilling supervisor for the last 12 years and prior to that he had been a senior drilling engineer for various operators in Aberdeen.

Jonathan has nominated Aberdeen Cyrenians to receive a charitable donation in his name – a charity which provides care and support for vulnerable people in the North East of Scotland.

Congratulations, Jonathan!

Ivan Lunev

Joins the 100 club!

For the past 10 years Ivan has been working for Sakhalin Energy Investment Company. He started as a Production Technology in a multidisciplinary well delivery team before becoming a CWI Engineer/Supervisor where he was involved in multiple Intervention and Completions jobs at the execution stage. Ivan is now an offshore Lead Drilling Supervisor where he is responsible for well delivery from spud to completion/handover stages.

Ivan is married with two son who are 5 and 10 years old. He enjoys snowboarding in the winter and swimming in the summer time.

Congratulations, Ivan!

Pete French

6-Time P&P Champion Breaks the ADS 100 Club Record!

Huge congratulations to Pete French who recently achieved 100% in his P&P paper for the 6th time!! An incredible achievement and a new record for the ADS 100 Club!

Pete is currently working on secondment from Shell as Head of Well Delivery for the Sakhalin Energy Investment Company (SEIC) in eastern Russia. He followed a traditional rig-based career path on numerous rig types and well designs around the world. He is now based in Devon with his wife and three teenage children, who are all studying. He spends most of his spare time on his small fishing boat, but also enjoys watching rugby, travelling,  and SCUBA diving.

Congrats again, Pete, and best of luck to you for the future!

Kevin Meehan

P&P Perfection for the second time!

We’re delighted to announce that Kevin Meehan passed his P&P paper with a perfect score of 100% for the second time!

Kevin is currently a Senior Drilling Supervisor with DNO in Kurdistan. He started his career as a Roustabout for Kenting Drilling in 1984, began consulting in 1995 and worked in Russia, Middle East and North Africa as a Drilling Supervisor and Drilling Superintendent.

He is married with two boys, who have both left university and have started their working careers. Kevin’s hobbies include being a landlord for his property portfolio, DIY and gardening.

Congratulations, Kevin!

Agus Riyadi

A perfect score across the board for Pak Agus!

We’re delighted and extremely proud to announce that Aberdeen Drilling International instructor, Agus, recently scored 100% across the board for the THIRD time in a row! That’s 100% in all IWCF Well Control assessments with not a single point dropped. PERFECTION!

Agus joined Aberdeen Drilling International in 2014 as a Senior Well Control Instructor in Asia Pacific, to launch and lead the training in our Malaysian and Indonesian well control training centres. He has vast international experience in developing, instructing and assessing both IWCF and IADC accredited well control and well intervention courses globally, most recently with Weatherford in Abu Dhabi.

He is married to wife Widhiyati and they have two children, Danastri and Astutya. Agus really enjoys spending time at home in Indonesia during his time off with his family and with his cats!

Agus kindly dedicates his 100% score to his friends and colleagues in Kuala Lumpur and hopes to celebrate his achievement with them.

Congratulations, Pak Agus! We’re lucky to have a gentleman like you in our team.

Nigel Sharman

Rides into the ADS 100 Club!

Congratulations to Nigel Sharman who passed his P&P paper with a perfect score of 100% and has joined our ADS 100 club!

Nigel has been drilling offshore for the past 35 years, currently working as a Senior Toolpusher with Odfjell drilling. He is married with four grown up children. In his spare time, Nigel enjoys riding his Harley Davidson.

Well done, Nigel!

Alaa Jasim Falyyih

Meets the P&P Challenge!

We’re delighted to welcome Alaa Jasim Falyyih to the prestigious ADS 100 Club! He scored an impressive 100% in his P&P paper at our Malaysian Well Control centre in November 2019.

Alaa has worked in the industry for many years, with his current role being a Drilling Superintendent for Schlumberger, Iraq. Alaa is married and has 2 boys and 1 girl. In his spare time, he enjoys playing football, relaxing with a good book or watching a good TV show, and taking trips with his family.

Congratulations, Alaa!

Douglas Brown

Eyes on the Prize!

We’re delighted to announce that Douglas Brown has achieved 100% in his P&P paper and joined the ADS 100 Club! He set his sights on the prize as soon as the course began and his efforts have paid off!

He’s worked in the oil industry since 1991, and currently works with CNR as a Drilling Supervisor. Douglas is married with three children, two of which are currently studying at University, one in Edinburgh and one in London. In his spare time, Douglas enjoys hitting the tennis court and golf course, along with taking on some home improvements and farming duties.

Congratulations, Douglas!

Bas van der Woude

Achieves 100% for the 4th time in a row!

Special congratulations to Bas, who has achieved 100% in his Principles and Procedures paper for a fourth time!

Since the last time Bas attended the IWCF course in 2017, he has relocated to the Hague with his wife and 3 children, and is currently working as a Drilling Superintendent for Wintershall Noordzee’s jack-up operations in the southern North Sea.

Bas joined Wintershall in 2004 after obtaining his MSc Petroleum Engineering degree from Heriot-Watt. He went through the 2-year graduate training programme, working for various OPCOs in The Netherlands, Germany, Brazil and Libya. He then went on to work on rotation as a field drilling engineer in the Libyan desert for a 2-year period, before moving to Wintershall Noordzee in Rijswijk, The Netherlands. After working there for nearly 5 years as a drilling engineer involved in planning and operations for jack-up wells in the Southern North Sea, he moved to Norway at the end of 2012. Bas is currently working as a Senior Drilling Engineer in Stavanger for Wintershall Norway, where he is responsible for planning and operations for the exploration wells on-board the Borgland Dolphin semi-submersible.

Bas and his wife Nathalie have been together since 2001. Their first son, Thomas, was born in The Netherlands in 2008 (pictured here, fishing with his Dad). In the spring of 2009 twins (son Jesse and daughter Louise) were born. As a family of five they have been enjoying what life has to offer. Bas tells us, “It has been a hectic ride at times with the three youngsters, but above all really great fun and it has been amazing to watch them grow these past years. They have adapted well to their new life in Stavanger. We are enjoying the outdoors and Norwegian scenery to the fullest!”

A few years ago, Bas picked up cycling on the road bike and in 2014 he rode the infamous cobblestones when he participated in the Paris-Roubaix challenge (170km)!

Don Walker

Takes P&P exam in his stride!

Don Walker has worked offshore for 10 years, starting off as a Roustabout, and has worked his way up to his current position as a Driller. He has been with Noble for almost 5 years and works in the Danish sector of the North Sea. He is engaged to Racheal and they have a 2-year old daughter together, currently living in a small town in North-East Scotland. In his spare time, Don enjoys trips away in his VW campervan (when the weather is nice). He also is a die-hard football fan and supports his local team, Aberdeen FC. COYR!

Well done, Don!

Jack Cronin

The art of performing perfectly and donating to performing arts too!

Jack has worked for Shell for almost 15 years now, starting offshore as a hands-on trainee and then working his way through the standard progression route to Drilling Supervisor.  He’s worked on a number of Shell’s key projects, covering abandonment work, subsea well interventions and most recently, HPHT development drilling. He has also spent some time working in the Aberdeen office as a Well Engineer, and has recently been successful in applying for a new role as a Well Engineering Trainer & Well Control Instructor in Oman, seconded from Shell to PDO. The 100% mark in P&P surpasses the required 90% for instructor qualifications, so it must be a good omen for the new role!

Jack is married to Claire, and they have one daughter, Connie. The three of them live on the Isle of Wight, which is where he and his wife both grew up (thought they didn’t know each other back then)! They both left the island to study and pursue careers and met each other years later. Jack pursued a career as a Well Engineer, and his wife is a Musical Theatre actress. They have since returned to the Isle of Wight and now live in a small village on the South Coast – about as far from the North Sea as possible! Their daughter is now five years old and shows a keen interest in both engineering and performing arts at the moment!

Jack and his family spend a lot of time outdoors on the Isle of Wight, walking their dog Rosie, and working in the garden. He enjoys making things, fixing things, and breaking things, and also likes to go fishing with his dad on their shared fishing boat when time and weather allows.

Christopher Ness

The sun shines on his P&P success!

Christopher is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer and Senior Drilling Engineer currently working at Cairn Energy.  He graduated from University in 2003 with a BEng in Mechanical Engineering from RGU and joined ADTI’s 5-year graduate programme. On completion of the training programme he worked at ADTI for several years before moving to AGR Well Management. From there he moved on to EnQuest and most recently Cairn Energy.  Throughout his career he has enjoyed working in various regions of the world including the North Sea (UK Sector), Middle East, Falkland Islands and the Mediterranean.

Christopher has been married for 5 years and has 2 young children (a 2-year old and a 6-week old). In his spare time, he loves to play football and spend time with the kids.

Congratulations, Christopher! We hope you enjoy your time in the sun this summer.

Mustafa Ahmadov

Raising the bar for instructor candidates!

We’re extremely pleased to announce that Aberdeen Drilling School instructor, Mustafa, recently scored 100% in all three IWCF Well Control papers recently as part of his biennial renewal! He’s the second instructor to achieve perfect scores this year, following in Pak Agus Riyadi’s footsteps. It looks like these two are raising the bar for instructor candidates worldwide.

Mustafa is an accredited Well Control instructor with over 15 years’ experience of developing and delivering IWCF and IADC accredited courses in both Drilling Well Control and Well Intervention Pressure Control (Workover-Well Services) to international clients.  With a background in technical teaching and educational management, he also has 20 years’ of oilfield experience under his belt.

Mustafa is a dedicated family man and all-round nice guy. He has trained O&G delegates in English, Russian, and Azeri in various countries and he consistently receives praise for his calm and supportive teaching style which complements his wealth of industry knowledge. He spends his free time relaxing at home in Baku or travelling and visiting his now grown-up children.

Congratulations, Mustafa! We’re very lucky to have you on the ADS team.

Nicholas Riley

Something to celebrate!

Nicholas is a Drilling Superintendent who currently works at Enquest. He graduated in 1999 from Edinburgh University with a BEng (Hons) in Chemical Engineering before completing an MSc in Process Analytics at the University of Newcastle. He joined the oil industry in 2001 with Halliburton.

Congratulations from all of us at ADS!

Dave Cormack

Dave is "somebody who cares"

Congratulations to an old friend of Aberdeen Drilling School, Dave Cormack, who recently scored 100% for a THIRD time on the Principles & Procedures paper of the IWCF Well Control exam.

Each time Dave has scored 100% he has generously offered to match the ADS award and has donated the total amount to one of Aberdeen’s local charities, Somebody Cares. The charity which started in 2002 and is entirely funded by donations, provides food, furniture and clothing to people who are in desperate and urgent help. More information can be found on Somebody Cares by visiting www.somebodycaresuk.org.

Marius Jaugelis

Top marks for a Top guy

Marius has 14 years’ experience in the offshore oil and gas industry, starting out as a ‘roustie’ in the Forties field and progressing to UDW Driller on Pacific drill ship. He has worked in UK, Brazil, Argentina, West Africa, and also found the time to complete a Petroleum Engineering course through a distance learning programme at Herriot-Watt University.

Marius has been happily married for over 20 years to his lovely wife, Helen. They have two wonderful kids: daughter, Eva and son, Roland. They live in Lithuania and a year ago moved to countryside where Marius always has a project on the go, from chopping wood, to gardening, to construction projects with welding works in the garage. The family occasionally gets also involved, when possible, and safe to do so!

Outside of work, Marius loves to spend time with the family. In summer, they enjoy camping, fishing, and hiking in various places across Europe with the help of their motorhome to get them about. In winter, they’re often found skiing.

Congratulations and we’ll see you again next time, Marius!

Geoff Coker

Soaring to Sunny Skies of Success

Geoff works as a Senior Drilling Supervisor and was most recently working for Ophir Energy in Thailand. He has over 24 years of experience in the oil industry, starting out as a reservoir engineer, moving into drilling engineering and later into drilling supervision. He has worked in 8 different countries, from Australia to Norway, and has seen just about every type of drilling rig there is.

Key interests include popular science, anything mechanical, sports, motorcycles, vintage guitars, watch-making and collecting. Geoff lives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with his girlfriend, and has two teenage daughters.

Congratulations again, Geoff!

David C. Portwine

Top marks for David!

David recently achieved a perfect score of 100% in the IWCF Principles & Procedure paper at Aberdeen Drilling School. He currently works as an OIM for Vantage Drilling Offshore Malaysia but travelled to Scotland for his training. He is married with two teenage children.

Congratulations again, David and we hope to see you again in 2 years’ time!

Stuart Waltho

A Triumphant Return!

After narrowly missing the 100% score in 2015 (by one question!), Stuart Waltho returns 2 years later to nab the cash prize and earn his spot in the ADS 100 Club!

Stuart graduated from University of Strathclyde with a Masters in Mechanical Engineering and joined ADTI in 2009 through their graduate scheme. He worked offshore as rig crew and Wellsite Drilling Engineer on a variety of exploration and appraisal wells in the North Sea. He then worked as Well Operations Engineer onshore Thailand and North Sea on a variety of Development and Workover projects. He’s currently working as Offshore Well Engineer with Exceed Well Management on a major North Sea subsea decommissioning project.

In his spare time, Stuart enjoys outdoor activities such as Golf, Road Cycling, Mountain Biking, Running, Sailing, Skiing, Surfing, but during the winter months, he sticks to indoor sports of Badminton and Swimming. He also has a keen interest in cars, with his current Audi S4 avant carrying the necessary sports equipment wherever he needs to go in all varieties of Scottish weather.

Patrick McGrath

P&P Perfection for Patrick!

Patrick is currently employed as Staff Wells Engineer / Well Ops Supervisor with Shell UK.  He started in the oil & gas business twelve years ago as a Mud Logging Geologist and tells us that it was an exciting adventure for someone born and raised in the Midlands where there is very little exposure to the offshore energy industry!  In 2006, he moved to Aberdeen and started a new job, working for Schlumberger Drilling & Measurements as an M/LWD Engineer before then becoming a Directional Driller working on call across the North Sea.  Four years later, he took an assignment on rotation to Saudi Arabia, where he worked for Schlumberger Middle East as a Directional Driller on the land rigs in Manifah and in Shaybah (in the Empty Quarter!).  Then, hungry for new challenges, he moved back to Aberdeen 5 years ago to work for Shell as a Night Drilling Supervisor on platform and semi-submersible drilling rigs. Over that time, Patrick has been involved in some very exciting projects, both as a Wells Supervisor offshore and as a Well Engineer onshore.  Currently, he’s planning the first ever campaign of subsea wellhead recoveries for Shell UK, which will help to define Shell’s strategy for this type of work in the future.

When he’s not doing DIY jobs at home, Patrick likes to go hiking and trail cycling.  He also loves to travel and, as a certified technical tri-mix diver, he’s always eager to plan his next dive holiday! Exploring the World War 1 wrecks of Scapa Flow was a highlight for him in 2016.

Congratulation again on your achievement!

Michael Ari Dhanto

Revved up and ready to take on the P&P Challenge!

Michael is currently working as a Well Engineer at Schlumberger. He started at Schlumberger IPM working as a trainee rig crew member in Australia with CBM drilling. He then moved to Indonesia as a well engineer for the Wayang Windu Geothermal drilling project, and is now in Iraq as a night supervisor/well engineer for the ENI Zubair drilling project. He’s been in the industry for 4 years in total.

Michael likes to travel and, as a proud owner of a Kawasaki Ninja ZX636, he is a big fan of motorcycles!

Congratulations, Michael!

Edem Edemidiong

100% in Principles & Procedures AND in Equipment!

Edem recently scored 100% in BOTH of his IWCF written assessments for Drilling Well Control – an impressive achievement! He is currently working as a Senior Well Engineer with Shell Petroleum Development Company. He has worked there since 2000 and undertaken a variety of roles during his career including Concept Well Engineer; Asset Well Engineer; Drilling Supervisor on land, swamp, and jack-up rigs; and Wells Learning Adviser.

He married his lovely wife, Ofon, in 2003 and they have three children, Gerald (b. 2004), Bryan (b. 2008) and Stanley (b.2009). In his spare time, Edem enjoys golf, scrabble, DIY, and mentoring young drilling professionals!

Congratulations, Edem! It’s been a pleasure having you with us in Aberdeen.

John White

Aces the P&P Paper!

John recently scored 100% in IWCF’s Principles & Procedures paper at our centre in Aberdeen! He is currently working as Team Lead / HPHT Design, and has been working at Shell for 11 years in both offshore and onshore roles. He is married with 3 sons and lives in Alyth, Perthshire. In his free time, John enjoys sports such as football, tennis, and squash.

Congratulations on the perfect P&P score! We hope to see you again soon.

Suei Ru Wong

A Shining Example!

Suei is the second female to join the ADS 100 Club and is the very first woman to achieve the perfect 100% score in IWCF’s P&P paper at Aberdeen Drilling International (Malaysia)! She is a Drilling Engineer at Repsol Oil & Gas Malaysia Limited and has been with Repsol (previously Talisman) for about 3 years now. Prior to this role, she was a cementing engineer with Halliburton for about 9 years, having worked at various locations including India, China, Brunei and Malaysia.

Suei has a passion for travelling and exploring the history of various countries. During her free time, she likes to draw, swim or simply relax and watch TV.

Martin Geddes

From the Altitude of the Alps to the Dizzy Heights of a perfect P&P Performance!

Martin graduated in 1995 from local university, Robert Gordon’s, with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He then joined Baker Oil Tools and performed various engineering, operations and project management roles, mainly in wellbore intervention, later specialising in coiled tubing drilling when he joined Shell in 2005 to work as a Well Engineer on the Gannet CTD project. Since then, Martin has worked in various onshore and offshore positions in the UK and joined the Shearwater Noble Hans Deul team as Senior Well Engineer (Operations) in 2012 before progressing to his current role as Well Operations Team Lead (HPHT) with Shell UK 2015.

Martin and his lovely wife, Andrea, are both pictured above at Lac Montriond near Morzine in the French Alps. They live in Torphins, Aberdeenshire with their three sons, Rory (17), Callum (15) and Ben (12).

Martin confesses to have little time for hobbies with three busy children, but he does love football. He enjoys watching Aberdeen and he’s still playing the sport at the age of 43! He has recently bought a new mountain bike and is exploring the paths and trails of Deeside. He also loves music is learning to play acoustic guitar.

Congratulations from all of us Aberdeen Drilling School!!

Ben Martell

Ben has a "Flare" for P&P!

Wells Operations Manager

Ben started his career in the oil industry 22 years ago, working initially as a Survey Engineer and then as a Directional Drilling Operations Engineer.  He joined Shell in 2001 working both offshore and onshore in Aberdeen, before transferring internationally in 2005 and working as a Drilling Supervisor in South Korea, Sakhalin and Egypt. In 2012 he moved to the single string ventures team working as a Senior Operations Engineer drilling deepwater exploration wells in French Guiana and the Gulf of Mexico.  Ben is currently working in Nova Scotia, Canada, on a deepwater exploration campaign as Operations Manager.

While currently living in Halifax, Nova Scotia with his wife, Anna, Ben enjoys sailing, scuba diving and skiing in his spare time!

Congratulations, Ben! We hope to see you again in 2 years.

Stan Stuart

It's a hat-trick for Stan! Completed in 2021, 2014 & 2016.

Stan (pictured here in his ‘working togs’) started in the offshore industry in 1989 with MSR on the semi-submersible rig called the Aladdin. The rig was bought over by Lauritzen where he continued to work until 1992, working alongside two other 100 club members (Walter Allan & Steven Brown). From there he moved to Santa Fe which then became Global Santa Fe and then merged again to become Transocean. It was during this time that he progressed through the ranks to finally secure a position of Senior Toolpusher aboard the GSF Monarch in 2005. This is where he stayed until an opportunity to join ADTI as a Drilling Supervisor in 2011, a position he held until the company decided to cease trading in 2015. From there Stan has been contracted to Apache supervising their operations on the Rowan Gorilla 7, Ocean Patriot, and the Forties Bravo and Charlie Platforms.

Stan plays darts for a local team (though he admits that it is the social side of the sport that appeals to him). He lives in Elgin with his wife Karen and his two children Ryan (21) and Leah (17).

This is in fact the third consecutive time that Stan has achieved 100% in his P&P at ADS! 

‘Here’s to another crack at it in couple of years!’ – Stan

Michael Kassell

The P&P paper proves to be plain sailing for Mike!

Mike is a consulting Drilling Superintendent and he achieved an impressive 100% in his IWCF P&P paper in December, 2016. He’s been working in the industry since 1973 and has travelled the globe with his work. Since 2003, he has been mainly based in the Far East region, mostly in Vietnam with a focus on granite base drilling.

He is a proud dad to 2 lovely daughters and a proud grandfather to his 3-year-old grandson. When time permits, he enjoys spending time outdoors, often on the water when he gets the chance to go sailing but he also enjoys the golf course.

Congratulations Mike! We hope to see you again in the future.

David Lim

David leads the way!

In 2014 David Lim was the first person to achieve 100% on the IWCF Principles & Procedures paper at our new training centre in Kuala Lumpur (which opened in August, 2014). We’re now extremely pleased to announce that he has done for a 2nd time running in late-2016!! A remarkable achievement.

David is presently working as a Drilling Supervisor back home in Malaysia (offshore Sabah) on board a semi-assist tender rig on the Malikai development project. This is Malaysia’s very first Tension Leg Platform (TLP). It is also his very first experience working on a TLP and he’s proud to say that the team very recently achieved first oil in December 2016. What a great way to end the year in what has been a challenging 2016.

He is working with Shell and has a total of 14 years of experience, having worked in various parts of the world in Asia, Middle East and North Africa. David’s work has taken him to many faraway places, working with people from all walks of life in all manner of environments:
“It has been a great experience and I wouldn’t swap it for anything else. Looking forward for more of the same in the coming years.”

David recently got married and as both he and his new wife are very much into travelling, they are currently planning a trip to the USA. He also enjoys running and hopes to take the leap and complete a half-marathon in 2017.

“No prizes for guessing where the prize money will be going – to the vacation fund!”

Best of luck, David, and safe travels!

Roger Anderson

A perfect score of 100% for the 2nd time!

Roger joined Shell in 2008 as a Well Site Drilling Engineer working offshore on a variety of rigs and platforms. He then moved into the office for 3 years doing Brent P&A design work followed by design and operations for a drilling campaign on Nelson. He moved back offshore in 2013 to work as a Night Drilling Supervisor on the Ocean Guardian which he did for 18 months. Another move back into the office in 2015 as Operations Engineer lead to his most recent move a year later, back offshore as Drilling Supervisor on the Ocean Patriot!

Roger has been married for 2 years, with no kids but they have a dog that keeps them more than busy! He enjoys travelling and hopes to spend more time away now that he is back offshore. He also enjoys running and hopes to sign up to a few events in 2017.

Good luck with the house hunt, Roger, and congratulations again!

Muhammad Yazdaan

Celebrates a P&P win!

Muhammad is a Senior Drilling Supervisor working for PETRONAS Carigali Sdn Bhd (PCSB) and based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

He has 6 years of experience in supervising drilling operation offshore on various type of drilling rigs (semi-submersible, tender assisted barge, jack-up, drillship and workover barge) and is involved in various types of drilling operations (surface & subsea development and exploration, workover, MPD & PMCD, HPHT & deepwater wells).

He has been married for 7 years and is a proud father to his 5-year-old son. Muhammad really enjoys spending time at home in Kuala Lumpur during time off and always looks forward to a vacation with his lovely family.

Congratulations, Muhammad! We hope to see you again in two years’ time.

Lindsay Allen

It's smooth sailing!

Lindsay is currently working as a senior toolpusher and recently scored a perfect score of 100% on his Principles and Procedures paper at Aberdeen Drilling School. He began his career offshore in 1989 working for Penrod in the North Sea. When Ensco took over Penrod he continued to work in the North Sea for a total of 23 years. He later decided to broaden his horizons and “go international” so he joined Transocean and has spent the past 4 years in West Africa. He had always planned to semi-retire at the age of 50, and so he has now left Transocean and started up his own company. He hopes to day-rate his services and enjoy more time at home.

Lindsay has been married for 25 years to his wonderful wife Donna. They have twins, Truly and Damian, who are now 15.

His wife spends a lot of time riding her horse and looking after the family needs, while Lindsay has a boat on the Norfolk Broads, which he plans to spend more time on with family and friends now that he is enjoying more free time. He hopes to take the boat up the Thames and pass the houses of parliament in the next couple of years. He’s a keen DIY enthusiast and does everything except plastering ceilings!

Ryan Hart

Hearty congratulations to Ryan Hart!

Ryan is a well engineer currently working for BG Group and in May 2016, scored 100% on his Principles and Procedures paper!

He graduated with a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from Durham University in 2013 and joined BG Group’s International Graduate Development Programme (IDGP) straight after uni. In the past 3 years he’s worked in Aberdeen, Tunisia, Brisbane, Reading and is about to start a new assignment in The Netherlands. He has worked on multiple assignments in the office, on land rigs, a jack-up and on a platform performing slickline workovers.

Ryan has been lucky enough to make the most of his travelling with the IDGP. His most memorable experience being the week he spent getting his PADI scuba diving certificates in the Great Barrier Reef!

He is a competitive cyclist and swimmer and enjoys spending most of his free time training or racing. Ryan likes taking his Yamaha R6 motorbike on trackdays, rock climbing, and generally being active outdoors. He’s also a vegan, which apparently is often met with confusion and interesting debates – especially on the rigs!

We have loved having you with us, Ryan! Congratulations again and best of luck on trackday!

Nick Hughesdon

Huge scores for Nick Hughesdon!

Nick scored a very impressive 100% in his P&P exam paper in April, 2016. He is currently working as a Senior Toolpusher but he started working offshore in 1987 as a roustabout for D.Y.V.I. offshore. He later moved to Bolden Drilling and then Rowan Drilling. In 1995 he was hired by Santa Fe Drilling where he stayed, moving up the ranks as the company merged with Global Marine and then Transocean.

Nick has been married for 19 years to his wife, Susan, and they have 2 children. He has a keen interest in science and technology and enjoys playing the guitar. He is also currently restoring a 1974 Ford Capri!

Congratulations on your achievement, Nick! We hope to see you again.

Richard McLellan

Richard ranks with the best of them!

Richard started working offshore in 1987 on jack ups and platforms, and was recently working as a senior toolpusher for Northern Offshore.

Married with grown up children who have flown the nest and started their own careers, Richard likes to play golf whenever the sun is out and enjoys going to motor sport events.

Congratulations, Richard!

Hammad Zafar

Hammad sets a perfect example!

Hammad is currently working as a senior night drilling supervisor for MOL Pakistan. He first embarked on his career in Oil & Gas in 2008 with “Pakistan Petroleum Limited” as an assistant drilling engineer. He then joined Schlumberger IPM in 2013 and worked in Oman and Saudi Arabia for 2 years as a well site drilling engineer until he began working for MOL Pakistan.

In his free time, Hammad enjoys watching movies, swimming, and attending family gatherings. Hammad tells us that he is happily married to Adan Malik and he has a young son called Muhammad Rayyan. Muhammad was born in the autumn of 2015 and is very, very loved!

Congratulations, Hammad. We wish you and your wonderful family all the best for the future!

Stephen Sutherland

Stephen has it sussed!

Stephen has worked offshore since 1995, working as part of a drill crew for 7 years, completing his HNC in electronic engineering in between. He spent 6 years as a VSAT engineer and returned to drilling in 2010.

Stephen spends most of my time doing DIY and keeping fit. He’s married with a son aged 18 and daughter aged 9.

Congratulations, Stephen!

Callum Macandrew

Callum nailed it - getting 100% in P&P

Callum joined Applied Drilling Technology International (ADTI) in 2007 after obtaining his MEng Mechanical Engineering degree. He completed the ADTI graduate development programme and progressed to Senior Drilling Engineer.

Away from work he is a big Aberdeen Football Club supporter, following the team home and away.