Malcolm's STORY

What do you do, and where do you do it?

Currently I am the Terminal Manager at the St Fergus North Sea Gas Reception Terminal.

Why is your role important? Why is it important to the company/ the people of the UK/ the UK economy?

Under the COMAH regulations, I undertake the role and responsibilities of the Duty Holder for the terminal. I am responsible for the safe operation and maintenance of Europe’s largest gas reception terminal. The St Fergus Terminal is National Gas’s biggest operational facility in the UK and supplies on average 25 to 30% of the UK’s gas supply every day of the year.

Which parts of the job do you enjoy most / find most rewarding?

I find sharing my knowledge of over 40 years in the gas industry and developing staff at all levels, from apprentices to engineering managers.

The rewarding part for me is seeing staff develop and progress through their career and I recognise this as a testament of both good leadership and investment in others.

What path did you use to get to the position you hold today?

I joined the gas industry as an apprentice gas Distribution Craftsman, on successful completion of that I progressed from craftsmen to Technician (City & Guilds qualification). I took on further education at the local college and successfully gained ONC/ HNC qualifications in mechanical engineering. I then joined the team at the St Fergus Gas Terminal as a plant operator, operating the gas compression trains, whilst doing this I attended the Robert Gordon’s University, studied in evening class and gained a HND in mechanical and offshore engineering. I then progressed to Shift Engineer, running the plant operations and controlling all aspects of the permission  to work on site. Again during this period I studied at the university and gained my BEng in Mechanical Systems. Then I took up the position of Pipeline Engineer looking after the operation and maintenance of all the Scottish high pressure pipelines and 115  Block Valve sites. After that I took on the position of Senior Operations Engineer responsible for the operation and maintenance of the top three running compressor stations in the fleet. Then I took up my current role of the St Fergus Terminal Manager and progressed my institutional membership from Incorporated Engineer to Chartered Engineer with the IGEM. So here I am coming from apprentice to CEng, If I can do it so can you !

What did you do before?

I joined the Gas Industry straight from school at the age of 16.

What attracted you to join the energy and utilities sector?

I found my family tradition of working in the gas industry very exciting and intriguing and always wanted to be a part of such a rewarding company. The other attraction was longevity and knowing that if you work hard, the company will reward and look after you.

Why is your current position better/ more satisfying?

Knowing that in my current position I am responsible for the safe operation and maintenance of an Upper Tier gas terminal, which is National Gas’s biggest and most critical asset. I find it most satisfying being able to share my 44years gas industry knowledge with others, so that they may have the same or better career opportunities within the gas industry

What do you think of the career prospects? Have you had much training and development?

There are plenty of career / development opportunities within National Gas, they may not always be on your doorstep, and you need to take advantage of them to help develop yourself. National Gas provides all the essential training for each role and encourages additional learning at all levels for personal development including both academic and institutional sponsorship where appropriate.

What does an average day consist of?

7:30am start on site every morning.

08:00 attend daily operational HUB – team discussion to prioritise workload, breakdown, defects and operational maintenance activities.

08:30 attend Operational Discussions with the senior management team.

09:30 site minor project progress catch up meeting

10:00 Time for Tea & Toast

10:15 Major project catch up meetings

11:00 Onsite checks and workface catch up with staff and contractors

12:30 Lunch

13:00 input to various teams meetings

15:00 OPEX & CAPEX finance meeting

15:30 Time for employees, staff issues, questions, help and guidance

16:30 email catch up.

Would you recommend your job to a friend and why?

Yes definitely, I have successfully recommended jobs to family members and friends in the past and will continue to recommend National Gas as a fantastic place to work, with good career prospects, first class training, good facilities and a warm friendly workforce.