‘Safety starts with ME’ is a key in our sector’
Nakkeran T,
Welding Engineer (IWE/EWE),
Technip Energies – Singapore /
China Seconded by NES Global
What made you choose welding as a career?
Welding has wide opportunities in fabrication / manufacturing across different sector. It’s a great area to explore materials and its applications.
How much of total experience do you have?
Total around 10 years experience which ranges from Automotive, Offshore Platform manufacturing, heavy fabrication Industries, Floating Production Storage offloading (FPSO) Building etc.
Since you hold a vast experience in the welding segment, what is your say on the current welding market scenario? Is it on par with the international markets?
Nothing Exist without welding (Joining Process). As per the market scenario, automation in welding is a key development in heavy fabrication industries, oil and gas sector and new trending offshore wind segments. There is a need to improve and be innovative to make the Indian welding industry on par with the International market for great productivity, cost saving and high quality of the Job delivered.
What according to you is required to boost the welding industry in India?
There is a need for more tie up’s with International Welding Body. There is also a requirement for more interactive industries / education institutions collaborations and global players to invest in India for their projects. Lot of investments in R&D is required for the future welding trends in the Industries.
What are your expectations from the government for the upliftment of the welding segment?
Setting up R&D in various leading institutions in India and bring more investment from global players in India. Making Welding as one of main topics in Engineering Discipline and motivate lot of Innovative Projects, cost saving in welding.
What type of projects have you worked upon?
Started with automotive industries after my Master degree and then working with various offshore platform fabrication projects like Central Processing Unit (CPU), Well head Platform (WHP) and Living Quarters (LQ), High Pressure and high temperature (HPHT) Well head Platforms and currently build a Floating Production Storage Offloading (FPSO ) for various oil and gas Industries.
Could you brief us on your recent project? What is it all about and your role into the same?
My recent project is involved in building a Floating Production Storage Offloading project (FPSO) building a hull, topside and living quarters and integrations. I am working as Project Welding Engineer in site activities taking care of the Quality and Welding scope for the project.
Tell me about the most challenging engineering project that you have been involved with during the past year.
During my Job as Welding Engineer for fabrication and erections of Central Processing Unit (CPU) which is around 17,000 tons Platform Project ‘Ivar Aasen platform’ for Det norske olieselskap oil company in Norway. Welding of structural platform of various Steel grades and Welding of exotic steel piping involving large dia inches of Titanium, Super duplex stainless steel, Duplex stainless steel and upgrading the welding techniques and Equipments. Maintain world class quality based on Norsok standard for the Project.
Talk about your field responsibilities in your current organization?
Field responsibilities in my current projects involves qualifying and approving Sub Contractor WPS/PQR and Tracking the Sub contractor performance in terms of Quality and Welding for the Projects and daily routine surveillance check that we meet the client requirements day to day. Making awareness about the welding requirements to all sub-contractors from Quality personnel, welders group and fitter group for structural and Piping activities (Fabrication and erections).
What checks and balances do you use to make sure that you don’t make mistakes?
I make sure to compile with the code and standards followed for the project. Monitor the daily activities and keep me updated and communicating to my head and client for the work carried out. Any doubt/clarification resolve with sub-contractors welding Engineers, clients and 3rd Party involved for the Projects. Knowledge sharing with multi discipline personnel and get inputs from all and implement accordingly based on experience and meet the project schedule on date delivery.
What is your say on safety at work?
As part of safety, no comprises on safety. There has to be daily briefing to all people involved for the work day to day basis. ‘Safety starts with ME’ is a key in our sector and lot of awards to personnel to come with good practice to improve in our Project and keep on Improving. ‘Zero Incident Zero Accident’ is our company mantra.
What new engineering specialty skills have you developed during the past year?
I got an opportunity to work with Multi Discipline across the global engineering people and contractor engineering and 3rd party agencies approved for the project. Each project is an opportunity to learn and carry forward the experience carried out and useful for the projects with experience personnel’s in my department and projects who are having lot of experience in the oil and gas sector .
Have you contributed to any cost savings for your company? Elaborate if any.
Timely approving the welding procedures for the project, developing good skilled welders for structural and piping welding, keep on improving to reduce the defect rates and updating new welding techniques / equipments to improve the production and having good quality; are some of my contributions. Our key motto is ‘Do It Right The First Time’, and this is the biggest cost saving for our sector.
Where do you see yourself ten years from now?
To work with leading operator (Oil and Gas) as Material and Welding Specialist and handle biggest capex projects . To learn myself more focused additional in corrosion specialist and be finest Engineer in oil and gas sector.
