Asset Integrity Engineer - Summer Placement Review

I worked as an Asset Integrity Engineer for Centrica Storage Limited (CSL). I thoroughly enjoyed my summer placement. The work in particular was very interesting, the people were friendly and accommodating and I learnt an incredible amount over the 10 weeks about asset integrity and the wider gas storage business.

I felt very valued by my colleagues. They appreciated my lack of knowledge and experience and every one of the asset integrity team offered me help and guidance throughout the placement. I felt I could ask for help from any of them without feeling foolish or inadequate.

I sat next to my manager in the main office in Hedon. Although a very busy man, he always had time to answer my questions in great detail and was always available for a formal meeting if I felt I required one. He encouraged me to join him for lunch where he and another member of asset integrity went for a long, brisk walk. This was a time I could ask him anything. I learnt a vast amount during these walks.

This varied week to week. At the beginning of the placement I had days where I felt overwhelmed by the volume of work I had and then a couple of days later I felt I had nothing. Towards the end of the placement I was at a stage where I could take on work from anyone with minimal explanation or help. I had a lot to do towards the end and actually had to turn down some tasks as I had no more time to complete them before the end of the placement.

Centrica Storage Limited (CSL) conduct work with extremely high pressures of highly flammable natural gas, injecting and producing it from the Rough gas field. It is very high risk work and therefore the level responsibility was not huge as a mistake could be catastrophic. I was, however, given relatively important tasks which were approved by my line manager before being taken any further.

It may help in my degree to some extent. It will vastly help in my future career, especially at the beginning. CSL paid for me to go through my offshore survival training and go on an offshore visit. This experience will help immensely as it is a desire of mine to work offshore in my future career. Learning how a main office works will also be very beneficial. Knowing who to contact, how to contact them and general office etiquette will help anyone regardless of the industry they plan to enter.

The office was relatively relaxed. It is open plan and everyone was friendly and smiled as they walk past. Due to the size (around 100 people at times) there was many people I did not get a chance to meet properly. However, every person I asked for information was very accommodating and helpful.

It was really well organised. The grad team were brilliant. I moved into a really nice flat in Hull without incident. The company car they had for me came on my first day in the office. Every visit down to the main Centrica office in Windsor was organised well with accommodation organised for us and travel expenses reimbursed. Any questions I had were answered and followed up quickly. No complaints whatsoever.

Immensely. It is an expensive process to get someone trained up and sent offshore so to provide this to a summer placement who may only get offshore once or twice during the placement showed real investment in my development. My line manager also invested a lot of time in me by accompanying me offshore, giving up large chunks of his day to help me out and answering any questions I had at any time.

Very appealing. I will be very tempted by the graduate scheme should it be offered to me. The placement showed both Centrica plc and CSL in a very good light. The grad scheme is a very good opportunity for an engineer. They offer 4 years in 4 different parts of the business. An offer that is unmatched by other graduate schemes. The only downside is that some of the locations are very remote.

To an extent. My flatmate and I went out most weekends to Hull’s exceedingly average nightlife. There were occasional graduate organised events while I was there but not too many. If you are lucky, as I was, to be placed with a good friend then you will have plenty to do throughout the placement.

Hull is relatively cheap. It can be more expensive when you head to Newland Avenue and Princes Avenue but this is the case in the popular nightlife areas of most cities. If you are after a budget meal and a couple of cheap drinks then there is plenty available if you look around. As for day to day living the cost was low to average.

There were not many options for nightlife as most of the students were home for the summer but we found a bar called Tofts on Newland Avenue where we had a couple of really good nights. Just a bar that turns into a club with a decent crowd and some brilliant tunes. Give it a go if you ever find yourself in the area!

I got involved in 5 a-sides with some of the guys at the terminal and the main office. There were around 10 of us altogether. They play in a Tuesday night league and look set to win the league and gain promotion! There were a couple of grad events as well such as a bowling night and a games night.