Well Engineering Summer Intern Review

During my 12 weeks at Shell there were a number of aspects to get excited about. From the job perks, to the structured support of my project, to the people around me it was a truly worthwhile experience.

Being very lucky with the project I was offered within the Well Engineering department, my colleagues really valued the work that was being done. Some other projects were not as tangible, just your luck really.

Both my supervisor and mentor were incredibly knowledgable and were always available to chat and solve problems when I encountered them. Even when my supervisor moved to the Netherlands with a month to go, he was still in contact almost every day for progress updates and to help solve any obstacles. He also flew back for the final presentation.

The project was very technical and required a lot of simulation work using Well Engineering software. I was therefore very busy on a daily basis, not only at my desk running simulations, but also validating results and chatting to other experts within the office. Near the end, however, once I had met my deliverables, I was a lot less busy - although this did provide time to practice the final presentation and tidy up my intern report, so not really a bad thing.

I was pretty much given free rein of my own project, with milestones and project plan defined by myself. The deliverables were my responsibility, so a great amount of responsibility is placed on you to succeed.

Maybe not in terms of university, but the placement will assist me massively in my future career in the oil and gas industry.

Generally relaxed, sometimes quite empty with a lot of people being offshore. You are able to stop and have some free coffee or water whenever you desire though, so can't complain about it being too stressful. Again, this depends on where you are working.

Incredibly well organised. Not only with my project, but also through something called the Energie network, which aims to bring all the young people in Shell together once or twice a month to get to know one another with cinema nights, free drinks, summer BBQs, ceilidhs etc etc. ... Can't complain.

Manager and supervisor provided all the training required through expert advice and tutorials/online training courses.

Not bad, well engineering may be limited with the decline in North Sea oil and gas production, all depends on the result of the internship and the spaces available in each department.

As mentioned, the Energie network was superb .. and all the interns got on very well and went out in Aberdeen every weekend.

Costs are generally pretty high, but you are paid accordingly.

Plenty of pubs and clubs to go to.

Again, the Energie network organise these for you and they are all generally free! Also, Shell have their own country house here in aberdeen, which offers free gym and subsidised sports for employees.