Air Energi wins contract to staff BP Iraq

expat network

Air Energi wins contract to staff BP Iraq

Global oil & gas recruiter Air Energi has won a five-year contract with BP Iraq to supply contingent expatriate personnel for operations at the Rumaila and Kirkuk oil fields.

It is the company’s largest deal in the region to date, and the first with BP.

Paul Howarth, Air Energi’s delivery manager for Iraq, told Recruiter the company had been targeting this contract for at least a couple of years and while it was already “quite diversified” across the region, this would “certainly help us expand further”.

He said the company had had a presence in Iraq for five years and had grown every year. In the long term, the company might also add headcount to its Iraq team to help handle the contract.

He added the contract was specifically for the placement of expatriate contractors. Most would come from the UK but some from further afield. The contract to supply local workers to BP Iraq is currently let, but is something Air Energi was considering bidding on in the future.

When asked about security issues in the region, Howarth said open relationships with clients about health & safety policies and Air Energi’s own knowledge of global situations meant they would not mobilise anyone until they were happy with the situation.

Contractors also go through a rigorous pre-screening and onboarding process to ensure all sides understand what they are getting. Contractors are then kept up to date with latest security-related developments via Air Energi’s global mobility team.

According to a company statement, the Rumaila field is the second largest in the world and represented 40% of Iraq’s total oil production in 2014.

Source and Link: The Recruiter

Moving Abroad Checklist

Initial Considerations

Will your partner be travelling with you?

If so, what will they be giving up in your present home and will they be able to continue with their career in your new home? You will need to check whether a separate visa is required for your partner to work or if your visa gives that right. If they are unable to work you will need to decide on the effect on your finances and what alternatives are available to give a fulfilling life (home business, training, voluntary work).

Are you taking family with you?

Moving with family raises many exciting opportunities, but also can create challenges. The HSBC Expat Explorer survey indicates that expat kids can take six months to settle in to their new country (see article). Getting young or even older children to prepare to move and leave their friends and family behind can be a challenge and should be thought through.

The options for education is another area that needs to be thought through.

Moving your child to a new country with a different education system can be a great opportunity to broaden their experience, but if they are close to key exams the timing can make this inadvisable. If you do take your family with you, it is important to decide between joining the local school system or choosing an international school.

Where will you be living?

Whether you will be living in a house or apartment, furnished or unfurnished, these decisions will affect what you need to take with you. The time you are planning to live overseas will also affect whether you should leave your property at home empty, rent it out or sell it. See the article Sell, Store or Ship.