Sebastian Govender works for oil giant Saudi Aramco. He works in the Project Management Division, in Mega Projects in the Oil & Gas industry, in Jazan Economic City.
When he began working in Saudi Arabia, in 2013, he worked on the Jazan Refinery Mega Project. He was on the Project Management Team as an instrumentation engineer, specializing in Detail Design. He then moved over to PMT Construction. He currently manages the construction/pre-commissioning for E&I in the Gas Treatment Unit (GTU).
For him, the most fascinating developments in the Oil and Gas industry have occurred in the ever-evolving process control systems, which, he says, have made life a lot easier in the refinery.
On why he pursued a career in Oil & Gas, Govender said:
“The reason I have chosen to work in the O&G industry is because I love the ongoing changes in technology of refining, and the challenges faced in the day to day operations. I love the environment, being surrounded by engineers sharing ideas and troubleshooting - and the passion I have for what I do is motivating.”
Govender studied the Advanced Diploma of Electrical and Instrumentation (E&I) Engineering for Oil and Gas Facilities through the Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT). He had searched far and wide for an accredited institution that would allow him to study remotely. He said:
“I am South African and working abroad makes it difficult to study and work due to leave needed for examinations. I then came across EIT online while searching - finding this institution was the best thing that ever happened to me (except for finding my wife and having our daughter). The training I received was exceptional for an online platform. The LABs and the lecturers were very informative and hands-on.”
And what is Sebastian’s next study plan? To gain some professional development on EIT’s Professional Certificate of Competency in Project Management for Engineers.
Despite his commitment to online learning he admitted that studying whilst working takes a level of motivation. This is driven by his passion, he says:
“My motivation comes from the passion I have for engineering, construction and interacting with the diverse people you meet in the industry. If you love what you do, you are never bored and never have any negative vibes in the work environment.”