From Africa to Asia

Saviour Ufot has traversed oceans and industries to get to where he is today. Originally starting his career in academia as a lecturer at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria in 1993, Saviour joined the Oil & Gas industry somewhat by chance. That chance has now led him to Geoje, South Korea, where he is a HSE Manager on the EGINA Project.

A Career By Chance

So how did a university academic end up in the Oil & Gas industry? The keyword is environmental studies. In 1998 he got a job at Shell Petroleum Development Nigeria as an environmental trainer, which led him to Bonny crude oil terminal in the Niger Delta. In late 2002 he found himself with Total Nigeria to take part in the environmental baseline studies of the Amenam-Kpono field, one of the largest conventional offshore oil and gas developments in West Africa. It would seem like quite a dramatic change in career for most, but Saviour says he regrets nothing. What he does every day can affect the world in a more real way.

Korea Calls

In 2014, Saviour's career one again took another direction, after he was selected as the HSE manager for Korea as part of the EGINA project. "Basically my job is to ensure the full implementation of company HSE requirements during construction of the EGINA FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading) in Korea," explains Saviour. His role is a mix of HR and risk management. He is not only in charge of ensuring that all resources are in line and working as they should, but must also analyze the workplace to guarantee that company expectations are met and risks in construction are minimized. "I must manage the risks to a level that is tolerable and in compliance with the law, with no harm to staff, the environment, and assets," Saviour explains. Training is a big part of this. Ensuring everyone is up to date on their HSE trainings is a priority for Saviour. "It's a culture within Total," he says, "and I provide the company representatives with the technical advice to promote this,"

Living Far From Home

When asked about living so far from home in a country that speaks a language different to his own, Saviour replies extremely positively. "Korea is quite adaptable and interesting. The people are very friendly and are always willing to help in spite of the language barrier," he says. "We enjoy the hospitality in the new environment." Maintaining a balanced lifestyle is also important, with Saviour taking comfort in swimming, particularly at his apartment's pool. He's also thankful that his family made the move to Korea with him, and that he gets to head home to Nigeria at least a few times a year. He takes great pride in his job, and loves his new life in Asia.

On the topic of Nigeria, Saviour is the most positive. "With good leadership, our economy will most likely be one of the best in the world," he explains. Total's own efforts in this area, particularly the policy on local content is already yielding results, and he is very supportive of this. "It has opened up opportunities for the youth in terms of training and manpower development," explains Saviour. This is just one way Total is working towards a better energy future, and a better environment for all.