The oil-and-gas industry is the largest employer in western Kazakhstan. Tengiz, Kashagan, Karachaganak and their related infrastructure provide thousands of jobs — from engineers to skilled trades. Here is who is in demand and how to get onto the projects.
Where the work is
- Tengiz — production and expansion projects; work is predominantly rotational.
- Kashagan and Karabatan — offshore production and onshore processing (the Bolashak plant).
- Karachaganak (Aksai) — a gas-condensate field and its service contractors.
- Atyrau and Aktau — offices of operators, contractors and service companies.
Hiring is done both by the operators themselves and — more often — by their contractors: construction, service and engineering companies.
Which specialists are in demand
From FSSA's experience, projects consistently need:
- engineers — civil, process, quality-control and I&C (instrumentation) engineers;
- supervisors and works coordinators;
- rotating- and static-equipment mechanics;
- occupational health and industrial safety specialists;
- welders, fitters and other skilled trades;
- administrative staff for sites: coordinators, document controllers.
For engineering positions, technical English is an advantage — on international projects it is often mandatory.
How to get onto the projects
Applying directly on operators' websites works, but most contractor positions are filled through staffing agencies. FSSA has been recruiting for oil-and-gas projects since 2007: the open vacancies are updated constantly, and you can apply straight from the site — with your CV, in a couple of clicks.
If there is no suitable position right now, leave your CV: recruiters will add you to the database and contact you when a relevant project comes up. For candidates, FSSA's services are free.