Asset Integrity Officer

Job Overview

Job Category

Business and Operations Support

Sectors

Education

Environment

Office only

About This Career

Failure is not an option for Asset Integrity Officers. They watch over an oil and gas company’s long list of assets, such as pipelines, pressure equipment, storage tanks and infrastructure to make sure everything is working as they should, are properly maintained and are safe for use.

Managing for the integrity and reliability of assets such as pipelines, pressure equipment, tanks and infrastructure is critical for oil and gas companies. Maintaining the integrity of process equipment means preventing and minimizing spills and loss of pressure containment.

Using a risk-based management approach, the Asset Integrity Manager leads a team of specialists to ensure risks are identified, assessed, and action plans are put in place to prevent failures and incidents. Programs typically include inspections, evaluations, monitoring and mitigation strategies to protect people, the environment and the integrity of assets.

The Asset Integrity Manager is a senior leader and typically comes from an engineering background with years of experience in oil and gas operations. They work with and direct a team of specialized asset integrity inspectors, engineers and specialists.

In this occupation activities may include:

Assessing loss of containment threats and developing the annual budget and long-range asset integrity management plans appropriate for mitigation of risk.
Executing inspection projects in accordance with health, safety and environmental policies, engineering and construction standards and applicable legislation.
Providing clear and concise communication of the requirements associated with integrity plans.
Providing emergency response support as required, and supporting investigation of loss of containment events.
Collaborating with area foremen and the integrity team members on inspection, repair and maintenance issues.

Education

A four-year bachelor’s degree in engineering, often chemical or materials engineering, is typically required
Several years of experience in the area of facilities or asset operations is usually required
Related post-graduate degree (MSc., PhD) may be preferred

Certifications

Certifications may be required, depending on the employer. Typical certifications are specific to materials standards such as NACE certification (General Corrosion, Cathodic Protection, Internal Corrosion), American Petroleum Institute (API) certifications, or Canadian Standards Association (CSA) certifications.

Asset Integrity Officers are strategic, long-term planners who can see both the big picture and the fine details. They understand health, safety, and environmental policies and standards and understand how to make sure things are reliable and safe. These professionals are also required to work with a variety of different people, so they need strong interpersonal skills.

Oil and gas companies strive to operate in the safest way possible, and Asset Integrity Officers help them identify risks before they become a problem.