Being Anasuria: Panggunan Ramanathan, Senior Petroleum Engineer

Today, we would like to introduce Panggunan Ramanathan known to most as Pang, who is a Senior Petroleum Engineer at AOC. Pang, is a secondee from one of our parent companies, Ping Petroleum Limited , and has supported AOC for a number of years.

Around this time last year, Pang relocated to Aberdeen from Malaysia, for an initial two year secondment period. We sat down to speak with him to discuss his experiences at AOC, and the exposure it has given him.

Read more about Pang below.

PROFESSIONAL FIVE

1. Where did you study and why did you choose to pursue a career in Petroleum Engineering?

I studied Petroleum Engineering at Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) in Malaysia from 2009 to 2014. My family would have liked me to study medicine, but I wanted to study Mechanical Engineering. However, when I was offered a scholarship opportunity at UTP, a Petronas university, in a spur-of-the-moment choice, I opted to study Petroleum Engineering, as I thought it would offer better job opportunities in Oil & Gas - looking back, I think I made the right decision.

2. How long have you supported AOC?

Technically I have supported AOC on and off for around 7 years, I joined Ping Petroleum at the end of 2016 and began supporting AOC at the start of 2017. At first, I worked remotely from KL, with occasional trips to Aberdeen and offshore to the Anasuria FPSO. Then in 2019, I had my first official secondment to AOC in Aberdeen for a planned three-year period, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I returned to Malaysia in October 2020. From then until 2022, I provided part-time support until resuming full-time support remotely from KL. In March 2023, I started my second official secondment to AOC in Aberdeen, and relocated here with my wife, where I've been ever since.

3.?What prompted your official secondment from Ping Petroleum in Malaysia to AOC in Aberdeen, and how have you found your time here??

Secondment was the natural progression as it made more sense to support the team in Aberdeen rather than remotely in KL. The pandemic has shown that we can work remotely, however having those extra days in the office, to speak to people face to face, makes a big difference. I already knew the team, and have some great colleagues and friends here, so I felt at home straight away.

4. Has there been any particularly challenging projects or problems you have faced during your time at AOC, and how have you approached finding a solution?

There has been a fair share of challenges, which is to be expected in any small, and relatively new, operating company. But there are always going to be challenges, and most have a solution. We have great cross-department interface at AOC, which really helps with problem solving. Having a supportive line manager like Gilbert Scott has also made a big difference; being able to sit next to him and ask questions, rather than relying on Teams messages and email, means we can get to the bottom of things quickly. Gilbert is very experienced, and our mutual respect ensures that my opinions are valued just as much as his.

5.?Which AOC value resonates with you the most, and how does it align with you personally or professionally?

I definitely relate to ‘Be Progressive’ the most as that has been my life over the last 7 years – constant progress! I started out as a Production Engineer in 2017, new to the industry, and I've had the opportunity to gain so much exposure and experience thanks to my roles at Ping and AOC. Balancing diverse roles, moving from production engineer, wellsite drilling engineer to offshore Client Rep, to a Project Manager for a couple of projects and then promoted to Senior Petroleum Engineer, has been rewarding. Smaller operating companies will always have more exposure opportunities, everyone pitches in and wears different hats, and I will always be grateful for the experiences and development opportunities. ?

FUN FIVE

1. Tell us a fun or interesting fact about you that we might not know?

Before relocating to Aberdeen for my second secondment in March 2023, I was originally set to get married in Malaysia in November 2023. However, due to our move, my fiancé and I had to bring our wedding forward at very short notice. In Malaysian culture, this meant rearranging a wedding with over 650 guests from one date to another in a short span of time! Thankfully, everything went to plan, and my wife and I had a great wedding day on 25th February, before we made the move to Aberdeen a few weeks later.

2. Something from home that you miss, that you don’t get here in the UK?

Obviously, it goes without saying that I miss my family and friends back home but one thing I really miss, is the food. If I crave Malaysian cuisine while in Aberdeen, I find myself needing to prepare it from scratch, investing around three hours in cooking for a mere ten minutes of enjoyment. In contrast, back home, I can easily step out and purchase whatever I desire since all my favourite food is readily available and affordable. To compensate for the lack of spice, I've taken to carrying chili flakes with me wherever I go ??.

3. What’s your favourite sport (to watch or play)?

I am a big football fan, and support Manchester United. I have been a fan of Man U from Malaysia for years, but I didn’t think I would ever have the opportunity to watch a game in person. Fortunately, relocating to the UK has granted me the opportunity to visit Old Trafford not just once, but multiple times to catch live games! I also play badminton every week, at RGU and Aberdeen Badminton Club, sometimes with colleagues Ashvin Nesan and Azree Rashid . A few years ago, a few of us from AOC played in a UK vs Malaysia match, and I played against Richard Beattie – I’ll let you guess who the better player was.

4. What’s your go-to karaoke song?

Karaoke is a big thing in Malaysia. My go-to song is always Shadow of the Day by Linkin Park. Are you any good? No!

5. If you could swap roles with any other AOC team member for a day (onshore of offshore), who would it be and why?

Not a specific person, but I would love to swap roles with the OIM for a day. They have such a huge responsibility, ensuring the safety and well-being of everyone on board the FPSO at all times. I imagine it must be very stressful, but I would like to see how they prioritise and manage certain situations. I’ll always remember Bob Baxter , one of our previous OIM’s, telling us about the time he made the decision to evacuate all non-essential personnel by lifeboat, from the Hutton TLP, when it experienced a severe list during tow.