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16 September 2016
The kingdom of Morocco is one country that is relativity un-known for its oil & gas market. Surrounded by the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, hydroelectric power and the importation of crude petroleum covers the bulk of the country’s energy needs. With its sole oil refinery set for liquidation, working in the oil & gas market in Morocco is a rarity. Moroccan National and Atlas Professional Kholoud Dardour talks to Atlas about how she was introduced into the offshore world. “My father was an Operations Manager who worked offshore,” says kholoud, “when he’d return home he would talk about his adventures and the projects he was working on, he was a very influential person.”
Designing the Project
Kholoud received her diploma in Automation at the Moroccan School of Engineering Science and last year she was awarded her Master degree in Industrial and Management Systems at the INSA Lyon in France. Now, as a Metering Systems Engineer, Kholoud has been working in the oil & gas industry since she was 19 years old. “As an engineer I design various flow computers applications used to measure and control systems for Custody transfer metering Skids and proving systems for offshore and onshore platforms. My mission starts from the project definition to the engineering stage. I get to work with the latest technologies in line with the application and operational requirements in accordance with international standards to meet the needs of each measuring application.”
Seeking New Adventures
After leaving Morocco, Kholoud moved to the Netherlands to work at KROHNE oil and gas a world-leading manufacturer and supplier of solutions in industrial processes and instrumentation. “I decided to move to another country as I wanted to challenge myself and work in a company that had a good reputation for offshore engineering and automation. I think that as a women working in a male dominated industry, especially in engineering, I strive to be perfect at my job to make myself stand out in my role. That’s why I was really excited when I received a call from Atlas to see if I would like to work with KROHNE oil and gas.”
Best Agency for Offshore Engineering
Kholoud works through Atlas’ Engineering and Project Controls department based in Hoofddorp in the Netherlands. “I knew before I began working at Atlas Professionals that they were the best known agency for offshore engineering. When I got the offer from Account Manager Marvin van Dijk I was really happy because Atlas has a good reputation for sourcing highly-qualified personnel, so I was very happy to find out that I was going to be an employee of this company. Working with Marvin has been great, he’s been really helpful throughout the whole process and because I’m new to the Netherlands it’s like he’s my big brother.
As a Moroccan woman working in the engineering industry this role is very special to me. Someday I will definitely want to work offshore and follow in my father’s footsteps and this path would undoubtedly enhance my technical skills and ambitions.”
