| Description | Tape 1 Side A MARK MILFORD POWER CARNE born 25 February 1959, Helensburgh, Scotland. Father and other family members in Royal Navy, Fleet Air Arm. Uncle killed in flying accident. Father wrote book on anti-submarine warfare, awarded MBE for this. He later worked for Industry Training Board. Recalls going to Mill Hill boarding school. Parents Cornish. Feelings about being Cornish, Cornwall. Maternal grandfather a self-made businessman, became mayor of Falmouth. Parents' names. Is second of 3 siblings. Details of family moves, own schooling. Feelings about boarding school. Comments on own personality, abilities, educational progress. Went to Exeter University, did engineering science. Recalls uncertainty about career aspirations, progress at university, interest in doing something useful. Father strong member of local community. Explains influence of father, grandparents. Describes parents' personalities, their impact on own progress. Met wife at university. Details. First job at Welding Institute, Cambridge. Went to night school. Details re siblings, parents' different attitudes to sons', daughter's education. Details re work at Welding Institute (1977-80). Did consulting work with oil industry, specialising in fracture mechanics. Marriage to Heather Jane Wilson. Details re children. Background to decision to join oil industry, attitude of Shell to spending on safety. Compares with other industries. 1984 joined Shell as Pipeline Engineer. Recalls feelings about interview. Details re pay. Compares with previous salary. Impression of culture of Shell, some surprising things. Explains rather unreal job-for-life atmosphere, hierarchical structure. Feelings about company.
Tape 1 Side B Saw Shell as career opportunity. Recalls generous moving and other allowances. Importance then of affiliation to company. Shell still a benevolent company. Explains in context of current redundancy programme. Compares Shell with BP, Marathon. First job was as Project Engineer building flow line in Cormorant field. Details. Compares resourcing of projects then and now. Details re colleagues then. 1986-88 worked in Economics Department, London. Details. 1988 appointed Piper Alpha Task Force Leader, London then Aberdeen. 1990-6 worked in The Hague, Amman. 1996 worked in Aberdeen. Details of positions. Now leaving to be Managing Director, Brunei shell Petroleum. Details re earlier pipelines job. Effect of serious illness on attitude to job. Own view of oil industry changed during work in Economics Department. Explains. Describes BP's culture. Recalls oil price collapse, Shell's response. Recalls own progress at this time, benefit of earlier training in making presentations. Sent, 1988, to be Process Engineer. Explains. Recalls Piper Alpha disaster. Appointed to industry Piper Alpha Task Force. Details. Change of attitude in Shell to possibility of similar disaster, own role. Shell found wanting. Impact of PATF. Amount of Shell spending post-Piper on improvements. 24 hours before Piper disaster, major explosion on Brent Alpha. Shell reaction, own proposals. Mentions Shell expertise in explosion research. Appointed to lead Explosion Protection team in Aberdeen. Became Shell focal point for Cullen enquiry. Details. Other Shell explosions - Cormorant Alpha, Brent Delta, Fulmar. Shell not alone. Shell view of Occidental. Impact of own work on company, family. Details re attraction of new job in Brunei.
|