Spotlighting natural gas field technicians across our footprint - Mexico

Operations employees are on the ground each day to ensure natural gas keeps flowing through our infrastructure around the clock and in all weather conditions. With safety at the forefront, natural gas field technicians across our footprint are our unsung heroes with a variety of job duties that vary day by day – requiring skilled and adaptable personnel. The field technician role is experienced across our footprint with their own North American viewpoint. 

Meet Omar who is a Measurement Technican and works on our pipeline in Colima, Mexico.

What does your average day look like?

Generally, my journey starts at 8:00 a.m. when I arrive at my regional office located in the Delivery and Measurement Station (DMS) in Manzanillo, Colima. This is the closest station I'm in charge of, and the last one is in a much furthest location, 300 km (186.41 mi) away from the DMS Manzanillo.

Planning is the most important for me keeping in mind the long distance and the activities that might come out along the route. One day before I check the work plan, that we previously aligned at the beginning of the year, to ensure I am bringing all the tools, replacement parts and equipment needed along the way. I also contact the Control Centre to check if there is an urgent situation I need to attend.

Once in the measurement stations, I verify that all equipment and systems have no alerts and that are working. Every day I face different situations, from a simple instrument calibration, to a more complex equipment reparation like a chromatograph or flow meters.

Sometimes I work as a supervisor for third-party stations interconnected with our system, especially when they do maintenance tasks.

What makes the role interesting or unique?

I feel that my work contributes very actively with TC Energía’s safety value. Despite all the external circumstances, I have to guarantee the installations and neighbour communities’ safety while keeping the flow service to our final client.

Being in the field and depending entirely on the geographical and weather conditions make these roles unique, and every day is different from the day before. The DMS Manzanillo is in a risk area exposed to hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic activity and temperature higher than 31°C (87.8°F) with an average humidity of 70 percent. A person working under these conditions is likely to suffer dehydration or insolation, so you must be careful to keep safe.

On the other hand, I guarantee the assets’ safety by reviewing that the facilities are in good conditions despite the high corrosion by humidity and salinity. When we receive a hurricane alert, I often have one day to ensure that the system is safe, with no loose pieces that can detach by the high winds that can hurt someone.

How do you ensure that the system is running effectively as well as safely?

Preparedness is hugely important in this case. In the ten years I have been in the company, I have learned that preventive maintenance and daily inspections are a great ally to prevent failures in the future.

Besides, the collaboration with the Control Centre indicates that I need to prioritize any activity; that gives me a great sense of teamwork in the company.