Lead Piping Engineer – Offshore Island Project

Role Overview

Lead Piping Engineer – Offshore Island Project at KBR, based in UAE (Abu Dhabi), with planned relocation to Spain office and return to Abu Dhabi upon completion of administrative processes.

Company Overview

KBR is a team of teams delivering future-forward science, technology and engineering solutions and mission-critical services that help governments and companies around the world accomplish their most important objectives while achieving sustainability goals. KBR Sustainable Technology Solutions provides holistic and value-added solutions across the entire asset life cycle, including world-class licensed process technologies, differentiated advisory services, deep technical domain expertise, energy transition solutions, high-end design and engineering capabilities, and smart solutions to optimize planned and operating assets.

Role Purpose

The Lead Piping Engineer is responsible for leading all piping engineering and design activities for ADNOC Offshore projects, ensuring safe, reliable, and cost-effective piping systems for offshore oil and gas facilities. The role covers FEED, Detailed Engineering, EPC, Construction, Commissioning, and Start-up phases and ensures compliance with ADNOC standards, international codes, project specifications, and HSE requirements. The Lead Piping Engineer provides technical leadership, manages piping engineering teams, coordinates multidisciplinary interfaces, and ensures successful delivery of offshore facilities including platforms, wellhead towers, central processing facilities, utilities, subsea tie-ins, and pipeline systems.

Key Responsibilities

Engineering Leadership

• Lead piping engineering and piping layout activities for offshore oil and gas projects.
• Manage and supervise a team of Piping Engineers, Designers, and Draftsmen.
• Ensure piping deliverables are completed within project schedule, budget, and quality requirements.
• Provide technical guidance and resolve complex piping engineering issues.
• Coordinate engineering activities with ADNOC, EPC contractors, vendors, and third-party consultants.

Piping Design & Engineering

• Develop and review piping design philosophies and engineering specifications.
• Review and approve Piping Material Specifications (PMS), Material Class Specifications, Plot Plans and Equipment Layouts, Piping General Arrangement Drawings, Isometric Drawings, Line Lists, Valve Lists, Special Item Lists, and Material Take-Offs (MTOs).
• Ensure compliance with process, safety, operability, and maintenance requirements.
• Verify piping layouts considering accessibility, constructability, and safety requirements.

Stress Analysis & Flexibility

• Coordinate piping stress analysis activities.
• Review Stress Analysis Reports, Critical Line Studies, Dynamic Analysis, Seismic Analysis, and Thermal Expansion Studies.
• Ensure piping systems meet allowable stress limits and operational requirements.
• Resolve stress-related issues in coordination with structural and mechanical disciplines.

Offshore Facility Design

• Lead piping engineering for Wellhead Platforms, Central Processing Platforms, Production Facilities, Utility Systems, Living Quarters, Flare Systems, Water Injection Systems, Produced Water Treatment Systems, and Gas Compression Facilities.
• Ensure piping designs are optimized for offshore space constraints and operational efficiency.

Material & Valve Engineering

• Review and approve piping material selections, including Carbon Steel, Stainless Steel, Duplex & Super Duplex Materials, CRA Materials, and GRE / GRP Systems.
• Coordinate valve selection and specification activities.
• Review special piping components and vendor packages.

Safety & Risk Management

• Participate in HAZOP Studies, HAZID Reviews, Constructability Reviews, Design Safety Reviews, and SIMOPS Assessments.
• Ensure compliance with process safety requirements.
• Incorporate safe access, operability, and maintenance considerations into piping layouts.

Procurement & Vendor Support

• Prepare and review Material Requisitions (MRs).
• Conduct Technical Bid Evaluations (TBEs).
• Review vendor drawings, documents, and technical proposals.
• Participate in vendor meetings and technical clarification sessions.
• Ensure technical compliance with ADNOC standards and project specifications.

Construction Support

• Provide engineering support during fabrication, construction, and offshore installation activities.
• Resolve site technical queries and field engineering issues.
• Review non-conformance reports (NCRs) and engineering deviations.
• Support offshore hook-up and commissioning activities.

Commissioning & Start-Up

• Review system turnover packages.
• Support pre-commissioning and commissioning activities.
• Participate in Hydrostatic Testing, Pneumatic Testing, Leak Testing, and Mechanical Completion Reviews.
• Support start-up, performance testing, and project handover activities.

Interface Management

• Coordinate closely with Process Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Structural Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Instrumentation & Control Engineering, Pipeline Engineering, and Construction Teams.
• Ensure proper integration between piping systems and all related disciplines.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent engineering discipline.
• Master's Degree in Mechanical or Piping Engineering is preferred.
• Chartered Engineer (CEng), PE, or equivalent professional certification is advantageous.
• Minimum 18–20 years of experience in Oil & Gas engineering.
• Minimum 8–10 years in a Lead Piping Engineer role.
• Significant experience with ADNOC Offshore projects or major EPC contractors.
• Proven experience in FEED, Detailed Design, EPC, Brownfield, and Greenfield developments.
• Extensive offshore platform and processing facility experience.
• Strong knowledge of Middle East offshore oil and gas projects.