Working night shifts at a gas terminal on the edge of Scotland may not be every graduate’s dream, but it’s what Rachel Keown did as a graduate environmentalist at Total E&P UK.

The job is a structured, hands-on opportunity to learn about every aspect of Total’s exploration and production operations. “There’s never a dull moment,” she says. “I’m based in Aberdeen, but throughout the past 18 months I’ve had exposure to onshore, offshore and international placements.

“I spent a couple of weeks offshore on a platform, shadowing people to get a real understanding for the technical operations and the environmental issues. I’ve also been to Abu Dhabi as part of a learn-and-share project, and spent some time at our gas terminal – mucking in with the general work. From a graduate point of view it’s an excellent learning opportunity.”

Keown grew up in Aberdeen, a city with the oil and gas industry on its doorstep. She studied at Newcastle University, gaining a BSc in environmental science and an MSc in clean technology, and developed her interest in the sector through work placements.

As a member of the four-strong environment team, she implements and monitors improvement programmes to reduce Total’s environmental footprint – improving waste management, for example, or reducing emissions.

Graduate environmentalists spend about three years in the role. Keown has a mentor in her team with whom she can liaise on a daily basis – “that support is really useful” – and is looking at working towards chartership with the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment.

She is also site representative for Total’s St Fergus gas terminal, which last year won a Scottish business award for its work to reduce environmental impact. “Winning the award was absolutely fantastic, because it recognises all the environmental initiatives the site has been working on and the teamwork there. One example is that the waste management practices there are excellent and they are leading by example... I was helping the site in those initiatives and being a point of contact for advice and support. But it was a team effort.”

Even at this early stage of her career, Keown’s work is already having an impact.

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