"Curling took over my sporting endeavors 15 years ago and I was hooked…"

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Alistair W. Oag

Born in Aberdeen, Scotland, 1955
BSc Physics

University in Aberdeen, 1977

Post Graduate Certificate in Offshore Engineering

RGIT (now the Robert Gordon University), Aberdeen, Scotland, 1978

Field of work

Drilling Engineering Manager

Areas of interest outside work

Curling, soccer, golf, reading, gardening, watching movies, travelling

I grew up in the Royal Burgh of Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands; the first group of islands off the northern coast of Scotland. An island life is unique and is a wonderful place to grow up; a safe place for children with lots of fresh air and freedom to run around. The islands are very exposed to the harsh weather that the Atlantic throws at it and it is one of the windiest places in Britain. Winters are dark with short days, but in summer the sun hardly sets. Orkney is rich in archaeological terms, having many monuments over 5000 years old, in recent times it had a Scandinavian heritage and still has an 850 year old Viking Catherdal in Kirkwall. It only became Scottish, as a wedding dowry, in 1468; we still consider ourselves Orcadians first then Scots.

I attended the local schools in Kirkwall; Infants, Primary and Secondary. All island students have to leave their homes to undertake further education and I left home in 1973 to attend University in Aberdeen; graduating in 1977 with a degree in Physics. Around the period I was a student the North Sea oilfields were being discovered and developed; I was enthralled by the technology needed to go oil exploring in those hostile waters.

Straight from university, I worked offshore as a drilling engineer for BNOC (British National Oil Corporation) progressing onshore through the ranks of Britoil and BP to ‘Head of Drilling’ for onshore operations for BP. I started working for Schlumberger in 1993 as a Project Engineer in Charge of Integrated Services for Anadrill. Spending the recent past setting up the drilling engineering function within Drilling & Measurements; initially at local level but that has progressed to a worldwide initiative.

For as long as I can remember sport has been important to me. Soccer, as the national game in Scotland, was my sport until injury and advancing years took their toll. I did coach soccer to all the children in my village until my own children moved into another age group.

Golf is another sport I play, and have played it intermittently for 30 years; it is the most frustrating game in the world.

Curling took over my sporting endeavors 15 years ago and I was hooked; I play 3 times a week and became enthralled by the technical aspects; so much so that I took my coaching certificates to allow me to teach others. My wife started curling so we could see each other, so she says, and both my children started as soon as they were old enough, about aged 10. It is fantastic as a parent to be able to coach your own children and see them progress; my daughter and son both play at national under-21 level and will do so for many years to come.

I like to relax by reading, gardening and watching movies. I enjoy all the travelling my job brings and visiting new places as well as renewing old acquaintances.