Fotofire Helps The Global Oil Industry Find A Friend

10th September, 2007

Leading website and graphic designers Fotofire, who have been Foundry residents since January 2007, have recently created a unique global community site for the oil industry to add to their growing portfolio of international successes:

What do you imagine when someone says oil workers?  Do you imagine the image of the tough men in hard hats drilling on the fields of Arizona covered in the newly discovered crude, the rigworkers battling the elements out on the North Sea, or maybe you think of JR Ewing in his 10 gallon hat?

Whatever you imagine what is not instantly obvious to the observer is that these characters are part of a vibrant global community of skilled workers – from divers to chemists – who move from country to country and from oil company to oil company.  According to industry experts there are nearly one million people working across the industry globally, from Angola to Zambia and it is this community a new website is set to unite.

OilfieldFriends.com is the brainchild of Paul Jackson who chose leading web development company Fotofire to bring his idea into reality.  “I’ve been working in the oil industry for 30 years and I have made some great friends, but when your career can take you anywhere in the world it’s very difficult to keep in touch, and almost impossible to find people who you lose contact with even though they could be working for the same company, or for a different company but in the same area,” says Paul, “That is where the idea came from.  I thought if I want to be able to link up with all my old friends and contact them then other people must feel the same way.

But OilfieldFriends.com is much more than just a friendsreunited for oil workers.  It is on course to become the main portal for oil industry staff to promote their skills to prospective employers; act as a travel site to provide all the relevant information when arriving in a new location – from the coolest bars to the security situation; swap technical data and solutions to common problems; as well as allowing members to shop for vital equipment for themselves or their company.  With new elements to the site already under development, including OilfieldWives and Oilfield kids to cater for families who can find themselves relocating to a different continent every few years, the site is aiming to have a real impact on the industry both socially and professionally.

“It’s an idea I’m really committed to and it’s an exciting opportunity to pull the industry together in a new way.  And I’ll hopefully find some old friends along the way…”

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