Laboratory Technician (upstream Oil & Gas Waste Management) Ãâ¢ã‚â€ã‚â“ Turkana
WTS Energy·Turkana, kenya·Full Time·Remote
ManufacturingFull TimeRemote
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Key Responsibilities:
Conduct physical and chemical characterization of incoming, in-process, and treated oil and gas drilling waste streams.
Perform laboratory analysis of drill cuttings, water-based and oil-based drilling muds, oily sludge, contaminated soil, wastewater, leachate, sediment, and recovered treatment products.
Conduct analyses including total petroleum hydrocarbons, oil and grease, moisture, pH, conductivity, salinity, chlorides, metals, solids, density, and other approved drilling-waste parameters.
Perform analytical procedures in accordance with approved methods, facility procedures, client specifications, and applicable regulatory standards.
Collect representative samples from incoming waste loads, storage areas, treatment units, wastewater systems, treated residues, and final disposal or reuse batches.
Preserve, label, transport, and document samples in accordance with approved sampling plans and laboratory procedures.
Maintain complete chain-of-custody records and ensure full traceability of samples to the originating waste stream, client, and treatment batch.
Operate, calibrate, and maintain laboratory instruments and sample-preparation equipment used for drilling-waste and environmental analysis.
Operate advanced analytical equipment where available, including UV-Visible Spectrophotometers, AAS, ICP-MS, GC-MS, GC-FID, Ion Chromatographs, and ion-selective electrode systems.
Conduct routine instrument checks, troubleshooting, preventive maintenance, performance verification, and coordinate servicing and repairs where required.
Monitor and maintain adequate stocks of reagents, standards, reference materials, and laboratory consumables.
Record, review, validate, and analyse laboratory data accurately and prepare laboratory reports and certificates of analysis.
Maintain laboratory registers, databases, calibration records, chain-of-custody documentation, sample-retention records, and other required technical records.
Interpret analytical results and support preparation of compliance reports for management, clients, and regulatory authorities.
Ensure laboratory data accuracy, integrity, confidentiality, and full traceability throughout the testing and reporting process.
Implement laboratory quality-control requirements including blanks, duplicates, spikes, standards, control charts, and instrument-verification checks.
Review analytical results against waste-acceptance criteria, treatment targets, client specifications, and applicable discharge, disposal, or reuse limits.
Immediately escalate non-conforming results, unusual contamination profiles, and potential process or environmental risks to the Technical and Operations Lead.
Support laboratory audits, facility inspections, regulatory reporting, and continuous improvement of laboratory testing and treatment-control procedures.
Maintain a clean, orderly, and safe laboratory and field-sampling work environment.
Ensure safe handling, storage, and disposal of chemicals, samples, hazardous materials, and laboratory wastes in accordance with approved procedures.
Correctly use PPE and safely operate and maintain fume hoods, spill-response materials, and other laboratory safety equipment.
Participate in emergency response activities and comply with company HSE requirements, risk controls, and waste-management procedures.
Required Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in Analytical Chemistry, Industrial Chemistry, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Laboratory Technology, or a related discipline.
Registration with a relevant professional body, where applicable.
Minimum 3 years' laboratory experience in an environmental, oil & gas, industrial wastewater, mining, extractives, or accredited testing laboratory.
Experience handling drilling waste, drilling-fluid analysis, and hazardous-waste characterization will be an added advantage.
Experience supporting NEMA, WRA, and environmental compliance monitoring will be an added advantage.
Experience working under ISO/IEC 17025 laboratory quality systems will be an added advantage.
Additional training in environmental monitoring, environmental laboratory analysis, and laboratory quality management systems is desirable.
Strong knowledge of environmental monitoring programmes, drilling-waste management, hazardous-waste handling and classification, chemical handling and storage, laboratory safety, sampling and preservation techniques, and wastewater-treatment monitoring.
Good understanding of environmental legislation and standards in Kenya, including applicable NEMA and WRA compliance requirements, and ISO 9001 and ISO/IEC 17025 principles.
Practical experience in drilling-waste characterization, hydrocarbon analysis, metals analysis, wet chemistry, and environmental laboratory testing.
Experience with GC-MS, GC-FID, AAS, or equivalent analytical techniques will be an added advantage.
Experience with LIMS, chain-of-custody management, data validation, laboratory reporting, and technical documentation.
Certifications or training in ISO/IEC 17025 Internal Auditing, HAZMAT Handling, Environmental Sampling, Occupational Health and Safety, First Aid, or HSE Risk Assessment will be an added advantage.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, scientific report-writing, and data interpretation skills.
High level of attention to detail, integrity, confidentiality, and commitment to laboratory data quality.
Good teamwork and communication skills, with the ability to coordinate effectively with Technical, Operations, HSE, Finance, and other project stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability to operate effectively within remote, fast-paced, and operationally demanding project environments while maintaining high standards of laboratory quality, safety, compliance, and technical integrity.