Toni van den Munckhof
Heavy Lift EngineerThe first memories I have regarding the exciting offshore world dates back to the Extreme Engineering episodes on Discovery Channel. Being raised near Eindhoven and studying Mechanical Engineering, I ended up at an onshore pipeline contractor. A friend introduced me to the Master’s programme Offshore and Dredging Engineering in Delft. I realised that this was the extreme engineering I always enjoyed watching.
After moving to Delft, I started a student job at Allseas at the Pipeline Production Department in 2012. I really enjoyed the competitive, but informal atmosphere in the company.
Watching the development of Pioneering Spirit
After concentrating on my Master in 2013, I joined the Jacket lift system (JLS) team in 2014 as a Work Student and worked on my graduation thesis there. It was really interesting to watch the development of the vessel Pioneering Spirit at first hand. The fact the company is owned by a true engineer with very innovative ideas and the capital to actually bring the ideas to life, makes the job really interesting.
Joining the Heavy lift Department
After my graduation in 2015, I joined the Heavy Lift Department to be part of the commissioning of Pioneering Spirit. The opportunity to join a hobby this size is very rare and I was determined to be part of it. I was able to join the Talisman Yme project team and also joined the tender team. Having the opportunity to perform regular platform surveys, I was able to get hands-on experience quickly which really helped in a better understanding on topsides and jacket removals.
Going offshore
In order to keep my practical knowledge up-to-date, I’ve been offshore for about a month each year on various vessels such as Oceanic and Pioneering Spirit as well as on decommissioning yards. Since 2019, I joined every offshore campaign for the Ninian Northern decommissioning project. This led to a much greater connection between office and the crew offshore, as well as a strong relation with the client. In 2022, the circle completed by being part of the 8,000 t Ninian Northern jacket removal, the first project using the JLS.
The diversity of directly working with management to every day contact with people around me, both onshore and offshore, brings a great diversity to my work and gives a lot of insights I would not have gained otherwise. I got introduced to people along the way that truly inspired me. This makes Allseas unique in my opinion.