Name: Mohammed Alwazir
Location: Brownline Canada
Department: Operations
Position: Project Manager
Employed since: August 2019
“There's nothing quite like that excitement when you finish a successful pilot drilling. It makes all the hard work worth it, and that feeling never gets old.”
Meet Mohammed Alwazir, whose career has evolved from a curious HDD field engineer to a dedicated project manager. In 2019, he was introduced to the Gyro Steering Tool, and now he navigates numerous projects to success. Mohammed shares his career at Brownline with you and gives a glimpse into his diverse day-to-day operations.
From field engineer to project manager
“After my studies in engineering, I started working as an HDD field engineer at another company. It was during a project in Houston in 2019 that I first learned about Brownline's Gyro Steering Tool. This tool was used on several crossings I was assigned to. This was my first time working with the GST, so of course I had many questions about how the tool worked. I was fascinated by how clear and simple the reports of the tool were, compared to other steering tools in the market. It sure made my job processing the survey data during pilot hole construction a lot easier.”
“As a field engineer, my job was very hands-off, which meant I was only on-site as an observer. While my work was meaningful and significant, I experienced little accomplishment at the end of a project. So, I decided I wanted to be closer to the execution phase of the project and get my hands a little dirty.”
“The work guidance technicians do has always fascinated me. They occupy an important seat in the control cabin and are relied on to troubleshoot when drilling does not go as planned. All of that intrigued me. So, when an opening at Brownline USA for a guidance technician was available, I took the opportunity and have stuck around since then. During that time, I have contributed to many great projects. Two and a half years ago, a new career opportunity came along and I moved to Brownline Canada to work as a project manager. Growing my career with Brownline for the past five years has been personally and professionally rewarding.”
Navigating to success
“In my role at Brownline Canada, I oversee day-to-day operations to ensure everything runs smoothly. One of the things I really enjoy about my job is the variety. One day, I might be in the office preparing drawings and files for upcoming projects or getting tools ready for field use. Other days, I'm on the road meeting with clients, or in the field steering or training. This mix of responsibilities is something I appreciate, because I like variety in my work.”
“Another thing I do from time to time is write articles about interesting projects. Last year, I collaborated with my colleague Chris Frisch on an article about an HDD crossing under the Red River, which was published in Trenchless Technology Magazine. It's a project I'm particularly proud of. The pilot bore occurred during the harsh Canadian winter, with temperatures dropping as low as -25 °C to -35 °C (-13 °F to -31 °F). Besides that, the Red River is notorious for its challenging mixed soil formations. Despite these obstacles, we successfully drilled with the highest precision.”
Read more about this project
“When I work out in the field, my proudest moments are hitting the stake or completing an intersect seamlessly. There's nothing quite like that feeling of accomplishment when you finish a successful pilot hole, knowing the job was done as perfectly as possible. It makes all the hard work worth it, and that feeling never gets old.”
Working at an international company
“I really enjoy working at Brownline. With our extensive global presence in the HDD guidance industry, there are always exciting travel opportunities within Brownline. As an avid traveler at heart, one of the reasons I was drawn to working at Brownline is the opportunity to travel for work. My role allows me to grow professionally and contribute to some truly world-class projects that I'm proud to be part of.”
“But working on an international level also comes with its challenges. For example, when I moved from the USA to Canada, I had to switch from the imperial system to the metric system. Those first weeks, I was constantly converting measurements on the job, but now I’m fully fluent in the metric system too. And that's one of the great things about working internationally. You pick up knowledge from every place you visit and carry that with you wherever you go.”