The oil and gas industry is worldwide, spanning multiple countries around the globe, including countries in South America, Europe and Africa. The need for technical translation between the multitude of languages is therefore great. The fact that oil and gas technical translation is among the more difficult types of translation make’s the need for qualified translators even more critical.
Some of the largest petroleum reserves in the world are located in the Russian-speaking states that once comprised the Soviet Union along with many of the world's largest oil companies. Russia itself is also the world’s largest exporter of natural gas and has the eighth largest petroleum reserve in the world. Some of the major producers of oil and natural gas from the former Soviet Union are:
- Belarus
- Turkmenistan
- Kazakhstan
- Latvia
- Estonia
Most of the pipelines that transport oil in this part of the world are state-owned, this means that any technical documentation will need to be in Russian and thus require translation.
What Qualities/Qualifications Should a Russian Technical Translation Service Have?
A translation service will need to be both speedy and accurate in providing its services so as to be able to meet deadlines and to avoid causing any inconvenience or disruption for its clients. The translation service should have a staff of translators who are proficient at dealing with the legal and technical materials associated with the energy industry. They should also be able to handle paperwork in a variety of different formats from technical drawings and schematics to oil and gas leases and contracts. All of these will include industry-specific terminology as well as abbreviations that may not be common outside of the field.
The various types of documentation that will need to be translated may include:
- Manuals for the operation and maintenance of equipment
- Proposals
- Insurance documents
- Miscellaneous reports
- Geological Surveys
The more years of experience they have at providing these services in the industry, the better. Translators who are working with oil and gas documentation will need to have an understanding of the laws that control the industry. This includes such matters as the contracts and deeds that dictate the ownership and use of land. A translation service should also have a system of quality control in place to ensure that the work produced is of the highest quality.
It is unlikely that a single linguist will be an expert in all the many types of documents this industry generates. On this basis the language services provider may offer a team of translators with documents being completed by the best linguist each speciality.
About Russian Technical Translation
Documents that are translated from or into Russian will not only have to be technically accurate but also be in keeping with the Russian Federation’s standards. Among the most important matters for translation services are the complex areas of Environmental Impact Assessments and Social Impact Assessments. As the energy industry is considered to potentially harmful to the environment, it will be necessary to prove to various organizations that a particular project is safe, both for the environment and for the people living in its vicinity. This will require the drafting of documents as well as the translation of written communications between the various parties involved. The processes that surround these assessments are often complex, making the knowledge, accuracy and speed of a professional translator extremely important.
Finally, you should also consider the many businesses that serve this industry with goods and equipment. They may require translation in order to sell their product or you might wish to translate from Russian in order to seek reduced costs.
