Gas carriers and tankers are among the best-paid ships in the merchant fleet, and the companies that run them prefer to train their officers from cadet level. A cadetship on an LNG, LPG or oil tanker is therefore one of the most valuable starts a career can have — and one of the most competitive.
Why tanker companies take cadets
Tanker and gas-carrier operators work under strict safety standards and inspections by oil majors. They would rather grow officers who learned their procedures from day one than retrain experienced people from other fleets. That is why many LNG operators run their own cadet programmes and keep their best cadets as junior officers.
Extra certificates
On top of the usual cadet documents (passport, seaman's book, medical, STCW basic training, security awareness), tanker work requires tanker cargo training under STCW chapter V:
- Basic training for oil and chemical tanker cargo operations (STCW V/1-1) — for oil and chemical tankers.
- Basic training for liquefied gas tanker cargo operations (STCW V/1-2) — for LNG and LPG carriers.
Some companies send their cadets on these courses themselves; others ask for them in advance. Check what the vacancy says before you pay for a course.
What the work looks like
A cadet on a tanker does the same bridge or engine-room training as on any ship, plus cargo work: tank atmosphere checks, gas detection, the inert gas system, loading and discharging procedures, and very strict permit-to-work and safety routines. You learn discipline that every other fleet values afterwards.
What gives you an edge
- Strong English — oil-major inspections and procedures are all in English.
- Good academic results — LNG operators often select cadets by grades and tests.
- A clean medical and a careful attitude to safety.
- A complete CV with every course, number and expiry date.
Where to look
Watch the gas-carrier and tanker vacancies: the jobs on gas carriers and jobs on tankers pages show which companies are hiring right now. Cadet offers also appear on the deck cadet and engine cadet pages.
Never pay for a "guaranteed place" on a gas carrier — the better the ship, the more scammers use its name. Training courses are paid to a training centre; the job itself costs a seafarer nothing.