Oil Rig Work

Factual Questions
1

I’ve been reading up a bit on working on offshore oil rigs and it sounded like a good fit for my lifestyle and work ethic. However, I’ve no experience in this field and don’t have a clue how to obtain an entry level position (roustabout, for example)

I'm in pretty decent shape at 37 years old and realize it's a young man's field for the most part, but I'm no stranger to heavy lifting, long hours, and/or less than ideal weather conditions.  Most of my employment history was spent outdoors. 

Any Dopers here familiar with this type of work? Where do I start? Do I need any technical background? Do I need to take classroom training beforehand for certification or licensing? Most of the websites I've visited concerning the subject seem to be scams asking you to pay a fee and they will find jobs for you.

(I'm currently living in northern New Jersey if this has any bearing on my  questions)
2

I used to live in Bakersfield. I’ve known tons of guys in their 30’s, 40’s and 50’s who did oilfield work. Not sure how to get into the field these days. Thirty years ago, all you had to do was go out to the fields and ask around, and most likely you would get put to work that day. I’m sure it’s not that easy anymore. A lot of guys had to drop out because they couldn’t pass the drug tests that became mandatory in the late 1980’s. One of my childhood buddies owns a pipe welding company in Taft; I’ll IM him on Facebook and ask him for info if you want.

3

Any information would be great, Washoe, thanks!

4

Do you really want to do this? You’re not exactly going to be working with a bunch of Rhodes Scholars, and you’re going to come home from work every night covered head-to-toe in every sort of shit imaginable. Most guys I know have to shave their heads because it’s just too hard to keep their hair clean.

5

No worries, there. Have a buzz cut already.

6

I know some people who couldn’t find jobs around here and headed up to North Dakota to work on drilling rigs of some sort. They all said that finding a job was the easy part, but that it was difficult to find reasonably priced housing.

In some cases the company had provided dormitory facilities, in other cases they drove their vacation trailer up and lived in that for a year or two. The work is hard, the towns are small and filled with bars, but the pay is good.

If you are serious you might want to contact one of the dozens of companies that are up there to see what the job situation is this time of year. Given how cold it gets I can imagine that a lot of people head back home for the winter months.

7

I used to roughneck during summers while in college through much of South and East Texas. My “In” was knowing someone in the company that was aware of my character and work ethic, that there was little chance I wasn’t going to be a good employee. That allowed me to skip all the roustabout crap and go straight to lead tongs and eventually to derricks. Short of that, yeah, you may have to start off with something less than optimal and work your way up.

The good thing is with all the shale plays there should be plenty of work, at least if you’re willing to relocate to an area where they’re hot; Wyoming, Dakotas, Colorado, S.W. Texas, etc.

I’d be hesitant to pay any outfit to find me a job. I’d probably get in touch with the drilling companies themselves and see what they have to say.

8

I agree that it shouldn’t be too hard to find a job if you are willing to move to a hot area like the shale plays. NW Louisiana/East Texas are one area that is hot right now. Have you considered offshore work? It usually pays a lot mainly because most people don’t want to do it but it sounds like you might be a good fit for it. I knew a bunch of men who did it in the Gulf of Mexico when I was growing up and they worked two weeks on and two weeks off. They fly you to the rig in a helicopter and you work most of the time you are there but they do have some amenities on the rigs.

9

The OP is asking about offshore oil rigs, not oil fields. Big difference.

10

Yeah, I’m primarily interested in offshore as I live pretty damn close to the coast to begin with.

All of your responses have been great! Thanks!

But is it as simple as going to the nearest HR department of an oil company and say “Put me on the next chopper going out”? There must be some prerequisites that exist.

11

Rigzone.com has loads of job listings. The local newspapers in Houston, Shreveport, and New Orleans should also have job listings, assuming they have their classified sections online. While many of them have some prior experience required, it is still a good way to find out who the potential employers and recruiters are. Then you can check the careers sections of their websites.

If anybody wants money from you, tell them to GTFO. Legitimate recruiting firms are paid by the employer, not the job seeker. Don’t mention your age, it’s not their business.

What kind of skills do you have? An idea of your work experience would help pin down what you can reasonably expect to land. There is substantial demand for welders, electricians, heavy equipment operators, mechanics, and technicians.
Bear in mind that the rotating “days on/days off” schedules mean that you can live pretty much anywhere you like or just travel on days off. I’ve known guys who, for instance, worked 28/28 in places like Egypt, but live in Texas.

12

I’m in Canada and mostly work in the shale plays in Alberta, but also do some stuff with our wells off the coast of Newfoundland in the Orphan basin. I do not work on a rig (I work in Environment in the head office), but my husband and many of my friends have worked on shore, and I have good contacts in the office that do offshore work on the East Coast. So, with that said, take my advice with a grain of salt.

Generally (in Canada), you’re not going to companies like Chevron, Shell, BP, etc., you are going to their contractors. So, Haliburton, Schlumberger, etc. Drilling is often a contract job, and while going to an O&G company might get you the name of someone in one of these contract companies, it’s also just an extra step. The company I work for does not directly employ the guys on the floor. Pretty much everyone on site except for maybe HES and sometimes the DSM/WSM (Drill Site Manager and Well Site Manager) are contract personnel. So start there.

When the service companies hire, they like to see basic tickets, like WHMIS, H2S Alive, Confined Space, TDG (Transport of Dangerous Goods). That means they don’t have to pay to put you through those courses, another good step. They’ll end up putting you through their brand of HES training, but any training you have already related to HES is good.

My husband, when he worked in O&G, just went in to the offices and talked to either HR directly (if they were bigger), or a superintendant (if smaller - generally don’t have HR). That’s how he got in with Schlumberger and Cora Lynn Drilling.

Being older, you might get a bit of sway, but be aware that it’s a shit job sometimes. Just last week we had to deal with bullying issues on our rig - two guys beating the shit out of another guy. It’s unfortunately common to have to deal with these types of jerks, but if you can hold your own, you’ll be fine - as long as you aren’t mouthy. One of my buddy’s WAS mouthy, and held his own until he got hit in the face with a pipe wrench and lost four teeth.

Working off-shore is stressful and sucks sometimes. You will eat well, but they are long days. Also consider that you will likely be in and out via helicopter (hopefully) or boat. I’m not sure how it is in the US, and it varies from company to company, but simply being off-shore requires a bunch of additional training, though the company provides it. You also make pretty decent money, and you get a nice set of days off in a row when you’re back on shore. Not a good career for a family man though, that’s for sure.

Good luck!

13

I should also mention that it’s not the safest job in the world. Be super attentive and always watch your back and look up.

14

I’m assuming that these are certifications you are discussing. Are there training courses I could attend prior to approaching the service companies? I mean schools, specifically.

I’m curious about this. From what I understand, most, if not all offshore rigs are not located in international waters. If an assault takes place, are the offending parties still subject to the penalties of their country? Are they immediately terminated and sent packing to face punishment?

What are the reasons for the most common injuries doing this job? I understand inattentiveness is a key factor, but are there any specific dangers a newbie should be looking out for?

15

If it’s similar to the U.K. you’ll need the equivalent of BOSIET training - particularly the escaping from the underwater helicopter.

16

Yes, all of these are tickets/certifications. They all take one day or less, and can often be done online or by self-teach (and these are the ones we look for in Canada - not sure about the US). I’m not sure what schools would be best in your area, or even in the US, but you don’t need to take anything like a one or two year certificate program to work on a rig. You just need the basics. I’ll so some googling and see if I can find anything for NJ or even the East Coast.

I guess it depends on the situation and how the company decides to handle it. In some cases, the guys being bullied simply get run off. In others, the bullies get fired (charges are rarely laid unless it’s very serious). It isn’t always physical violence, it can also be verbal abuse or just simply being ignored. Spending two or three weeks on a rig where no one will talk to you is not so much fun. I think they do this to weed out the ‘weak’ guys or something, I’m not entirely sure. But, if you just keep to yourself and avoid being a know-it-all, you’ll be fine. It seems like those newbies who think they know how to do it best, even though the rest of the guys have been on the rig for years, are the ones who fare worst.

Being on the floor is where most injuries happen. Getting hit by a someone swinging a tool around, slips/trips/falls, getting hit by pipe, finger pinches or losses, etc. Stuff is moving around a lot, and you’re close to it. That said, a lot of companies are starting to eliminate as many risks as possible and are automating a lot of the work.

I heard about a near miss last week (not our rig) where the bit was stuck while they were reaming and they were really torquing on the pipe. So hard that it suddenly sheered and the pipe in the derrick went flying up, then crashed down on the floor. No one got hurt, thankfully, but it could have been a fatality.

That said, things are relatively safe, and it’s certainly not the most dangerous job in the world. You just have to always be aware of what’s going on around you and keep out of the way. And also, participate in your safety meetings! You’ll get some good information about the risks for the day, generally.

17

The company you get hired by will generally provide this type of training.

18

I can’t find any information about required oilfield tickets for the US. But, there is a Schlumberger in NJ. Give them a call and ask them what they suggest for training.

19

I’d start with Halliburton. I worked for them for a while in the North Sea, and I still think it was one of the best jobs I’ve ever had.

Here’s a list of entry level postions (I’m not sure which are offshore though. You may have to start with something less exotic).

You could also try KBR

Good luck. I found it to be one of the most interesting (and profitable) parts of my life.

BTW, here’s a picture of my crane. :smiley:
0n edit: The list of entry positions didn’t work well as a link. You’ll have to make a few menu selections to get there.

20

i used to log cores and mud recoveries in offshore drills. when i asked how a man becomes a roughneck (or a well-sitter as they call it,) the guys told me they all apprenticed with old timers (a bit like ben affleck to bruce willis in armaggedon.)