Re: Oil fields

Posted by LAA on June 27, 2015 at 21:10:36 from (217.175.64.196):

In Reply to: Oil fields posted by NY 986 on June 27, 2015 at 13:44:48:

I have worked for an offshore Drilling contractor for 40 years with 5 more to go then retire if the Good Lord allows me to. I have always made a living for my family and kept insurance and related benefits, although wages were not always very good for extended periods due to downturns in the industry I was after the benefits for my family and eventual retirement. During the 6 severe downturns that I have personnaly been through in the business, 1979-78, 1982, 1986-93, 1998-2001, 2008-2010 and including the present downturn in the industry, I have been fortunate in that I kept working, mostly this was because when the downturns came I happened to be working in countries that either were not going to curtail drilling and exploration because of low extraction costs or because they needed the revenues, or both. At the present time the industry is in its largest contraction in 30 years, there have been about 130,000 oilfield hands laid off since November of 2014 in the US alone and at least triple that number world wide, the prospects for a turnaround are not good in the short term unless a major international event impacts oil supply and price. Natural gas drilling is holding its own in the US and in some places even on the increase even though natural gas prices are flat there are plans to export LNG soon. Anyone planning on enetering the business should first understand that no matter how long he or she works in the business they will start off ''temporary'' and remain ''temporary'' their entire carreer, I was given this advice by one of my first supervisors when I first started along with the admonishment to save my money and both tips have served me well over the years. Oil and gas are commodities, subject to price fluctuations and the resultant highs and lows of business models based on production, very much the same as farming, if a person works in the exporation/development sector of the oil and gas business there will be downturns where they stand a good chance of becoming unemployed, at least temporarily. When I first started evryone had a side business, farming, hauling pulpwood, cattle, saw milling, something to do on their off days as well as a fall back job if everything went south. I ran cattle and custom baled for many years to supplement the income and still run cattle. Best things about the business, at least offshore and in remote areas, is little to no communication with or interference from the regional or head office, we handle our business and take care of the rig and thats that, I do not have to listen to nonsense, attend management meetings or take any crap. Maybe it is something a person gets used to but I like the work schedule, over the years I have worked 14/7, 10/5, 7/7, 14/14, 21/21 and 28/28 which I prefer, and have worked since 1979, of course your travel days come out of your 28 but it still amounts to more time home and free to do what you want than a 9-5, 5 days per week job. The best advice I would give any young man looking to start out in this business is the same advice I gave my Sons when they started, go where the job is without complaint, everybody wants to work on the rig that is closest to their home and that is understandable but not practical, the company needs people on all of their rigs and one pays the same as the other, many times when you agree to travel to the worst places to work those are the same places that keep going during downturns.

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