Oilpatch Guys and Gals ???

[Scotford]

I' ve read all the threads,newspapers,TV,and net....I work for a aggressive company which wants to expand and grow, but its not if full because of the royalties and new legaslation, that they are cutting back....In most part it is because of the dollar...the crap in the states,,,which by the way is our biggest demand for our product,,,but because we can not support our own...we have contractors working for us which cannot keep men on the equipment, nobody wants to work in the patch anymore..rigs that are sitting because they cannot man up to run,,,drilling and service....It's not like even 10 yrs ago when everybody wanted into the patch....now a days it's like they want the 5day a week 9 to 5 jobs and weekends off.......WTF..

Long story short.....when the patch goes stupid again there well not be enough man/women power to support it and the guys/gals who have stuck it out well be worked to death to compensate......Remember this is the oil patch we change more in one day the most people change their shorts....I've stuck through it for over 20yrs,,now a days you cannot get anybody to work it more than a year...

Anyways just wanted to see some opions on this thought about the patch not being like it use to and if anybody else is also feeling the man/women power shortage...

 

[BigRed800]

You are right on the money i have been around the patch for 27 yrs i started at 8 bucks roughnecking we hire these young people there are not happy at 25 bucks a hour its to hot are to cold the work is to hard etc etc etc i dont know what the future hold for the patch we are down 30 workers from last year

 

[sumx54]

I'm finally completely staffed right up, first time in two years. But now things have slowed considerably in the patch around Whitecourt and surrounding area. Was told Talisman is competely shutting down after a few commitment holes that are left to drill I'm getting on average 2 resumes a day from mostly the young crowd with not too many qualifications. I don't think much will happen till after the new year and even then things may be sketchy for a bit. Let it Snow!!!

 

[Culvert]

Here is a question for you in the field. I'm 36 now with 3yrs to finish my 20yrs in the Military.
I have the chance to start taking courses for whatever I want. Other than jumping on the Power Eng program like everyone else I talk to what other jobs are available in the oil filed.

I have 17yrs workig on the F404 jet eng, now I'm an instructor on the eng. Not sure I want to keep turning wrenches on engs but dont know whatelse is our there.

Anywhere to go to get a bigger pic of all oilfiled/ service jobs available?

 

[IMSICK]

You thinks it's bad now..... WAit till this mess clears. The dollar recoveres, the idiot drops the royalties again, economy smartens up. You'll see a mess then. By the time it all straightens up, the people who needed work will have moved on finding careers and employment in other industries. When everything does go back to busy, it will go twice as hard again as we have seen yet and there will be even fewer qualified people to get through it than there is now......

 

[NosRX1]

Culvert there is generally Oilfield job fairs every year, not sure of the timing on them but that would be a start. You could also check out rigzone on the internet tons of job posting there! Good luck with which ever way you choose. :d

 

[Snowdin]

The patch is fickle. I've been through the ups and downs for over 30 years. IMSICK is right about the way it's going to be when things get busy again. I'ts that way every time the patch has a slow down and get busy. To many green people and to many injuries.

I also heard that Talisman is slowing down. Tell you what folks. I can't see the whiners pouting for to much longer. The patch has been slow for over two years now. The plants and batteries need product to keep them going. The have to be getting low on product pretty soon.

Culvert, have you thought about working for Alliance Pipeline? They have huge jet engines driving compressors. I'm sure those engines must need an experienced guy to maintain them.

 

[Guest1]

You thinks it's bad now...By the time it all straightens up, the people who needed work will have moved on finding careers and employment in other industries. When everything does go back to busy, it will go twice as hard again as we have seen yet and there will be even fewer qualified people to get through it than there is now......

Agreed 100% but unfortunately compared to when the NEP devasted the patch here in Alberta in the early 80's they don't have NORTEL to go to or other industries

 

[Scotford]

You thinks it's bad now..... WAit till this mess clears. The dollar recoveres, the idiot drops the royalties again, economy smartens up. You'll see a mess then. By the time it all straightens up, the people who needed work will have moved on finding careers and employment in other industries. When everything does go back to busy, it will go twice as hard again as we have seen yet and there will be even fewer qualified people to get through it than there is now......

Totally Imsick....think the oil companies have worries now about, wait tell 09 and they all want to drill, but cannot because nobody to man up the equipment.....then what ...

 

[Slamnek]

I have been working in the environmental end of the oil patch for 5 years now. There will always be a need for enviro guys. No i'm not a tree hugger.

 

[sumx54]

Totally Imsick....think the oil companies have worries now about, wait tell 09 and they all want to drill, but cannot because nobody to man up the equipment.....then what ...

I make a fist full of dollars thats what. :d :d

 

[thump]

I'm with you on that one sumx54.

 

[mb1]

Well I don't know much but I know this. I worked the patch about 2 years, long enough to see the ruined families and guys making big $$ with nothing to show for it. Went to school now now I'm a Power Engineer. real original, I know, but it's pretty good.

You baby boomers are handing over an awful lot of money to the generation that you want to work hard!! HAHA good luck. You think any kids in Calgary need to go and make their own money? Even if their parents want them to "earn" it, they'll just send the kids to get a degree....not to the patch.

A roughneck can't buy a house and a big truck and party every night anymore. Stuff's too expensive. In 2000 a roughneck could make $80k (20/hr.) and easily afford a house for 110k and a truck pymt. Now, same job might make 30/hr, so with the same OT about 120k /yr, and a house is 300k. It's a hard sell to my buddies in Winnipeg now anyways.... I know that.

 

[mathrulz]

I don't have years of experience in the patch - still going to school actually. I just took a year off wanting to get my hands dirty and do some good old fashioned hard work. I grew up on a farm working my a$$ off and when I went away to school I actually missed all the hard work. I looked around for some jobs in the summer and ended up getting hired on for a 1-year student type position with one of the big oil companies in Fort Mac. Surprisingly the pay is horrible (I could make 1.5 times in Edmonton easily), and I'm finding the work quite boring - there isn't really anymore old fashioned hard work - everything is safety this and that - nobody barely can lift 50lbs without the safety guys being all over them. I'm still deciding if I'm gunna stay with it through the whole year - I got my foot in the door now which is great, but you'd think these companies should be trying to get young people more interested in the industry by paying them a little better (not even $20/hr here - and some of the younger, full-time employees up here don't make much more than that), or even offering some valuable experience other than tedious useless jobs. My worth.

For 2009 up here everything is practically shutting down or slowing down severely as far as construction is concerned. Most of the contractors and even some owner staff have already received layoff notices. Employers looking for workers should have an easier time in 2009 I'd think. MORE TIME TO RIDE THOUGH!!!

 

[Guest1]

You think any kids in Calgary need to go and make their own money?

LMFAO!!! No more then kids in LOSERTON...

Even if their parents want them to "earn" it, they'll just send the kids to get a degree....not to the patch.

Some kids are designed for White Collar (professional careers) and other kids are destined for Blue Collar...doesn't make one better then the other...:d

 

[mb1]

LMFAO!!! No more then kids in LOSERTON...

uhhhhhhh.....that's Stabminton, thank you!

Some kids are designed for White Collar (professional careers) and other kids are destined for Blue Collar...doesn't make one better then the other...:d

Sorry, not my intention to have implied that. I flunked out of university, and wear "blues" all day....lol. I think the % of kids around who are turning to "hard work" and labor is dwindling..... possibly this is a reason.

 

[MtnCrazy]

I haven't worked in the "Patch" as you guys call it, but I've been working in Refineries for 20 years now. Currently I'm overseas in the country of Oman, working for Oxy Petroleum. The world is a changin, and you're gonna see more and more countries getting away from burning fossil fuels. Not tomorrow, but it will happen...except probably in the good ole USA and China???

Also look what's happened in Fort McMurray, they had all these grand ideas of building an Upgrader haven up there. Only to find out no one wants to go up there and freeze their nuts off for 8 months a year. Same things in Fort Saskatchewan, out of the 7 Upgraders they were planning on building there. Only 1 went ahead with their plans...and even those were scaled back.

Working in the industry has been good to me, and it'll probably be good for another 20 years...but beyond that??? Who knows!!!

 

[rigrat]

Good day everybody. I have been in the oilpatch for a total of 27 years along with many of my relatives (some with as many as 40 years). I know that many of them got into the oilpatch because the money was good and a bunch of extra schooling was not needed. Nowadays there are so many safety courses needed and the fact that you have to renew the courses every 2 or 3 years (money grab) has turned into a real pain in the azz. A lot of people just want to go to work. A lot of people are also sick and tired of the feast or famine lifestyle. The oil companies keep making record profits and at the same time nickel and dime the service companies to death which in turn does not allow the service companies to pay employees a wage that would keep them in the patch. You need to pay people a good wage to do some of the crappy jobs in the patch. Don't get me wrong, the oilpatch has provided my family with an excellent standard of living but i sure would not recommend it to anybody and i hope my son does not follow in my footsteps.

 

[Mike270412]

Don't get me wrong, the oilpatch has provided my family with an excellent standard of living but i sure would not recommend it to anybody and i hope my son does not follow in my footsteps.

My sentiments exactly

 

[RevBlk]

Good day everybody. I have been in the oilpatch for a total of 27 years along with many of my relatives (some with as many as 40 years). I know that many of them got into the oilpatch because the money was good and a bunch of extra schooling was not needed. Nowadays there are so many safety courses needed and the fact that you have to renew the courses every 2 or 3 years (money grab) has turned into a real pain in the azz. A lot of people just want to go to work. A lot of people are also sick and tired of the feast or famine lifestyle. The oil companies keep making record profits and at the same time nickel and dime the service companies to death which in turn does not allow the service companies to pay employees a wage that would keep them in the patch. You need to pay people a good wage to do some of the crappy jobs in the patch. Don't get me wrong, the oilpatch has provided my family with an excellent standard of living but i sure would not recommend it to anybody and i hope my son does not follow in my footsteps.

Very well put.
Rev