Oilfield job

Talked to my cousin the other day that has been working in Pennsylvania. He said about 1 out of 6 or 7 local hires make a hand on the rigs.

So i have a couple questions, my husband has tons of smarts and has had a steady factory job for 11 years, and has not been liscensed for anything...but he has talked about gettting a job like this, and wondered is there a way to do it and get a lisence up there with your employers equipment? and if so, what is an entry level salary? thanks!

I didn't know there were other members here in Tioga, small world. The milk route I just got is the same 12 hr days as the water truck but they don't require the 6 day work weeks and the cows don't take days off so there's more consistancy. Not quite as much money as the gas companies but good money none the less and far more time to enjoy it. It seems a good compromise between a decent income and having a life.

Most people don't want to be rig hands. Rig hands are hard to come by no matter where the rigs are- kids nowadays don't want to work that physical of a job, especially if it's for 100+ hours a week/living on a rig. It's harder than farming and most farmkids don't want to farm nowadays much less become a rig hand.

Yeah, Shell's been complaining about that for awhile now. The driver problem (lack of) is because Shell requires a year of over the road driving before they'll let ya on their rigs as a waterhauler.

Penndot's having a huge problem with drivers becoming waterhaulers up here. About the only ones left are the older people who are too close to retirement to leave.

Wow, small world

Hi Neighbor!

I know some of the gas companies are training their existing employees to drive the water trucks but very few trucking companies will hire an inexperienced driver for water truck. Often it's because of insurance company restrictions. Honestly it's not really beginners work as far as I'm concerned. No tanker jobs are but adding in the difficulties of off road driving and it takes some skill to do safely.

I see, that makes total sense...so what would an entry type job be then in this field?

Laughaha and Roachhill,
It's funny that you guys are from the area around Tioga PA. Tioga ND is in the middle of the oilfield!

RigHand, Water Processing, Roustabout/bucketboys, Flaggers, Water Transfer, Frack Hands, Security, Well Techs. DH says there are tons of them it just depends on what skill set you bring. Basically if you have no experience with anything at all- roustabout, security, flagger, righand, frackhand. All make about $15/hour except righands who make $19-20 starting.

What type of factory work does he do? There's a need for just about any skill, and any skill is worth money. Electricians, mechanics. BakerHughes is thinking of hiring their own electrician (example).

Your looking at 70-110 hours per week. You're reimbursed for it (overtime pay, LOTS of it), but it's hard.

I'm currious to know more about these entry level jobs I'm not at all familiar with the oil business. But I do have a son just graduated highschool ,Probably not the brightest kid ever but he's never been affraid to work, always doing something from shoveling poo for our dairy farmer neighbor to flippin burgers. I'd like to point him in a direction where he could make a living and learn something.
So if anyone could explain a little to me whatt hese job titles mean and where to find a listing or how to apply that would be great thanks.

If I was still a kid starting out I'd be all over one of these job, nowadays I'm more interested in resting up than working. I know the roustabout is the guy who runs around and does alittle of everything. Basically the grunt work the skilled workers don't want to do. It's a good way to learn alot of jobs quickly and move up into better pay.
Security and flagger are self explanatory. Around here security only pays $12 but their's not to much to it. $12 isn't to bad for mostly sitting around. My dad just got hired for security on the Shell wellsite. I think he's doing it just because he doesn't really like being retired, nothing to do. Not to sure about the details of the frackhand and righand. I was talking to a few of them at the chinese restaraunt just last week but I never asked details of their jobs.

Here's a link to the paper that should have all the jobs in the area listed. They added a special section to the print version because there was getting to be so many ads.

http://theshopperinc.net/

Would they need a cnc machinist? Being deaf, it's the only work skill I have currently that I went to school for.

__________________
Ted H

You may all go to Hell, and I will go to Texas.
-Davy Crockett

We are 4 hours east of Williston, ND. I sure hope the oil work keeps coming this way so either my husband can get a good paying job or we can sell our house for big bucks and move to a warmer place!

Ted, check out the link I posted. There is just about every type of job posting you can imagine.

Apryl, where are you guys exactly? 4 hours away from Williston isn't really all that far away from the action. Minot is 1-1/2 hours away and you can't get a motel room on pretty much any night. Williston has built 3 new motels and they are full even before contruction was finished.

We know this won't last forever. My father-in-law had a roustabout crew in the boom of the '80s. One day they had work. Literally the next day they didn't. We are going into this with the mindset of not getting any bigger until we can pay cash for trucks and trailers. So far, we've been able to do that.

Very good strategy.

People like to say gas will never get cheaper, but we all know this is not true.

There was "no end in sight", for oil prices in 08' when the oil markets crashed - big time.

Expensive oil drilling rigs (the ones in the U.S. mainland) are always the first to go.

mtfarmchick, I am in the big town (500 people) of Rolette. It's north central, almost to Canada. You think it will work it's way over? Every time we go to Minot to do some shopping and want to stay the night ALL of the hotels are always booked.