Roughnecks

Although it may be considered one of the toughest jobs in the Oil & Gas Industry, roughnecks start off in a strong position to learn the rig and operations needed to advance within the oilfield ranks.

Starting out, roughnecks are on the lowest rank of the totem pole when it comes to rig workers. Fortunately, they make very good money and most only work half the year! The salary range for roughnecks average between $45,000 to $60,000 per year. When working offshore, most roughnecks work on rotating schedules consisting of 7 days on, and 7 days off, or often 14 days on and 7 days off. When working overseas, a roughneck’s normal rotation is 30 days on and 30 days off.

Roughnecks making up pipe.

Roughnecks – The First Step to an Oil and Gas Career

Roughnecks are at the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to offshore work. Most people looking to get into the oil industry with no experience start off by “roughnecking,” but some work their way up as a roustabout (Roustabouts do most of the painting and cleaning so the roughnecks can do the actual drilling work.) Although this is normally a beginner’s position, it offers excellent pay and is an excellent learning opportunity. There is no better way to learn your way around a drilling rig than hands on experience. Roughnecks that put in the hard work and make every effort to learn the rig operations can move up quickly through the chain of command. Many of the top paid rig workers started off as roughnecks before becoming drillers and tool pushers.

So what do Roughnecks do?

Roughnecks spend most of their time on the rig floor connecting joints for the drill string when “making hole.” Also, when pulling pipe, roughnecks are responsible for breaking the connections. The driller is directly in charge of all the roughnecks, and it is his responsibility to keep them safe while coaching them to work quickly and efficiently. Roughnecks typically take care of most of the equipment maintenance on rig used in drilling operations. Although roughnecks spend the majority of their time drilling new wells, they may also be involved in completions as well. Once a well is drilled and oil is found, the producer (Oil company) will come back and complete the well by running additional casing strings (for structural support), packers, artificial lift equipment, SCSSV’s, tubing hangers, and the X-mas tree. Most of these operations are normally supervised and completed by service hands, but the roughnecks are constantly running tubing and helping the service hands as needed.

Band of Brothers; Band of Roughnecks

Roughnecks sure do put in a ton of hard work, but there are still plenty of fun and games. Your coworkers on the rig will soon be like your second family. You’ll both laugh and cry together. You’ll hear stories of each other’s children, tell stories of the latest fishing or hunting trip, and of course you’ll be rooming with one to four other guys. You will definitely get close to some and butt heads with others. This is the oilfield way. Don’t forget about pranks either because roughnecks will get the worse of it from the older guys on the rig. As roughnecks, you’ll want to stick together. So don’t get mad the next time you find a row of ear plugs melted to the top of your hard hat, courtesy of one of your fellow roughnecks.

Working on a drilling rig is tough. You work long hours and will definitely be tired at the end of the day, but you’ll still have time to kick back and have some good times. So what are the living conditions like for roughnecks?

What are the living conditions like for roughnecks?

Living conditions for roughnecks vary widely depending on several factors. When working on land rigs, they could be staying in converted buildings on the grounds of the well site, they could be staying at the nearest hotel, or they could travel from their home if they site is close enough.

Roughnecks working offshore also have some varying conditions. On most jack-ups, inland barges, or drilling platforms roughnecks will be sleeping in a small bedroom with 4 bunks. Communal showers are the norm and are normally located in the locker room where rig workers store their steel toe boots, hardhats, safety glasses, and other rig essentials. Most locations also have a TV room where workers can relax and watch movies on satellite or DVD. The rig will also have a galley that serves hot food at least 4 times a day if there is both a day and a night crew. On some rigs with small galleys, roughnecks and other rig hands have the privilege of eating before the service hands – which many service hands are not always happy about! Hopefully, there is a good cook on board! Roughnecks can expect to eat hamburgers, spaghetti, steaks, and more!

Lastly, the luckiest roughnecks work on the largest and most technologically advanced drilling rigs which are equipped with much nicer facilities. The Cajun Express for example, a large semi-submersible rig, will make you feel like you are staying at a nice hotel when you’ve been working on smaller rigs your whole life! On rigs such as this, roughnecks can enjoy a two bunk room with a personal bathroom and shower connecting two rooms. You may find TV rooms for watching movies, game rooms to play Xbox, and even computer / phone rooms to keep in touch with family. Roughnecks that didn’t get enough of a workout on the rig floor on his 12 hour shift can head to the weight room to build some muscle. On the nicest rigs, the galley is almost like a nice restaurant. Not only do they serve the normal offshore fair, but some rigs will include a second line for healthier food. Maybe you can enjoy some baked tilapia instead of a hot dog with chili. Lastly, you may catch some roughnecks playing a game of poker in the game room which also includes, a foosball table and a shuffle board.

So for all you potential roughnecks looking for a job, start searching for jobs forRoughnecks.

photo credit: yellow book

A History of Port Fourchon

Situated at the southern end of Lafourche Parish at the mouth of Bayou Lafourche, Port Fourchon is the gateway to the Gulf of Mexico. While the Port of Houston and Port of Galveston are major import / export hubs, Port Fourchon is the biggest port serving the Oil and Gas industry. In fact, it services over 90% of all the deepwater oil and gas projects in the GOM and 40% of all shallow water projects with over 600 oilfield platforms within a 40 mile radius.

The port comprises over 1700 acres catering to a network of both local and global oilfield companies. According to a report by Loren C. Scott & Associates, a 3 week week loss of operations at the Port of Fourchon, could lead to a loss of 77,440 jobs in the case of a major disaster / hurricane, terrorist attack, or other incident. In Houma, Louisiana alone, over 8,000 jobs are directly tied to the port. More amazingly, over $1.5 billion dollars in business sales are generated from port operations.

Searching for a Job in Port Fourchon

If you are looking for a job in the Oil & Gas Industry or even in the direct oilfield support services market (Catering, Transportation, Sales, Welding, Oilfield Supplies, etc.), Port Fourchon is a good place to start. Fourchon hosts a great number of potential employers to start your new career.

Some of the more notable companies operating out of Port Fourchon are:

Port Fourchon Oilfield Companies
• All Seas
• Anadarko Petroleum
• Apache Corporation
• BHP Billiton
• BP
• Baker Hughes
• Bollinger Fourchon, LLC.
• Cal Dive international
• Chevron North America
• Conoco Phillips Co.
• Delmar Systems
• ENI Petroleum
• ERA Helicopters, LLC.
• Francis Drilling Fluids
• Gator Equipment Rentals
• Halliburton Energy Services
• Magnum Mud Equipment Company
• Marathon Oil Company
• Murphy Exploration & Production Co.
• Newfield Exploration Company
• Newpark Drilling Fluids, Inc.
• Oceaneering International
• Redfish Rentals
• Rowan
• Shell E&P
• Tetra Technologies

No matter what you are looking for, Port Fourchon has a job for you. To start looking for a job in Port Fourchon, check out our job search engine.

photo credit: Da Beez

A New Shoe in Town

We’re not talking about steel toes here. Crocs have quickly become one of the most popular shoes in the Oil & Gas Industry. They can be seen in the galley, in the TV room, in the shower, or anywhere else on the rig or platform.

When it comes to downtime, you can’t beat these lightweight shoes. Just don’t wear them out to the rig floor.

Here are a couple reasons why Crocs have become so popular as the offshore leisure shoe:

• Lightweight
• Water Resistant
• Easy to slip on and off
• You can get them in your team colors, or even camo!

So, what is your favorite non-work shoe when you are offshore?

Noble Energy was awarded a deep water drilling permit for it’s Santiago project approximately 70 miles southeast of Venice, LA.

The project was halted four days into drilling when the moratorium was imposed due to the Macondo blow-out. Having already drilled over 13,500 feet, Noble only has about 5000 feet to go on this “by-pass” well.

This is the first new deep water permit issued since the Moratorium was lifted back in October.

Learn More

photo credit: Panoramas

If you’ve had your fill of working twelve-hour shifts for minimum wage, you might want to consider a job in the oil industry. Not to say that you won’t have to work those twelve hours—you will—and not to say that work won’t be hard, dirty, and possibly dangerous—because it will be. On the upside, you will be well compensated for your efforts; salaries for entry-level positions on offshore rigs range from $47,000 to $80,000 per year.

Check out the examples below or visit our Oilfield Job Descriptions page.

Rig Safety & Training Coordinator: $80,000

Due to the physically demanding nature of rig positions, the potential for personal injury is much higher in oil industry than in many other fields. It is the responsibility of the RSTC to provide safety education and training to rig workers, towards the purpose of minimizing the occurrence of injuries aboard the rig. RSTCs also perform rig inspections and medical examinations of the workers themselves. While no prior experience in the oil industry is required, prior safety training and a medical background is helpful in obtaining this offshore position.

Mud Engineer: $72,500

The Mud Engineer is responsible for controlling drilling fluids, towards the purpose of maximizing oil well production. Additional responsibilities include:

• Cost-to-production assessments.
• Data analysis.
• Supervision of well modifications.
• Division and implementation of well stimulation methods.

The Mud Engineer typically has a BS degree in Chemistry, Petroleum Engineering or a related field, in addition to a keen understanding of the drilling process.

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photo credit: Sahaja Meditation

Making a Good Impression at a Job Interview

A job interview is a lot like the first day of school. While it was important to know the name of the school, the school’s location, what time you were supposed to be there, and the supplies you needed for the first day, chances are, the first thing you did to prepare for the first day school was to go shopping for new school clothes.

This was smart of you. Though it may sound trite and over simplistic, the presentation of your personal appearance was connected to your success at school, and the same is true of your success at a job interview. Don’t believe me? In a recent survey conducted by Careerbuilder.com, 51 percent of hiring supervisors cited inappropriate dress as the number one interview mistake. What’s interesting is that your way of dress is merely one factor of what this mistake really entails: poor presentation of your personal image.

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photo credit: {Guerrilla Futures | Jason Tester}

It isn’t always what you know, but who you know, and this is particularly true in the highly competitive professional world. Chances are, there are several people with your set of skills applying for similar jobs at any one time. Having an in, therefore, is an excellent way to set yourself apart from the mass of applicants.

Fortunately, it has never been easier to expand your contact list. What follows are a few simple strategies for taking your network to the next level.

Ask for Referrals

Sales people do this all the time. When they speak to one person regarding a product, they ask for the names of five more people who might be interested in the same product. Similarly, anyone speaking to anyone else regarding professional matters can ask for the names of other knowledgeable people in the field. Think of it as selling yourself. Not in the lady-of-the-night sort of way, but in the way that your professional skills—to include your education, communication skills, technical skills, etc.—are essentially is commodity to be sold, and the more people who see the commodity, the higher the chances of finding a buyer. In the others words, it isn’t so much the people you know, but the people who know you.

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photo credit: alancleaver_2000

Congratulations on passing the preliminary screening process! Now the real work of the interview begins.

Think of the interview as your first day. It is, after all, the first time you meet your potential employer face to face, and the only shot at first impression you will get with him. With this in mind, there a few painfully common mistakes you will want to avoid in the interview process; fortunately, the majority of them are easy to avoid as they are to commit.

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In the highly competitive field of offshore oil drilling, starting salaries for the majority of positions are relatively high, with many salaries beginning at $60,000 or more. The downside of a high starting salary is that it can be difficult to negotiate future pay raises. This is particularly true of the oil industry, where high salaries for entry-level positions draw more applicants than many companies can support. For this reason, it is imperative to plan the request for a pay raise carefully, as a hasty request will almost always result in failure.

Market Research

Begin by researching the average pay scale for your position, going off a regional, as opposed to a national average, as salaries vary from region to region. For example, a Petroleum Engineer in Alaska makes $74,000 a year on average, while a Petroleum Engineer in Texas makes only $61,000. Determining how your salary compares to the regional average for your position is the first step in evaluating the likeliness of a pay raise.

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Getting the Interview

Job searches are difficult. They are time consuming. They are generally a pain in the you know what.

What would you say if I could increase the chance of you landing the job interview that you want by making a few simple changes to your resume? This is the same trick that recruiters use to give their candidates the advantage. Most importantly, it works!

Getting Noticed

Employers receive hundreds of resumes for each job they post. So, how do you make sure that your resume gets noticed when there are so many people competing for the same job? First, you need to think about how employers sort through such a large number of applications. Some employers are going to do a quick scan through each resume to see how closely the applicants match the open position. Increasingly more employers are scanning resumes and converting them into searchable electronic records. This way they can quickly search for certain “keywords” that they think the right candidate will possess.

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