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OK, so this is an idea I had several years and was given some pointers at various trade fares, but due to still being in University I never has cause to follow them up. Now though I'm looking at a sizable lump of student debt and wishing I had a way to shift it quickly, so, I'm thinking again about finding a job working on an oil rig. A couple of people who my family know went down this path, they didn't have any special training, but still managed to earn a shedload of money just by doing menial work or by cleaning and cooking in the living quarters, but this was several years ago and not in a recession. I've tried looking at the oil companies websites, I've tried recruiting agencies, and I've tried the job centre/careers office, but none of these have been any help at all, especially not the latter who looked at me as if I was mad! So, can anyone give me pointers or advice - is it very well paid as I've been told, can it be dangerous (I know there is a risk, but I don't consider it that high?), and can anybody advise me on a route towards potential employment?

Right now I'm willing to do anything (within reason ) for money, and this is a job which has always appealed to me, so it seems well worth trying to find out more.

Thanks in advance for any help or advice,


Dan

Are you talking about working on offshore oil platforms or land-based oil rigs?

Off shore platforms is what I was thinking about

I'm not sure how you can get involved, though it is still seems to be very well rewarded - I have a relative working for British Gas in Kazakhstan. It is a 3 weeks on, 3 weeks off roster. The only thing is that he has a certain skill set and experience; all menial work there is done by the locals!

Not quite as local as the North sea - but the company pays to fly him through AMS

I'm studying Petroleum Engineering and currently have an internship with an oil & gas company here in Texas. I've been working out in the field for the majority of the summer. I'm not working on rigs, as that is a different company, but I have a good understanding of how they operate.

The pay is great because most companies work 12 hour 'Tours.' Think overtime. Some work 7 days on 7 days off, and others work just the weekdays.

Right now, there are numerous rigs that are idle in the US because the price of natural gas is so low. Therefore, I'm almost certain that the majority of the rig companies are not hiring.

The work is dangerous by nature. You're working with heavy tools, explosive chemicals and compounds, infrastructure that is constantly assembled and disassembled...


Send me a PM if you have any questions.

I've had a couple of members of my family work on offshore rigs but they "knew someone who knew someone" so it was easy to get in. My cousin was injured on an offshore rig and after some 5-years of legal wrangling got a settlement of about $1.5 million.

Anyway though, having lived in an area where there were offshore rigs, I would suggest getting a newspaper from that area to see if there are any ads for help. If not, look for other clues that would help you identify the company that owns/runs the rigs. If you know where the helicopters that carry the crews depart/return from, go to the heliport and see if you can talk to some of the guys coming back in or going out on their tour and ask them the name of the company for which they work, then look them up and call their HR department. If you are so inclined, you might even check with local clergy leaders in the area of the rigs and ask them if they know someone in their patronage who is employed in that line of work and might be willing to help you out, or if they are familiar with offices in the area where you might apply.

Good luck.

I'm not aware of any unskilled work at the time.

I've been somewhat desperate trying to find something that doesn't mind my background checks or financial problems last year.

I've had several people tell me to get an oil job- its easy.

I've checked almost every major oil producer's web site and all I really see is Engineer and specialized mechanics positions with experience such as pipe welders, etc.

A friend of mine went up to Canada about 5 years ago and made some really good money for a year. I've checked everywhere and don't believe that they are hiring people without specialized qualifications right now. KBR is one company that does quite abit of contract and oil work all over the world. You may want to check out their website. I couldn't find anything.

http://www.kbr.com/

I'm still waiting to hear on the contract position in Afghanistan but not getting my hopes up with the background check. My last DUI was over 5 years ago but I've been turned down from job after job because of it.

mhodgson wrote:I'm not sure how you can get involved, though it is still seems to be very well rewarded - I have a relative working for British Gas in Kazakhstan. It is a 3 weeks on, 3 weeks off roster. The only thing is that he has a certain skill set and experience; all menial work there is done by the locals!

Not quite as local as the North sea - but the company pays to fly him through AMS

Well I don't mind where in the world it is - I'd just like a job. Wouldn't mind going back to Sky Gold either if I was flying KL a lot

CO777ER wrote:I'm studying Petroleum Engineering and currently have an internship with an oil & gas company here in Texas. I've been working out in the field for the majority of the summer. I'm not working on rigs, as that is a different company, but I have a good understanding of how they operate.

The pay is great because most companies work 12 hour 'Tours.' Think overtime. Some work 7 days on 7 days off, and others work just the weekdays.

Right now, there are numerous rigs that are idle in the US because the price of natural gas is so low. Therefore, I'm almost certain that the majority of the rig companies are not hiring.

The work is dangerous by nature. You're working with heavy tools, explosive chemicals and compounds, infrastructure that is constantly assembled and disassembled...


Send me a PM if you have any questions.

Thanks, I guess right now less fuel is needed anyway as it's the summer and people haven't got the heating on. I wasn't thinking so much about the active side of oil drilling, from what I've established I'd need some form of engineering qualification to do that, but more the housekeeping or kitchen side. You're still on the rig though, so if somebody on the drilling deck cocks up you're still going to be affected by the explosion though I suppose.

Queso wrote:I've had a couple of members of my family work on offshore rigs but they "knew someone who knew someone" so it was easy to get in. My cousin was injured on an offshore rig and after some 5-years of legal wrangling got a settlement of about $1.5 million.

Anyway though, having lived in an area where there were offshore rigs, I would suggest getting a newspaper from that area to see if there are any ads for help. If not, look for other clues that would help you identify the company that owns/runs the rigs. If you know where the helicopters that carry the crews depart/return from, go to the heliport and see if you can talk to some of the guys coming back in or going out on their tour and ask them the name of the company for which they work, then look them up and call their HR department. If you are so inclined, you might even check with local clergy leaders in the area of the rigs and ask them if they know someone in their patronage who is employed in that line of work and might be willing to help you out, or if they are familiar with offices in the area where you might apply.

Good luck.

Good idea regarding the helicopters and talking to staff - I wonder if there's an 'oilworkers.net' forum out there - joking aside I could look into that too As you say I think a lot of jobs come about via word of mouth through knowing the right people, unfortunately there isn't a lot of oil off Devon and the South West, so the planned rigs in the English channel were never set up. I hope your cousin is alright now, my mother was injured by a certain UK holiday airline and it took a similar time for proceedings to get anywhere. Thank you for the tips, will get onto those right away, you can read many of the UK's local newspapers online and they all have a jobs section

Fumanchewd wrote:I'm not aware of any unskilled work at the time.

I've been somewhat desperate trying to find something that doesn't mind my background checks or financial problems last year.

I've had several people tell me to get an oil job- its easy.

I've checked almost every major oil producer's web site and all I really see is Engineer and specialized mechanics positions with experience such as pipe welders, etc.

A friend of mine went up to Canada about 5 years ago and made some really good money for a year. I've checked everywhere and don't believe that they are hiring people without specialized qualifications right now. KBR is one company that does quite abit of contract and oil work all over the world. You may want to check out their website. I couldn't find anything.

http://www.kbr.com/

I'm still waiting to hear on the contract position in Afghanistan but not getting my hopes up with the background check. My last DUI was over 5 years ago but I've been turned down from job after job because of it.

That's just it - everybody says 'oh it's really easy to get a job working in the oil industry'... but no, it isn't! As you say, all the oil company websites only handle the skilled and management side of recruiting, so I presumed the general dogsbody work was handled by staffing agencies, so I spent some time phoning various ones up in the UK's oil towns where the offshore companies are based, but no, nothing and no luck. I did think about security work in the conflict zones, but it's not something I'd have the backing of my family with as two of my girlfriend's brother's friends went out to Iraq because of the pay and were killed in ambushes when the situation was much worse over there a few years back. I'll check that site out thanks, and good luck with the job


Dan

Thanks and best of luck to you.

Maybe employers won't be so selective when the economy picks up.

I've even been turned down by the Army and ArmyNG and they aren't too picky. Apparently multiple DUI's is an indicator of alcoholism. I could have told them that. It doesn't change the fact that I have a college degree, extensive aviation experience, could easily qualify as a sharpshooter, and at the age of 33 can still run a 6 minute mile. Oh well.

The guy who told me about KBR aslo fishes on boats in Alaska-he's up there for the tourist season right now. He told me that after the season he usually justs shows up at a KBR office and gets a job. Things may be different with the economy right not but I think its inline with what Queso was saying and is the best bet. Showing up and meeting someone in the office face to face gives you an edge that emailed resumes don't give.

Network, network, network.

I've no experience of the industry, and don't know anyone who does (though, as fate would have it, a friend of a friend designed the safety systems on Piper Alpha) - but I thought along similar lines to Queso. Get near and start talking. Might be worth a trip up to Aberdeen.

Depending on what your degree is in contractors like KBR might have an opening for a job in Iraq that would make the oil rig money look small. You will have to get yourself to Houston for the hiring stuff.. And pass a drug screen and all that, which shouldn't be a problem if you were going to work on an oil rig.

I know a guy who started off driving a truck with them in Iraq for $10,000 a month, tax free. He is working for another contractor now.