Oil drilling leasehand

[^v^Tinda wolf^v^]

Originally Posted by DownSouthh

Going to be a couple year then maybe college or pickup a trade down the line, not a family man so it’ll do and no blow or drugs at all

It sounds like you have a good plan. I had the same opportunity when I was young. It was either go work the rigs for good money or start in a fabrication shop for $8 an hour.
I chose the fabrication shop and although money was tight for a while I have no regrets. Starting from a rig making good money and switching to a trade may prove difficult for you and what your accustomed to however. The trades don’t pay a lot until you get your red seal or about four years into your trade of choice.
When I started out a family was the last thing on my mind but as you get older it will probably happen and if you are gone away from home all the time there are a considerable amount of things you are probably going to miss, possibly even the birth of your child. I have lived in Alberta my whole life and have lots of friends that work the rigs from the start of their careers. Some guys love being on the road all the time but for me it wasn’t or never will be an option. Each to their own. Reguarding bad choices, things just naturally seem to happen when your with a couple guys on a good bender. Long hours and hard work combined with bad influences are going to happen but it’s up to you how you go about it. I’ve seen plenty of people’s life’s destroyed because of these bad choices. Be wise, I don’t think anyone intends going down that dark path.

[Johnny Huntnfish]

First, you need a car...buy or borrow one if possible. You CANNOT take a cab or bus to the lease. You will often only receive GPS coordinates or very exact directions to get to each lease and they are usually WAY off the beaten path and the roads are usually muddy and rutted.

Second, first thing I was told when I started as a leasehand was RUN don't walk....always be in a hurry and DO NOT get caught slacking...leaseheands are very expendable and theres 3-4 other guys who can have your job by tomorrow. Make yourself valuable to the rig and to the crew.....I busted my ass to by a valuable leasehand and roughneck so that if I happened to **** off a boss one day then the crew would go to bat for me because I made their jobs easier and they didn't want me replaced with a random guy who they would have to re-train.

Your basic day will be...showing up AT LEAST 15 min early to your shift....going to change shack to change into coveralls or rain suit.....shift change at 7....find the leasehand on the cross shift and ask him what he was working on and what needs to get done.....get your scrubbrush and talk to your roughie, motorhand or any higher up and confirm what they want you to start on.....get to work cleaning but always watching the derrick for when they need to make another pipe connection....when needed on drill floor make sure you run and are there and ready to help make the new connection....once new connection is finished then resume your cleaning duties.

Remember....you don't really get coffee or lunch breaks.....have energy drinks and food in change shack and be prepared to run in there at some point and grab whatever food you brought and then stuff it into your mouth while working....a lot of guys bring a can of chunky and get it warming in the change-shack heater and then dig in once it warm.

Once your done for the day, maybe go out for a cheap meal with one or 2 drinks tops, then go to hotel room and watch movies or read until sleep.....try to sleep well every night....some guys will party every night but those guys will constantly be poor.

Hope this helps....just try to keep a positive attitude because everyone is in the same boat and no one appreciates a whiner. If you're going to complain, then make it funny.

After 3-4 hitches you will really start catching on or you will hate your life...either or is totally normal. AS said above, one of the hardest parts is getting to know all the lingo...the pipe-arm, pipe dope, tripping pipe, the sub, the HCR line, the derrick, topdrive etc will all come with time.

Be prepared for some jokes and torture....especially at the beginning....they showed me two 5 galloon pails filled to the brim with diesel and told me that the pails were filled with toxic chemicals that needed to be dumped at the edge of the lease.....if I spilled a single drop I would be in big trouble....took me like 40 minutes to get done....turns out the pails were filled 3/4 with steel bolts and then covered with diesel fuel to the top rim.....they were so insanely heavy but I didn't want to spill a drop....they were all laughing when I got back.

[hayseed]

[QUOTE=^v^Tinda wolf^v^;3837000]

Originally Posted by hayseed

Calling me out again are you. I don’t think it’s in your best interests coach.

Thanks cowboy. Not callin you out, and never have, unless it was years ago we had a disagreement about cattle or something.
Don't remember, don't care.

I do however agree with your last post, good advice. ( Being a coach and all that I am.. )

Like to buy ya a beer sometime TW.

[lmtada]

Show up if it’s a Big Triple, Top Drive and bulk mixing system. Nothing less than 6000m hole, or Pad Job with 12+ holes Enough said. Otherwise you will be working like a whipped dog. LOL.

[^v^Tinda wolf^v^]

[QUOTE=hayseed;3837255]

Originally Posted by ^v^Tinda wolf^v^

Thanks cowboy. Not callin you out, and never have, unless it was years ago we had a disagreement about cattle or something.
Don't remember, don't care.

I do however agree with your last post, good advice. ( Being a coach and all that I am.. )

Like to buy ya a beer sometime TW.

You know what your right. Life is to short to hold grudges. You probably see me every single day and don’t even realize it or maybe you do, none the less let’s let bygones be bygones. Cheers hayseed

[hayseed]

Cheers as well TW, to the OP, I have worked on them an now move them.
Lots of good advice here. Work hard, grin an bear all of it. Its hard work yeah, but what isn't. Go hard, stay straight and that ladder you can climb, one rung at a time.

Listen, learn from others... and be that guy... I can do that for ya.
But, always be aware of your surroundings, and be safe.
A lot of times, you will be alone, safety of yourself comes first.


Best of luck.

[DownSouthh]

Originally Posted by Johnny Huntnfish

First, you need a car...buy or borrow one if possible. You CANNOT take a cab or bus to the lease. You will often only receive GPS coordinates or very exact directions to get to each lease and they are usually WAY off the beaten path and the roads are usually muddy and rutted.

Second, first thing I was told when I started as a leasehand was RUN don't walk....always be in a hurry and DO NOT get caught slacking...leaseheands are very expendable and theres 3-4 other guys who can have your job by tomorrow. Make yourself valuable to the rig and to the crew.....I busted my ass to by a valuable leasehand and roughneck so that if I happened to **** off a boss one day then the crew would go to bat for me because I made their jobs easier and they didn't want me replaced with a random guy who they would have to re-train.

Your basic day will be...showing up AT LEAST 15 min early to your shift....going to change shack to change into coveralls or rain suit.....shift change at 7....find the leasehand on the cross shift and ask him what he was working on and what needs to get done.....get your scrubbrush and talk to your roughie, motorhand or any higher up and confirm what they want you to start on.....get to work cleaning but always watching the derrick for when they need to make another pipe connection....when needed on drill floor make sure you run and are there and ready to help make the new connection....once new connection is finished then resume your cleaning duties.

Remember....you don't really get coffee or lunch breaks.....have energy drinks and food in change shack and be prepared to run in there at some point and grab whatever food you brought and then stuff it into your mouth while working....a lot of guys bring a can of chunky and get it warming in the change-shack heater and then dig in once it warm.

Once your done for the day, maybe go out for a cheap meal with one or 2 drinks tops, then go to hotel room and watch movies or read until sleep.....try to sleep well every night....some guys will party every night but those guys will constantly be poor.

Hope this helps....just try to keep a positive attitude because everyone is in the same boat and no one appreciates a whiner. If you're going to complain, then make it funny.

After 3-4 hitches you will really start catching on or you will hate your life...either or is totally normal. AS said above, one of the hardest parts is getting to know all the lingo...the pipe-arm, pipe dope, tripping pipe, the sub, the HCR line, the derrick, topdrive etc will all come with time.

Be prepared for some jokes and torture....especially at the beginning....they showed me two 5 galloon pails filled to the brim with diesel and told me that the pails were filled with toxic chemicals that needed to be dumped at the edge of the lease.....if I spilled a single drop I would be in big trouble....took me like 40 minutes to get done....turns out the pails were filled 3/4 with steel bolts and then covered with diesel fuel to the top rim.....they were so insanely heavy but I didn't want to spill a drop....they were all laughing when I got back.

Ill be renting one if that works thnx and seems like u know a lot so is this hard labour? off topic but Im a smaller guy but soft of ripped and ill be working out for an hour a day atleast and if its is indeed hard labour aswell i know ill see gains wuicker, thnx

[Roughneck12]

Yup, its hard labour, and physically challenging.

[Johnny Huntnfish]

Its is a very physical job. I used to take creatine when I got back to hotel without working out at all and saw some significant gains....mostly in forearms to tell you the truth. In all honesty the mental workout was more straining than the physical...it took a while to get used to 12 hour shifts with no breaks and no sitting down...but the noise of the rig and the potential for death all around you usually keeps you on your toes.

Just tough it out for at least a few hitches.....after 3 hitches you will know if you're going to stay or not.....most guys barely make 1. Try to get on the biggest rig possible (ie, listen to buddy above that said to get on a big triple) I was on a little single and we moved holes every 3-5 days......the hardest part of your job will be putting the rig together and taking it apart for rig moves...so the less rig moves, the better for you, considering you have a lot of responsibility on a rig move...the guys above you don't have as much physical work to do as you and the roughie, so rig moves are hell on leasehands and roughnecks

[spazzy]

1. no one is your bro out here .
2. it is cold , wet , dirty tough as hell work and you will be expected to deal with it both physically and mentally.( gear up !!)
3. everything is steel and you are flesh the rig will win that battle every time so look out for #1 and stay safe . don't do anything you are unsure about , they should be showing you how to work safe with every task .
4. if your crew shows up to work hungover or high as a kite leave!! there are very professional rigs out there and these types are being weeded out.
5. do as your told and learn as you go its all repetitive and you will be required to be thinking of the next step, if they have to keep teaching you over and over you wont last long.
6.stay out of the politics.
7.don't be late ever bright eyed and bushy tailed ready to give 110% every day all day.
8.don't go buy a jacked up diesel with your hard earned money. live cheap untill you have a good nest egg built up rigs are boom and bust not steady at all.
9.keep your eyes open and pay attention to your surroundings if your not always thinking of what potentially could go wrong at all times you are being complacent .
10. the rigs are not for everyone if the job doesn't excite you a little then its likely not for you .
11. the first 6 months will kick the crap out of muscles you never knew you had put some a535 or vaulterane on them and be proud of how hard you are working don't wine once ever!!

[lmtada]

Those are excellent points. I would like to hitch on your comments. If you have a little power washer (mini triplex) at home. Electric or gas, take it apart, and learn the components. As a Leasehound you will become familiar with the power washer. Learn to fix it. The Drill rig pumps (Triplex, or Duplex), are similar except larger. The components names are the same. In fact you can drill hole with the power washer. Rig is just larger scale with a rotary drive, and bit.
Cheers and good luck.

Originally Posted by spazzy

1. no one is your bro out here .
2. it is cold , wet , dirty tough as hell work and you will be expected to deal with it both physically and mentally.( gear up !!)
3. everything is steel and you are flesh the rig will win that battle every time so look out for #1 and stay safe . don't do anything you are unsure about , they should be showing you how to work safe with every task .
4. if your crew shows up to work hungover or high as a kite leave!! there are very professional rigs out there and these types are being weeded out.
5. do as your told and learn as you go its all repetitive and you will be required to be thinking of the next step, if they have to keep teaching you over and over you wont last long.
6.stay out of the politics.
7.don't be late ever bright eyed and bushy tailed ready to give 110% every day all day.
8.don't go buy a jacked up diesel with your hard earned money. live cheap untill you have a good nest egg built up rigs are boom and bust not steady at all.
9.keep your eyes open and pay attention to your surroundings if your not always thinking of what potentially could go wrong at all times you are being complacent .
10. the rigs are not for everyone if the job doesn't excite you a little then its likely not for you .
11. the first 6 months will kick the crap out of muscles you never knew you had put some a535 or vaulterane on them and be proud of how hard you are working don't wine once ever!!