How many here work in the oilpatch?

[JHansen]

Mildly curious as to how many others on here work either directly or indirectly in the 'patch. I've been in for 7 years now-6 pushing a tank truck down the road and as a production field operator for the last year. Enjoy my job so far-every day there's something different. Although callouts at 2:00 am aren't a whole bunch of fun



I know RustyJC works for Cooper (they make Ajax integral engine-compressors among others) and I'm pretty sure MCummings said that him and his dad were in the 'patch too. So how many others out there?



Jason

 

[Gray Ghost]

Started out at Superior Oil. Mobile layed me off. Went to work for Enron. They sold us into slavery with EDS. Got layed off. Worked for several computer companies and now at Shell. Hope I can make it a few more years and retire. Tired of this mess.

 

[MCummings]

yep, we're In the "patch" as you call it.



Around here, it's the "OilField" on call 24/7

Here's a pic of our pressure testing unit.



#ad




The trailer is (in the pic) a 20K Tandem axle Dual Wheel 25' Gooseneck.

The Fiberglass tanks usually carries fresh water, but can carry Salt Water, or "Gel", and any thing else that doesn't eat fiberglass.

The Motor is a Detroit 6-71. A two stroke, with only 6 valves total.

(If you ever get the time,, Look up how a two-stroke Diesel works, it's Different and cool!) This motor has gone into 40,000 Hours running time. (without rebuild) and about 3-4 oil changes, 5 gallons each.



The Detroit turns a "Tri-Plex" water pump. (it has 3 "plungers")

The water pump is rated for a working pressure of 15,000PSI.



We also have Hydraulic Nipple up equipment for Tightening down gas wells, a working pressure of 30,000Lbs. (Usually only go to 2K)





My Dad started his company back in '91. Pulling the same trailer in the pic, with a '91 Dodge 350 Cummins 5-speed 2wd.

We then had a '96 3500 Cummins 5-speed,

and then a '98. 5 3500 (Which is my truck now. )



The Chevy,, well, isn't doing as well as we thought,, although it Pulls FASTER (Higher MPH) than our Dodges,, It doesn't pull better.



We are a little wooried about the oilfield industry as the companies that contract my Dad, are waiting to see wether the war is gonna make a "Boom" or "Bust". SO pro-duction is very low. There is SO MUCH GAS out there from when the Airlines shut down. I've heard about 10 Billion EXTRA gallons (Or was it drums? )of fuel that would have been used,, now just sitting, making the demand drop horribly.



Our Company is Called "Merricks Pressure Testing" and our main goal is to provide a safe working enviroment. We test Gas and oil wells,, including pipelines for any leaks.



MerrickNJr

 

[JR2]

Count me as another piece of oil field trash..... been working for Schlumberger Oilfield Services since 95. Been around the oil field forever, my Dad (Jack in Alaska) retired from Schlumberger after 31 years.



It is my pleasure to bring oil to the guys who make our Diesel... .



JR2

 

[CMacKenzie]

I work as a Critical Care Paramedic based on a Jack-Up Drilling rig out in the Gulf of Mexico. I work 14 on & 14 off.

 

[JHansen]

Hey Gray Ghost-assume you work in a refinery or big gas plant? Got a buddy who works over west in a big plant-never gets to see a field well. I kinda like to get out in the field where nobody can bother you-always something to do out there anyway.



Merrick I knew you said you were into pressure testing-didn't realize you had such a high-pressure setup. When I drove tank truck, my boss had 2 pressure trucks,3500HD GM and a single-axle International. Not used for hydrotesting though-up here you can keep pretty busy with them 6-8 months out of the year batching methanol into lines to bust out hydrates. Also got to kill the odd blowout here and there . Also know what you mean about the Jimmy-not my 1st choice for a truck powerplant (or 2nd or 3rd actually!) but as stationary power they bow to nobody. Service rigs up here are pretty much Detroit-powered-can't count the # of times that I'd show up on lease first thing in the morning with their fluid for the day just in time to see one of the lease monkeys firing up the pump engine-can of ether and WOT as soon as it fired! My poor old Cat started knocking just thinking about it... .



JR2-I've seen lots of Schlumberger trucks here but have never worked with them. You guys run frac units I know-also logging I think? And maybe wireline too? Not real familiar with the company-but like I said I've seen lots of the trucks running around down here. Used to have quite a lot of competition in that area-until BJ bought out Nowsco and Fracmaster. Real nice looking fleets now-BJ's trucks are white and blue, Nowsco was red and white, and Fracmaster was yellow and white. Not uncommon to see a BJ colored tractor pulling the other colored trailer-or vice versa. Even saw a truck once with 1 Nowsco and 1 Fracmaster mudflap-times must have been tough!



Good to see there are a few people who work in the same industry as me anyway-maybe we can trade war stories or something.



Jason

 

[TPyle]

I grew up in an oilfield family (Dad-Exxon, Uncle-Mobil, Uncle-Pennzoil/Devon, Grandfather-Pennzoil). I now work indirectly with oilfield service companies by spec'ing and selling them trucks. I'm sales manager for Western Star of Longview/ Industrial Power & Service (www.dieseldrive.com). We sell haul, winch, rigup trucks. We repower rigs and Frac trailers. Its incredible to stand beside a 3,000hp V16 Cat, Cummins, or Detroit at WOT!!!

 

[JHansen]

I wish I had your shift CMacKenzie! I've gotta put in 9 and 5... poor me Probably see some neat stuff out there-and probably some mean stuff too eh?



And TPyle you're singing my song-I'm a Star man through and through. The first truck I was issued when I started my long and illustrious crude hauling career was an '86 4964. 425 Cat/15 direct/Rockwell 46's w/3. 90's. Slow, rough (Hendrickson 46 springs in rear and 9 leaf front spring packs!), and crude-but there wasn't a tougher truck on the road. Dad's '91 was a much nicer truck to handle. When the boss got me a new one I wanted a Constellation sooooo bad-but I ended up with a T800 instead. Lots worse things then getting handed the keys to a new KW I suppose-but it still was no Star. So what's gonna happen with Star now that it's part of the DaimlerChrysler franchise? Hope they realize that there's more brand loyalty in Class 8 than pickups and don't screw with stuff too much-there's no tougher truck than a Star...



This thread is starting to get interesting-hopefully some more guys will chime in here!



Jason

 

[MikeJ]

I've been in the oilfield since 1972. Started off running dozers building locations, digging pits and dragging the rigs in, along with having to haul your own equipment around with raggedy old trucks. Then I just started hauling the equipment around and told them to cram it when they wanted me to run it. When the oilfield went dead in the 80's, I went to pipelining for about 12 years hauling equipment. About 3 1/2 years ago I bought my 97 Dodge and started hotshotting in the oilfield. I bought it with about 27,000 miles on it and it has 398,680 miles now, so I been doing a little running with it.

As far as Western Stars being tough trucks, I've no doubt that they are, but I honestly don't thing you can beat a Mack when it comes to toughness. I've driven a lot of trucks, starting with a 66 Mack B61 with a 5 & 4, several other Macks, some Pete's, Internationals, GMC's, a 77 Western Star with a 290 Cummins, and some other assorted trucks. I've drug oilfifield trucks into muddy locations to set up the rigs with dozers, hauled equipment offroad through various terrains, and overall Macks survive a lot better in the oilfield. They will beat you to death on the road though. My last truck before I started hotshotting was a 93 CH model Mack, and it was pretty decent on the road as well as offroad.

As always, just my opinion

 

[jandtjil]

Pipe Dope

I usta! Worked on workover rigs in NW WY (R&S Well Service), in the Grass Creek and Oregon Basin sites. Unfortunately couldn't ride out the bust period 84', despite touching my feet on the soil of most states and 7 different countries for the Air Force since then, I still miss it!!



Especially the practical jokes.

Once just after starting, one of the floor hands bet me I coudn't climb to the collar of the the 1st joint laid back against the tubing board, it was easy money, off I climbed. Unfortunately I coudn't see that he had grabbed the dope bucket and was furiously painting the joint I was heading up from about 10/12 feet on down. After reaching the collar, I started sliding back down (someone owed me a 6 pack!!), At the 10 ft mark it was as if my grip had failed and I instantly accelerated. Instinctively I hugged the pipe to slow down (bad move). Basically I cleaned all that pipe dope off the joint. Made a real swell racing strip up my coveralls, face, you name it.

Okay maybe I don't miss the practical jokes!



JJ

 

[gitchesum]

Currently, I'm on the receiving end of the crude oil chain. I work at a marine terminal that unloads the crude from the tankers and barges and then we turn around and pump the crude to the refinery. Working on a transfer to Houston to get more involved in the pipeline operations area of the job now.

 

[CMacKenzie]

Well jhansen, I can't complain about my schedulebut i do miss the sound of my Cummins after a couple of weeks. If it gets too bad I can go below and listen to the SIX CAT D-399s that we use to make electricity.

As to the job, I was a Mud Engineer for SBM for 8 yrs. and I don't miss it. It gets boring sometimes out there, but it also seems the Medic is now the crew's Primary Care Provider. Instead of going to see their family Dr. when at home, they now wait to come out to work and come to the Sickbay. Especially now that we carry all the antibiotics and the medicines that most physicians offices provide.

Yes, it can get hairy out here. When someone gets hurt, it's either very minor or very bad. Sometimes due to weather conditions evacuation by chopper or boat is unavailable. I once had a man with chest pain that had to wait 11hrs. for evac. !!

As to practical jokes, theres always a newbie on board looking for the V-Door key. (Thats where the drill pipe or casing comes to the rig floor)

 

[SOOT]

I work as a mechanic for Schlumberger oil field services. I have only been there since Oct. 1st 2001. I enjoy it, theres something new every day. It's only 20 miles one way to the shop from the house on the interstate, so its an easy commute(atleast until winter hits).

 

[Whitmore]

Amazing how many fellow rammers are in the patch, I am in central WYO processing what has been termed as "the most hazerdous gas in the world" we have 5 deep wells flowing 50mm each , these wells are 2800' deep, we are drilling more for our new plant with the 2 biggest land drills in the lower 48. the gas is 400 degrees is 66 % methane, 14% h2s and 20 % co2, we also get alot of h2o with it about 1700 bbl per day. we currently have a inlet flow of 130 mm and are building another plant that will be 180mm inlet . this is a world class project worth 350million bucks and that dont include the wells that feed it!

I am normally an operator with shifts of 7 on and 7 off,shift work, I am currently an inspector on the new plant 5-10 hr shifts straight days and will do this till start up next august and will go back operating . I love my job and everything about it!... ... ... ..... Kevin

 

[PUMPERDUDE]

Maybe my nick gave me away

I,ve been operating wells in Breton Sound for twenty years now. Seen the good,bad and ugly of the oilfield. Wouldn't trade it for another job though. Seems like the good times are back for now ,amen brother.