The oil field is composed of people like yourself, people who are looking for the same things in life you are: job security, an interesting career, an opportunity to better themselves. They come from all walks of life: farmers, lawyers, preachers, musicians, bankers, businessmen, labourers, university graduates, medical personnel, time-served military personnel, male and female alike. You will find one of every kind in the oil field. Also, do not be discouraged by any stories you might have heard about how hard working offshore is, or that they will work you to death. Naturally the work is hard, but if you are in good physical condition and are willing to work, you should not have any trouble adjusting to the increased work load.
Bear in mind offshore work is not for everyone. It requires that you be away from home, sometimes for weeks at a time. More often than not, the drilling vessel you are on will not even be in sight of land. It involves long and hard hours, working in all kinds of weather and conditions as well as in some dangerous situations. Working in a gale in the North Sea or 100 miles out in the Caribbean sea in the middle of a hurricane can be a frightening experience!
Positivity
On the plus side it is very rewarding and exciting. The food is good, the quarters are clean and well kept. Most rigs have crew recreational facilities such as films, canteen facilities, snooker and pool, etc. Also,the benefits and opportunities for advancement are excellent. It is not uncommon for a person starting at the bottom with no previous oil field experience to be making ?65,000 a year, and that is for working only six months out of the year, usually by 2 weeks onboard and 2 weeks off.
Who do you know that gets 2 weeks holiday every month?
Entry-level positions start at $500 to $800 per week. Dishwashers and BR hands (who wash dishes, sweep and mop floors, put up inventory and do general house-cleaning in the living quarters) earn $600 per week. Roustabouts (general labourers) earn $700 to $1,000 per week. Other entry level positions are deckhands, oilers, welder helpers, cleaner painters and so on; and there are currently plenty of openings.
General
There are several ways in which an offshore oil drilling operation can be run, and the type of oil rig used is usually dependent on the depth at the location, the type of oil, and prevailing conditions. Classically, fixed rigs are built into place on the ocean floor, with multiple well heads and adjustable parts to allow engineers to extract oil from the surrounding area. Floating rigs are also used, in some regions, and in some areas offshore oil drilling is conducted on ships for even more mobility.
Working on an offshore drilling rig can be extremely dangerous. Several accidents have caused rigs to explode, capsize, or become badly damaged, with accompanying loss of life, and many crews today are housed offsite, so that if something happens to the rig, the loss of life will be less severe. Workers on oil rigs still have to contend with severe weather conditions, problems with the rig, and geological conditions which could become dangerous, and they are typically highly paid in recognition of the risks of the industry.
The environmental effects of offshore drilling are primarily caused by pollution related to poorly maintained and operated rigs. Oil spills around rigs are common, especially at the seafloor, where drilling may stimulate seepage, and heavy metal pollution can also occur. Some people also feel that offshore oil drilling disrupts and confuses marine life, although ironically rigs can also provide shelter to seabirds and fish.
Offshore oil production involves environmental risks, most notably oil spills from oil tankers transporting oil from the platform to onshore facilities, from pipelines doing the same, and from leaks and accidents on the platform.[2] There is also the impact of produced water, which is excess water from well drilling or production and which contain varying amounts of oil, drilling fluid or other chemicals used in or resulting from oil production. The platform is typically given an allowed quota of produced water that can be emptied in the ocean. According to the organization Culture Change,[3] a Gulf of Mexico rig dumps about 90,000 tons of drilling fluid and metal cuttings over its lifetime, with its wells also contributing with heavy metals.[citation needed] The platforms themselves also present a problem when discontinued,[citation needed] see ecological effects of oil platforms.
Not all of these personnel are present on every platform, on smaller platforms workers will be responsible for several areas. The names shown are not industry-wide.
- OIM (Offshore Installation Manager) is the ultimate authority during his/her shift and makes the essential decisions regarding the operation of the platform.
- OTL (Operations Team Leader (OTL). - OOE (Offshore Operations Engineer) is the senior technical authority on the platform.
- PSTL or Operations coordinator for managing crew changes.
- Dynamic Positioning Operator, navigation, ship or vessel maneuvering (MODU), station keeping, fire and gas systems operations in the event of incident.
- 2nd Mate - meets manning requirements of flag state, operates Fast Rescue craft, cargo ops, fire team leader.
- 3rd Mate - meets manning requirements of flag state, operates Fast Rescue craft, cargo ops, fire team leader.
- Ballast Control Operator, also fire and gas systems operator.
- Crane operators to operate the cranes for lifting cargo around the platform and between boats.
- Scaffolders to rig up scaffolding for when it is required for workers to work at height.
- Coxwains for maintaining the lifeboats and manning them if necessary.
- Control room operators - Especially FPSO or Production platforms.
- Catering crew will include people tasked with performing essential functions such as cooking, laundry and cleaning the accommodation.
- Production techs for running the production plant.
- Helicopter Pilot(s) live on some platforms that have a helicopter based offshore. The helicopter flight crew transports workers to other platforms or to shore on crew changes.
- Maintenance technicians (instrument, electrical, mechanical).
Incidental personnel - Drill crew will be on board if the installation is performing drilling operations. A drill crew will normally comprise:
- Toolpusher - Roughnecks - Roustabouts - Company man - Mud engineer - Derrickhand - Geologist - Well services crew will be on board for well work. The crew will normally comprise:
- Well services supervisor - Wireline or coiled tubing operators - Pump operator
