MWD Hand 1

[par4]

Hi and thanks for reading this. I am currently looking to break into the Oil and Gas business as an MWD hand. I have a Mechanical BS and loads of experience as a field Engineer in the industrial products area, but little working Rig experience. I have spent time on a Rig and have no problem being out for 4-6 weeks at a time. Any help and advise is appreciated. I am looking to restart my career and run for the next 25-30 years.

 

[DrillerNic]

Depending upon your geographical location, right now with the correct number or arms and legs, you should be able to get a job......

Try Schlumberger Anadril, Baker Hughes Inteq, Pathfinder, Sperry Sun, Target MWD, Precision Drilling (now part of Weatherford). If you're in the UK, the Press & Journal on Friday have lots of Oil & Gas jobs (the website is

http://jobs.thisisnorthscotland.co.uk/

)

 

[par4]

Thanks Drillernic. I have applied to Halliburton, Baker Hughes, Ryan Energy, LEAM, Schlumberge and some others. They all tell me that they hire in cycles. I am following up with each of them to see when the next cycle will start. I am ready to go to work now. At 40 I am ready to make a 25 year run in the Oil and Gas Industry as an MWD and then a DD.

 

[ctmtwilliams]

Anadrill/Schlumberger hires in cycles. I ran their training center in Lafayette, LA back in 82 and taught MWD classes. They used to start their people off as MudLoggers and then slowly promote up through more and more complicated data acquisition systems before turning people loose with MWD tools. At the time most of Anadrill DD work was being done by their Eastern Hemisphere group, which were mostly Brits making British wages (not good). Running MWD tools is not necessarily a way to break out as a DD. If DD is your ultimate goal, you may want to target companies that don't do as much formation logging services as opposed to just directional work.

BTW most schedules are not 4 to 6 weeks out. 2 on 1 off is much more common. That being said, when things get busy all beta are off! Also when doing directional work you may not be out that long at all, you may only be around when kicking off and then get called back out for dropping in through the target. Sometimes its not the long schedule that is the hassle, it’s the being on call not knowing when you will go out and start that 2 weeks.

Just some of my thoughts, good luck!

 

[JLSeagull]

The rotation may depend upon the travel distance and market demands. Houston to Angola is likey 28/28. Houston to the Bay of Campeche may be 21/21. Houston to Green Canyon may be 14/14. Singapore to Green Canyon may be 28/28.

 

[DrillerNic]

There's a bit divide in most directional drilling firms between the DDs and the L/MWD hands, although things are changiingn slowly...on the project I've just finished we had to get some cross trained DD/MWD guys (bed space was at a premium on the particular platform) amd there was a bit of resistance from the service crews. DD used to be drillers first who then moved into directional work (and they all seemed to be from the Cariibean for some reason!)

Your work pattern will depend upon where you are and so on. From my time with Schlumberger, unless the location is a real toilet, SLB will post you somewhere permanently and you'll then work equal time(ish), depending upon the amount of work at the location. Right now in the North Sea, everbody is so busy that guys are going form one job to another with almost no time off. There are stories of people being shunted over to work in Norway for their 1 week off every 3 weeks that is required by UK law, and then coming back to the UK sector to do another 21 days having had a week 'off'! However, as the rig bonuses are such a large chunk of their pay, no-one's complaining too much, apart form guys like me, who have to deal with a DD so knackered that some of the decisions may be a bit dubious...welcome to the oil patch!

 

[par4]

Well I was called for 2 interviews on the same day and offered both jobs (when it rains it pours). The companies are Ryan Energy, and Gyrodata. Thanks guys for all the input and information, it was helpful. Perhaps we'll meeet in an airport somewhere, in which case don't be a stranger and say "Hi".

 

[Ashereng]

Congrats par4!


DrillerNic, dubious decisions (a bit) in the patch? Say it ain't so! Hee Hee Hee.



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