Looking to move to the North Slope (Anchorage, Barrow: find a job, living)

[surferaw]

Hello all.

I just watched a documentary about oil workers on the North Slope. Also checked out some really cool YouTube videos as well. I am interested in moving up to the North Slope and trying my hand at getting an oil job. I am willing to make some sacrifices for the big money.

Any advice would be appreciated. I am especially looking forward to getting advice and maybe a recommendation or referral from someone in the business. My goal is to get in and out in a year or so...bank about 100K and start a business down here in Texas.

Thanks in advance!

aw

[Rance]

You can't move to and live on the north slope. You might move to Barrow which is north and west of the oilfields proper. I don't think you would be welcome or allowed to move into any of the villages.

And I for one have no desire to help an out of stater get a job on the slope...who plans on making bank and taking that money out of state to start a business elsewhere.

You can pretty much make the same money working those fields in Texas. There is plenty of work down there right now. Try the Eagleford.

[Atkutuq]

Originally Posted by surferaw

Hello all.

I just watched a documentary about oil workers on the North Slope. Also checked out some really cool YouTube videos as well. I am interested in moving up to the North Slope and trying my hand at getting an oil job. I am willing to make some sacrifices for the big money.

Any advice would be appreciated. I am especially looking forward to getting advice and maybe a recommendation or referral from someone in the business. My goal is to get in and out in a year or so...bank about 100K and start a business down here in Texas.

Thanks in advance!

aw

People do not move to the North Slope to find a job; They are sent up there AFTER they have landed a job!

Good Luck!

[Dakster]

Try North Dakota or Kansas...

[AKStafford]

There's no place to "live" on the slope, other than in the town of Barrow or it's outlying villages.
The people that work on the slope live in company housing and do a two week on, two week off rotation. Some do a three on/three off. In other words, they live in the company housing for a two week shift, working 12 to 16 hours a day, 7 days a week and then fly "home" for two weeks. A lot them live in Alaska (Anchorage, the MatSu, the Peninsula) but some even live in the lower 48. They lose a day flying to/from Alaska at the beginning and end of their shifts, but it's worth it to them to be able to live where ever they do.

[laina1980]

My husband tried getting in And it is not booming. Texas is booming, in other words in TX you can have your pick of the litter, in AK you either must know someone, or have a special skill in something related to the job. We had a layover in Anchorage(spent many of years in Dutch Harbor) and he went everywhere he could and he had some experience btw. Also the money is eh, not all that. We have some friends working and with the 2/2 schedule they actually just do good, better than a lot but not nearly as much as other places like North Dakota. Actually drivers make way more in Dutch. I did meet a guy on the plane who works in slope then lives in Texas and he makes a lot, but he has been doing it forever.

My hubby is still determined after all we have spent majority our time in AK, but he is gonna wait until it booms or until it is financially worth it. If anyone begs to differ on what I say, please let me know. Need more info on this than what is out there. TX and ND have tons of info, AK does not.

[losttechnician]

Originally Posted by surferaw

Hello all.

I just watched a documentary about oil workers on the North Slope. Also checked out some really cool YouTube videos as well. I am interested in moving up to the North Slope and trying my hand at getting an oil job. I am willing to make some sacrifices for the big money.

Any advice would be appreciated. I am especially looking forward to getting advice and maybe a recommendation or referral from someone in the business. My goal is to get in and out in a year or so...bank about 100K and start a business down here in Texas.

Thanks in advance!

aw

Getting a job on the slope is difficult, even for someone with oilfield experience. With no experience, you are wasting your time, especially with your sights unrealistically set on a job paying high enough to bank that kind of money in one year.

Texas oilfields, like Midland/Odessa, and the Eagle Ford mess, and Eastern New Mexico around Hobbs are places where lack of experience means less, but regardless of what job is landed, the cost of living is high enough to keep someone from banking 100k in one year.

Your expectations of pay are unrealistic, as are your hopes of garnering help from folks when your main desire is to cut and run.

[Metlakatla]

Why do some people still think that Alaska's the place to go to get a bunch of quick cash and get out? Those old pipeline legends die hard, I guess.

[DagnyT63]

Like everyone has said, you can't "move to" the North Slope. Most of the companies on the slope pay to fly the employees to Anchorage for R&R, so you'd need to live there. My husband still flies to where we live in the lower 48.

I've HEARD you can get jobs with no experience up there. You might try Schlumberger or rigzone.com to see what jobs are available. You'd do better to get a job on the fields in TX and pad up your resume.

The biggest problem finding a job on the slope? You had better be drug free. They don't fool around with stuff like that. There's also no booze allowed up on the slope (more of an issue for some guys than others!)

Good luck in your search, the idea of banking $100k in a year IS possible, but it rarely happens. Most of the guys hubby works with let that paycheck burn a hole in their pocket!

[ysr_racer]

What could possibly go wrong for a guy with no experience, no local knowledge, and no plan ?