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Old 12-29-2011, 07:26 PM
 
Location: Alabama
112 posts, read 316,519 times
Reputation: 32

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What part of TX are y'all in? I am heading to TX next week from AL to go to a couple of job fairs. I had originally been applying to ND online but not a lot of response and with the housing shortage up there, TX just makes more sense.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am heading to Midland/Odessa first, Laredo the 13th and San Antonio the 19th. Don't have any oilfield experience but have more than 20 years residential/commercial construction experience. Thanks for any info!
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Old 12-29-2011, 10:57 PM
 
Location: Blah
4,153 posts, read 9,267,863 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MovingtoND2work View Post
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am heading to Midland/Odessa first, Laredo the 13th and San Antonio the 19th. Don't have any oilfield experience but have more than 20 years residential/commercial construction experience. Thanks for any info!
You probably want have to look further than Midland/Odessa for work. The key thing is CDL drivers but their always looking for field hands. I would check out Fracing first. Drilling companies has been known to look for experienced help where as Fracing is more relaxed about it except on certain machinery. You also have a couple of Fracing companies that are willing to help you get a CDL which is a HUGE plus in the oilfield!

Anyhow, here is a list of companies I would check out and they all have a location in either Midland or Odessa. You can probably apply to a lot of these places online as well.


Pioneer Natural Resources (Well Services (http://www.pxd.com/careers/well_services.htm - broken link) )
BJ (Baker Hughs/ http://www.bjservices.com/website/hr...t?openframeset )
Schlumberger
Superior Well Services
Fractech
Great White

Some other jobs I would look into would be:

Coil Tubing
Wireline (cased hole, well logging, slickline)

Wireline and Fracing go hand and hand pretty much. Wireline uses a crane and a very long slick wireline to lower tools into wells...generally explosives or logging devices. Now for the most part, wireline is completely safe and you all explosions takes place generally thousands of feet below the surface. Anyways, they generally work in 3-4 man teams loading their gun and lowering it into the well. You have to wrench some pipes but nothing compared to what you see on a drilling rig I promise! You pull the gun out of the well, disassemble it and reasseble it for the next stage.

Coil tubing is about like Fishing LOL Coil tubing is basically used to fish tools out of a well that was dropped by a wireline crew. Again, they use a crane...generally a larger crane than that used by a wireline crew and a coil tubing truck which is huge. They generally fish the tool out of a well in about 2-3 trys...I saw one try it 5 times with no luck before I left the site.

All of the above jobs offers a ton of hours. I see it all the time where they say 70yrs but I generally work 90hrs...but it's all on the clock! Now a lot of wireline companies pay salaries....but they get stage bonuses.

Fracing/Wireline works in stages, any where from 3 stages to 30 stages and each stage takes about 2-3 hours! You generally only do 4-7 stages a day unless something happens...which something always happens. In that case you could even up working around the clock. I would generally average 1-3 times a month staying the night on site.


As for housing, Midland/Odessa can be rough or expensive when it comes to housing. My advice would be to see about a reservation at Value Place off Loop 250 in Midland. This is an extended stay type place, about 350.00 a week.

Extended Stay Midland, TX, Value Place - extended stay hotels and apartments.
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Old 12-29-2011, 11:22 PM
 
39 posts, read 141,899 times
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Hi,

I used to be an assistant driller about 20 years ago and I am very mechanically inclined. What are the chances of rolling into the area and getting a job on a rig or with a service company within a few weeks? I'm 6'4" and in good shape.

Does wireline work and coiled tubing work pay as well as rig work?

Does anyone happen to know the names of the drilling companies in the area? I used to work on large triples drilling 18,000 ft holes.

Any feedback is appreciated.
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Old 12-30-2011, 12:19 AM
 
Location: Blah
4,153 posts, read 9,267,863 times
Reputation: 3092
Quote:
Originally Posted by RigPig View Post
Hi,

I used to be an assistant driller about 20 years ago and I am very mechanically inclined. What are the chances of rolling into the area and getting a job on a rig or with a service company within a few weeks? I'm 6'4" and in good shape.

Does wireline work and coiled tubing work pay as well as rig work?

Does anyone happen to know the names of the drilling companies in the area? I used to work on large triples drilling 18,000 ft holes.

Any feedback is appreciated.
I haven't done any drilling work but I would think your chances are high finding a job in West Texas with your experience. Since I haven't done any drilling I'm also not sure about pay scale differences. I will say I have know wireline guys to make a salery of 3,500.00 month. I also hear they make 50.00 a stage bounds but not sure if that's the whole crew or the Engineer. I don't know anything about Coil tubing pay. As for drilling companies, all I know is those mentioned on the show black gold
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Old 12-30-2011, 09:54 AM
 
12 posts, read 46,138 times
Reputation: 12
Quote:
Originally Posted by RigPig View Post
Hi,

I used to be an assistant driller about 20 years ago and I am very mechanically inclined. What are the chances of rolling into the area and getting a job on a rig or with a service company within a few weeks? I'm 6'4" and in good shape.

Does wireline work and coiled tubing work pay as well as rig work?

Does anyone happen to know the names of the drilling companies in the area? I used to work on large triples drilling 18,000 ft holes.

Any feedback is appreciated.

A friend works for haliburton, he just started a couple months ago. He makes 12.50 an hour to start but can make more when you learn more stuff. He does wireline, He worked 190 hours his first 2 weeks. He had to go though training and get a cdl while there.
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Old 12-30-2011, 02:21 PM
 
Location: Blah
4,153 posts, read 9,267,863 times
Reputation: 3092
Quote:
Originally Posted by Deek1966 View Post
A friend works for haliburton, he just started a couple months ago. He makes 12.50 an hour to start but can make more when you learn more stuff. He does wireline, He worked 190 hours his first 2 weeks. He had to go though training and get a cdl while there.
Does he get a Stage bonus and did he get a raise once he got his CDL? CDL drivers start out at 15.00 around Midland/Odessa is why I ask.
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Old 12-30-2011, 02:45 PM
 
12 posts, read 46,138 times
Reputation: 12
I dont know about the any bonus, He really doesnt drive much they just made them get it, I havent talked to him a whole bunch about it.
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Old 12-30-2011, 03:31 PM
 
39 posts, read 141,899 times
Reputation: 33
Thanks for the replies!

I'd love to find someone that works on a double or triple oil rig to find out how much work is around. I would want to work 12 hour shifts.

Any help is appreciated.

Enjoy the rest of the year!
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Old 12-30-2011, 03:34 PM
 
448 posts, read 919,234 times
Reputation: 354
Here's more info on the huge Eagle Ford Shale oil boom happening south of SA.

From mysa:
Eagle Ford construction is booming - San Antonio Express-News
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Old 12-30-2011, 08:58 PM
 
Location: Alabama
112 posts, read 316,519 times
Reputation: 32
Thanks for all the info SVTRay! and all the other who have chimed in, it is very encouraging since I will be driving about 1100 miles just to get there.

My plan is Midland/Odessa first and appreciate the list of companies to check out, but I do have one more question if anybody knows. If I go knocking on doors of these companies do they have field offices or HR trailers/buildings that I can go to or do you have to go their corporate offices? I have applied online to several of them but have not really talked to anyone yet. I plan on visiting the SOS Staffing office there but really want to hit these others in person.

Any info is again greatly appreciated! Y'all have been very helpful, thanks again!
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