I work in the WY/CO oilfields. I made supervisor and grossed 6 figures the year I turned 20. AMA

I am a hydraulic pressure testing operator. Can u get me a job? Lol. But seriously, i need a job.

I've never PMed on reddit but send me a message. I'll reply with my bosses email.

I do flowback by the way

Thanks man. Thats awesome.

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Testers are the bitchs of the oilfield. Nah jp but if you dont mind spending 1-3 months in camp and come out with the social skills of a deranged pirate by all means. But HEY $4000 every 2 weeks woop!

Haha. I try to avoid being one of those guys

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Big explosion hazards, environmental spills, toxic gasses and materials, heavy equipment, and driving while tired. There are very strict safety standards in place and I'm responsible to make sure my crew abides by ask the rules. Oh and H2S. Shit's nasty.

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It can get kinda hairy sometimes. And if you fuck up not only is your job a stake, but the oil company could cut ties with your company costing your coworkers their jobs

What's an entry level job and a ballpark salary?

$1,500 a week is pretty decent

Hats off to you field guys. I'm a prospect geologist in the office- no explosions or H2S to deal with here. Stay safe and try to not make fun of us corporate folk when we have to go in the field to check on well progress. :)

Are you a girl. We don't see girls very often.

My well needs checked on

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Deadly gas that will kill you and you won't even know it.

Hydrogen Sulfide

Thanks

A know a couple of guys in the Alberta patch that took a mild H2S hit. Fuckin brutal stuff, man.

I've been hot with 50ppm. Horrible shit

Would you recommend this job to people in their early 20s? How hard is it to get into your field of work?

Yes. It's hard work but the opportunity it can give you is fantastic. If you don't want a career from it save for a couple years then pay your way through school with no debt.

It can be easy to get in, but I see probably 80% of new guys not make it a year.

Seriously though. Where do you apply? Any company/industry websites in particular? I'm a quality assurance manager now in the railroad industry. I'd love to get into something new.

I work for a small Oil & Gas Company at a desk, sometimes the pay is better working manual labor in the field, but you work your ass off for it. Most field jobs you are making an hourly wage but working 80 hour weeks, with 40 of those hours being double time it adds up. Go to some of the larger companies websites who operate in North Dakota. The websites below have a lot of job openings. Downside is you'll have to buy a camper and live in ND.

http://www.whiting.com/careers/

http://www.contres.com/careers

http://www.halliburton.com/en-US/careers/default.page?node-id=hgbr8q6n

Thank you!

Why do most new guys leave?

Can't handle the hours or that people talk shit 24 fucking 7

I've been looking to get out of IT for 2 years now, but haven't found an entry level job taking applicants at a decent pay rate. I'd like to really look into this, as I was already also looking to move to CO anyways. I do not have hard labor experience, all IT background, but I hit the gym regularly and have a killer work ethic. Would I have a chance? Where do I look to apply?

The part of CO that the oil field jobs are in is not the part of CO that most people get excited about. Just be aware of that.

Greeley isn't that bad

You make 6 figures. What's the single most expensive thing you've bought that wasn't a house or a car...?

I dropped 8k on guns one day. I've spend 5k for a single nights party.

How do you get a job like that?

Apply. Seriously, go for an entry level position and work your way up There's people from all walks of life out here.

Could you used an experienced roofer? If the pay is good, I will drop everything and put my all into a job if it's catches my eye. No job is too dirty or tough for me after I've been stuck on a roof for most my life.

No need for that specific trade really, but it's s labor job, and at the lower levels labor is what gets you in. And the lower levels still pay a couple grand a week.

couple grand a week.

$2,000 * 52 weeks/year = $104,000 (before taxes).

That's not taking into account time off, vacation, sick days, or seasonal work, but shit -- that's damn good money no matter which way you look at it.

there isn't sick days or vacation in this line of work. it is the kind of work where you are single and don't have a life and make a shit load of money working your balls off.

That description fits me perfect!

Whats your average work day?

Average is a 12 hour shift with 2-3 hours paid drive time to get from the hotel to job site and back. Overtime after 40

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Yea also, which cafes, restaurants, bars (with women), cultural institutions, entertainment venues do you frequent after your 12h shift and 3h drive?

The fucking hotel. I like sleep

what does it take to make supervisor? Show up every day and keep your mouth shut?

Far from. I think the oilfield is one of the last true meritocracy. You can't sweet talk your way out of burning down millions in equipment or spilling hundreds of gallons of oil on the ground

In one of your posts down below you stated that you are living out of a hotel.

Where is home, and how often do you actually get to go back?

It's central Wyoming. Maybe every other month

The energy sector is the place to be. I went to school with guys who are your coal mining equivalent. Actually, all of the underground coal miners I know are paid pretty well. Unfortunately, most aren't smart with their money.

Is it common out there for young guys to show up, make more money than their parents may have made combined, and then just ruin their lives?

I've been stupid with my money I'll admit, but I'm not in debt (I just haven't saved as much as I should)

I've seen many guys lose everything because they buy a new truck, new house, new atv all on credit then they party every month in Vegas and fail a piss test then go completely broke after losing their job.

Did you start out as a roustabout?

Flowback hand. Now I'm still in flowback but make a lot more money

Thanks for the answer! Uncle keeps telling me to get into the oil industry. I don't pay attention to it much so I never knew CO was big into it. Sounds better there than in Williston.

Fuck North Dakota. It's more money and easier to get started up there. I'll take 20k less a year to stay out of that state

How big are the smoke stacks on your truck?

Hahaha. Single 5" tip out the rear

how often does someone die on the job site? Sounds like a pretty dangerous job

I wasn't on site but have been in the same area as a few deaths. Never a serious injury on my crew :D

You want to hire a brit? Got to be cultural these days! Ill do anything, Roustabout, roughneck, I dont mind haha.

What was the hardest shift you've had to do?

One that I was on my feet yelling at people for 50 some hours without a break because shit was all fucked up

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Haha. No. I want to buy stocks though.

The military headhunters are constantly saying that my experience as an aircraft electrician would make me instantly hire-able in the oil industry. I just don't see it. Any thoughts or perspective on this?

Mechanical knowhow is very helpful.

I worked in Williston, ND for a summer (not in the oil fields) and heard plenty of scary stories from people about having to work with people who were operating huge, dangerous machinery while drunk/high. Has anyone's behavior on the job ever scared you?

Also, what are your hours like? I know a lot of people have to work crazy long hours to do that stuff.

Fuck yes! If they're not on my crew I'll still do what I can to stop them, if they are on my crew they're fired and better hope they keep their mouths shut and go quietly. I don't want anything hurting anyone or fucking up the environment. I take that serious

That kind of salary is most typical of professionals like doctors, lawyers, CEOs... Manual labor jobs usually don't pay nearly this well, as laborers are usually cheap. Why does this job pay so well?

Is it; specialist knowledge, harsh environment, hazardous duty, difficulty of labor, or something else?

All of the above. And really, really long hours

Do you feel bad about killing the earth?

No but seriously has obama's resistance to the keystone pipeline caused any issues for you?

Honestly, yes. I'm in a good industry but I can see it's damage. As a land owner, I feel you shouldn't bitch about water quality if you agreed to sell your oil rights. I have thought seriously about going into renewable energy.

And right now the pipeline will only improve things, we're in a boom around here and I foresee it lasting several years. That said the pipeline won't touch any of the oil that produce.

People shouldn't bitch about things they signed up for, definitely. But that's not really addressing the issue. The issue is that petroleum extraction is bad for everything except people's checking accounts. It's bad for the air (after it's been used), the soil, the water, the wildlife, the ecosystems, etc etc etc. THAT'S the issue, not land owners bitching.

True. Simple solution? Stop using any petroleum based product. I do what I can to minimize harm. But I think that's just to make me feel better about myself

A few years? A friend in the industry confided to me that the Bakken actually extends almost all the way to the east coast.

A few might have been an understatement. I will likely make a career of this

My stepdad just finished school to be a Heavy Equipment Operator and my family is likely moving to the oil sands. But I can't wait till I can become a Heavy Duty Mechanic after I graduate highschool. Also a question for you is that do you work shift work? And if so how long?

I've been on 6 weeks now. I volunteered to work more so I could pay for the stuff I need for my truck (700hp here I come!) Normal rotation for me is 4 weeks on 2 weeks off. I know how to run some equipment, but I need to get certified.

What are some of the reasons guys quit the job?

Long hours, lazy, away from family, can't handle people talking shit

Have you only worked in WY/CO oil fields? Ever work in CA or know anyone who has? How does the job compare as far as risk & regulations. I use to work on a rig for Nabors before getting a job as a facility operator. Just curious as to how the job is different regionally.

I was in Montana once. It varies s lit from company to company. Chesapeake is strict as hell. RKI is super laid back

What's the connection between the oil industry, wells, and recent earthquakes?

It's been in the news in Colorado recently, but I didn't catch the details.

Honestly man, I don't know. A well might go 10,000 down vertically then 20,000 more horizontally. You're bound to hit fault lines somewhere I'd imagine

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Favorite part is by far the money. I do enjoy it most the time though.

I'm thinking about buying an rv. What's up?

How physical is the job? I'm at a desk all day and out of shape, how much hussle is there, and how much downtime during the shift? Do you get bussed out to the site, or have to drive everyday?

Varies a lot. Last three night I have literally sat in the pickup looking at a pressure gauge for 12 hours.

Drive

What's the inflation for cost of living around where you work? For instance. what's rent for a 1 bdrm?

It's not crazy yet. I wish I had money to invest in rental property because I think it's going to go up soon

I'm currently studying to be a geo scientist with interest in working for an oil company. What internships are good for my resume that an oil company would like? What is it like for the geoscientists working for your company?

A friend just went to be an engineer for Slumberjay, she loves it

Female here.. How are the clerical/office jobs for this industry?

Ex-BF's family is from Gillette, WY and always said there was work out there. I'm in Madrid now (dual citizenship) but would quickly move back to the US for good pay. Age 29 with clerical, insurance, accounting, underwriting, and executive assistant experience. Working for a civil explosives/nitrate/ammunition manufacturer, ATM.

Your job sound cooler! They're there, but I imagine it's a bit harder to get due to a much lower demand

What is flowback and can you explain the process?

I control the flow of the well once it's done being fracked and starts making hydrocarbons. I'm a babysitter for young wells so nothing blows up

Do you snort lines of H2S?

It gets me so mellow my heart almost stops

How old are you now, and how much money have you saved?

22. And, uh 10,000ish

Have you had to purchase any of your own tools or supplies you use for your daily job or has it all be provided to you?

What is your typical EDC (Every Day Carry) setup for your job?

Oh man. Right now the tools are supposed to be supplied bit they're lacking. Last company was the same way but I used my personal truck so I stocked up on what I needed. My box has a few thousand in tools in it.

Bare minimum is all my safety stuff, headlamp, crescent wrench, and Leatherman.

I'm currently I'm school for an environmental science degree with the goal of regulating environmental policies. What experiences have you had with the EPA?

Lots of classes telling me not to fuck up. And one dude who came out bitching about us flaring the excess natural gas. We were still withing the limit