Working in the Canadian oil sands: 6 figures in 6 months! - Printable Version
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Working in the Canadian oil sands: 6 figures in 6 months! - Vacancier Permanent - 10-02-2012
Galaxy,
Or if you really want to get a degree, go into Petroleum Engineering and then come to Alberta and you will be golden. I wish somebody had told me when I was 18 about the oil fields, today I would have been a multi gazillionaire and totally retired at 31. But better late than never! Specially the younger guys in here, don't sleep on this, take action and get into a trade and come to Alberta. You will be glad you did.
Working in the Canadian oil sands: 6 figures in 6 months! - BadWolf - 10-03-2012
Quote: (10-02-2012 11:32 PM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:
Galaxy,
Or if you really want to get a degree, go into Petroleum Engineering and then come to Alberta and you will be golden. I wish somebody had told me when I was 18 about the oil fields, today I would have been a multi gazillionaire and totally retired at 31. But better late than never! Specially the younger guys in here, don't sleep on this, take action and get into a trade and come to Alberta. You will be glad you did.
I second that, I would have just gone out to be a cook or something... hell learn how to cook for 60k/year...
![[Image: smile.gif]](https://rooshvforum.network/images/smilies/smile.gif)
Anyway when you guys are all finished up after a year over there, you can come to China, get married to a girl who thinks that spending 1 dollar for a meal is wasting money and retire for the rest of your life. An older 5 bedroom house in the country-side will run you $5,000 Canadian, should be luxury compared to the oil field camps.
Working in the Canadian oil sands: 6 figures in 6 months! - BrownBear - 10-03-2012
I'd really like some advice from people who've been in this industry. I'm 19 years old and fluent in russian and english, citizen of Russia. If I apply to a university I'd major in petroleum engineering, but I'm not sure if I could tolerate classwork for 4 years. Would it be in my best interest to apply for an apprenticeship or should I get my degree? I would have to start out as a leasehand>floorhand>motorhand> then I can apply for an apprenticeship?
Working in the Canadian oil sands: 6 figures in 6 months! - Galaxy - 10-03-2012
Quote: (10-02-2012 11:06 PM)catalyst Wrote:
Quote: (10-02-2012 10:47 PM)Galaxy Wrote:
Im going to be turning 18 in 3 months, and I definitely want to do this. Im thinking of doing it for 6 months instead of my first semester of college, starting in July of next year. How possible would it be for getting a job as a pipe welder in fort Mcmurray? I could take the courses at my local community college after december.
What are you intending to study in college? If you are thinking of heading into the Social Sciences, I would like to stop you right there. As a final year student, I can tell you that there is very little money in the humanities field. Safe bets are still stuff like accounting, finance etc. If I could turn back the clock, I'd have gone to trade school.
Im thinking of doing Mechanical Engineering, im not too sure on what i want to do but I know I want to do something science related. Also Im going to do 2 years at community college then transfer to Uni, because my grades in high school were shit, and i tested into a scholarship that gets those 2 years for free. The reason why I want to do this welding gig is because i want to have some cash to support me while im in college so i can be totally independent and not need to worry about it. I just want to know if I can go into it as a welder and if so, would it be a smart choice.
Working in the Canadian oil sands: 6 figures in 6 months! - pitt - 10-03-2012
Quote: (10-02-2012 03:33 PM)Irishman Wrote:
Right gentlemen good news.
Got my drilling gig that I was after. Orientation starts tomorrow.
I am under no illusions- I will be starting at the bottom in harsh weather etc. but I am certain I will rise fast and be a directional driller quickly.
I also turned down a 100k plus a year job with another major oil player for the drilling gig. Just to show you how much opportunity is up here.
Big thanks to Scotian and Kick!!!
So basically I read this tread, copied and pasted all the solid info into one word document. I followed it exactly. Saved less then 5,000 CAD and moved over.
I arrived knowing no-one, had no car, phone, driving license etc.
In less than 3 weeks I have been offered about 6 low paying jobs and 2 circa 100k a year jobs. I just waited for the one I wanted- drilling with the goal of becoming a directional driller. The thought of 50k a month and then the whole next month of is perfect for my goals in life like travel, business and surfing.
So if you are down about life, unsure how to fund that life you always wanted or just want to save a bit and switch things up- MAKE THE MOVE.
On a side note my game has started going through the roof the last few days. The confidence of going here by myself and chasing my dreams makes it so much easier to game girls. I am confident, ambitious and congruent with what I am saying and girls can sense it.
Can't wait to get going and then follow my travel and business goals and hopefully give back some high value info to this board from what I learn.
Ill keep ye posted on training and the first few days on the job....
Peace
I knew everything was going to work out for you, your confidence was everything.
When you go abroad and you make shit happen, you feel like a god. Glad everything worked out, that was a true hustler move.
Working in the Canadian oil sands: 6 figures in 6 months! - alecks - 10-03-2012
Quote: (10-02-2012 03:33 PM)Irishman Wrote:
Right gentlemen good news.
Got my drilling gig that I was after. Orientation starts tomorrow.
I am under no illusions- I will be starting at the bottom in harsh weather etc. but I am certain I will rise fast and be a directional driller quickly.
I also turned down a 100k plus a year job with another major oil player for the drilling gig. Just to show you how much opportunity is up here.
Big thanks to Scotian and Kick!!!
So basically I read this tread, copied and pasted all the solid info into one word document. I followed it exactly. Saved less then 5,000 CAD and moved over.
I arrived knowing no-one, had no car, phone, driving license etc.
In less than 3 weeks I have been offered about 6 low paying jobs and 2 circa 100k a year jobs. I just waited for the one I wanted- drilling with the goal of becoming a directional driller. The thought of 50k a month and then the whole next month of is perfect for my goals in life like travel, business and surfing.
So if you are down about life, unsure how to fund that life you always wanted or just want to save a bit and switch things up- MAKE THE MOVE.
On a side note my game has started going through the roof the last few days. The confidence of going here by myself and chasing my dreams makes it so much easier to game girls. I am confident, ambitious and congruent with what I am saying and girls can sense it.
Can't wait to get going and then follow my travel and business goals and hopefully give back some high value info to this board from what I learn.
Ill keep ye posted on training and the first few days on the job....
Peace
wait irishman how did you get a drilling job if youve no experience in that trade?
Working in the Canadian oil sands: 6 figures in 6 months! - catalyst - 10-03-2012
Quote: (10-03-2012 05:44 AM)BrownBear Wrote:
I'd really like some advice from people who've been in this industry. I'm 19 years old and fluent in russian and english, citizen of Russia. If I apply to a university I'd major in petroleum engineering, but I'm not sure if I could tolerate classwork for 4 years. Would it be in my best interest to apply for an apprenticeship or should I get my degree? I would have to start out as a leasehand>floorhand>motorhand> then I can apply for an apprenticeship?
It's quite hard to get into the apprentice program if you are foreigner in my opinion. I'd say take one of the 2 year programs at one of the institution that Scotian mentioned in this thread. The certificate includes a lot of on-job training. You should be equivalent to a 3rd year Apprentice by the time you are done, and know some people in your field who might sponsor you for apprenticeship in Alberta. Once you graduate you can apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit even without any job offer. The work permit should be 2 to 3 years long.
Working in the Canadian oil sands: 6 figures in 6 months! - BrownBear - 10-03-2012
So, going to a university wouldn't be more beneficial in the long term?
Working in the Canadian oil sands: 6 figures in 6 months! - Jack Of All Trades - 10-03-2012
going to university would be ideal IF you could go to university here in canada or the US, if your in engineering at even a shitty school in canada you can get an offer of work in the oilsands. I go to a pretty good school here with a few friends in engineering, the oil companies here come and spend insane money trying to attract students, buying them dinners, drinks, etc. at expensive restaurants. They're telling me you can easily get guaranteed 2-3 offers from oil companies at 60k+, realize that they're engineering working 35-40 hrs a week in a office. After a few years in the biz you can easily re-negotiate yourself into management or just get paid a lot more.
Working in the Canadian oil sands: 6 figures in 6 months! - BrownBear - 10-03-2012
I've been accepted into Colorado School of Mines, Penn state and Fairbanks.
Working in the Canadian oil sands: 6 figures in 6 months! - scotian - 10-03-2012
Quote: (10-02-2012 10:47 PM)Galaxy Wrote:
Im going to be turning 18 in 3 months, and I definitely want to do this. Im thinking of doing it for 6 months instead of my first semester of college, starting in July of next year. How possible would it be for getting a job as a pipe welder in fort Mcmurray? I could take the courses at my local community college after december.
You're better off heading to North Dakota (check the threads on this forum), unless you have Canadian citizenship, it will be very hard for you to do this due to visa issues. You can look into it, but I'm fairly certain that unless you have skill such as a trade or a profession such as engineering, you won't be able to do it. I like your ambition though, too bad more Canadian guys your age aren't so eager to work up here.
I don't know why the Canadian government is so keen on keeping the Yanks out but will let young people from the EU and Commonwealth countries in, doesn't make much sense to me but that's the way it is.
Your best bet is to go to school and take a trade or a degree such as engineering (especially mechanical, petroleum or mining), get some work experience and then apply.
Don't worry, you're young and the oil sands will definitely be around in 4-6 years, enjoy college and bang lots of coeds.
Working in the Canadian oil sands: 6 figures in 6 months! - scotian - 10-03-2012
Congrats to Irishman for getting the drilling gig!
Guys its getting cold here in Hellberta and that means that the drilling companies will be going on a hiring spree soon, so if you want to bust your ass on a drilling rig, the next month or two would be a good time to get out here.
I actually met a guy on my job site today and he told me that he just quit working on the rigs after 5 years and decided to get into the trades, he was working on a directional drilling rig for Trinidad Drilling, of course, I asked him lots of questions so I could post the info here. This is what I got from him:
-Lease hands (newbies) who arrive on the rig are basically put through pure hell for their first rotation, whether its 2 or 3 weeks, this is to weed out the pussies. The first week or so you won't know what you're doing, but you're expected to catch on quick, YOU WILL BE YELLED AT, the language will be colourful and there will be no down time during your 12 hour shift. If there is down time, the driller will have you cleaning and scrubbing the drill deck, you'll be lucky to have 3-3 minutes to yourself to go piss or grab a quick snack. He explained that its somewhat like boot camp.
-During the first week you have to learn as much as you can and not get hurt, by the end of the 2nd week you should get the hang of things.
They work swing shifts, where you'll work 1 or 2 weeks of days then change to nights.
I asked if there's a lot of drug use and fights among the crews (which is how I imagine a drilling rig to be) and he said that's generally a myth, he didn't see too much of it.
He said its hard, dirty, cold and crazy but the money was pretty good at about $3-3500/week net to begin.
About directional drilling: he said that the directional drillers have the easiest job ever, all they do is sit in a heated room and monitor the computers, the only time they come out if to ensure that the drill pieces are fitted on properly. He also said that a guy could make it into that room in 2-3 years if he played his cards right and that there's a training school for MWD somewhere in Calgary, he didn't know too many details because he always worked on the rig doing the grunt work.
Of course I asked how much a directional drilling consultant makes and he said $2000/day, so Irishman you could be making some pretty serious coin in the future, with your dedication and education, you'll probably own an oil rig one day!
Working in the Canadian oil sands: 6 figures in 6 months! - Swanson - 10-03-2012
Lots of great info in this thread, I've been following it for months. Good to see a lot of the guys taking the plunge and moving out there. I'm going to be combing through the thread again in the next few days and pulling out a lot of the great information, and have a long hard thought towards my future. I have a trade right now (tailor) but tbh, I'm not loving it the way I should for the amount of hours I work and the prospects for the future. I figure I could move out West and make in a year what I'd make in five at my current rate.
Leaning towards getting into electrician. I have a relative with experience that I could bounce questions off, and as Scotian mentioned a few times, it's a non-oilsands specific trade along with plumbing, welding, pipefitting, and others that can be performed in any city if you get tired of the sands. Probably work the 4 years as apprentice, another 3-5 as JM (not necessarily up north) and then start my own contracting biz around 30ish. Going to be huge demand everywhere for skilled guys. Intersperse that with traveling the world, maybe find a nice Chinese girl like Badwolf and settle down.
Anyways, good luck to everyone out there, anyone considering, and a big thank you to Scotian for starting and maintaining the thread for all this time.
Cheers.
Working in the Canadian oil sands: 6 figures in 6 months! - Atlantic - 10-03-2012
Guys just in from a super busy day. Ill put up a full breakdown of how I got the job and why I choose drilling tomorrow evening cause Im getting a lot of PMs about it. Thanks for the encouragement everyone!
Working in the Canadian oil sands: 6 figures in 6 months! - pitt - 10-04-2012
Irishman can you please let us know if you are staying in a camp? Free accomodation and food? No need for a car where you at?
Im making my move there next year but im not sure if i will have the time to sort out my driving license and not sure if i will need a car there.
Working in the Canadian oil sands: 6 figures in 6 months! - rudebwoy - 10-04-2012
Quote: (10-04-2012 11:28 AM)pitt Wrote:
Irishman can you please let us know if you are staying in a camp? Free accomodation and food? No need for a car where you at?
Im making my move there next year but im not sure if i will have the time to sort out my driving license and not sure if i will need a car there.
I would not worry to much about a driver's license unless it is work related. To get a Canadian license is so easy, most people here drive automatic cars and you pretty much need a pulse to get it.
The British license is alot tougher in comparison.
Working in the Canadian oil sands: 6 figures in 6 months! - rudebwoy - 10-04-2012
Good link for people outside of Canada.
http://www.workpermit.com/news/2012-01-0...%20now.htm
Working in the Canadian oil sands: 6 figures in 6 months! - Sabra - 10-04-2012
Quote: (10-03-2012 10:15 PM)scotian Wrote:
Congrats to Irishman for getting the drilling gig!
Guys its getting cold here in Hellberta and that means that the drilling companies will be going on a hiring spree soon, so if you want to bust your ass on a drilling rig, the next month or two would be a good time to get out here.
I actually met a guy on my job site today and he told me that he just quit working on the rigs after 5 years and decided to get into the trades, he was working on a directional drilling rig for Trinidad Drilling, of course, I asked him lots of questions so I could post the info here. This is what I got from him:
-Lease hands (newbies) who arrive on the rig are basically put through pure hell for their first rotation, whether its 2 or 3 weeks, this is to weed out the pussies. The first week or so you won't know what you're doing, but you're expected to catch on quick, YOU WILL BE YELLED AT, the language will be colourful and there will be no down time during your 12 hour shift. If there is down time, the driller will have you cleaning and scrubbing the drill deck, you'll be lucky to have 3-3 minutes to yourself to go piss or grab a quick snack. He explained that its somewhat like boot camp.
-During the first week you have to learn as much as you can and not get hurt, by the end of the 2nd week you should get the hang of things.
They work swing shifts, where you'll work 1 or 2 weeks of days then change to nights.
I asked if there's a lot of drug use and fights among the crews (which is how I imagine a drilling rig to be) and he said that's generally a myth, he didn't see too much of it.
He said its hard, dirty, cold and crazy but the money was pretty good at about $3-3500/week net to begin.
About directional drilling: he said that the directional drillers have the easiest job ever, all they do is sit in a heated room and monitor the computers, the only time they come out if to ensure that the drill pieces are fitted on properly. He also said that a guy could make it into that room in 2-3 years if he played his cards right and that there's a training school for MWD somewhere in Calgary, he didn't know too many details because he always worked on the rig doing the grunt work.
Of course I asked how much a directional drilling consultant makes and he said $2000/day, so Irishman you could be making some pretty serious coin in the future, with your dedication and education, you'll probably own an oil rig one day!
More great info Scotian. Guys where I used to work would pull the same stuff on the newbies. They'd just have them carrying full pails of dirt from one point to another, digging holes with a shovel while the machine operator sleeps in the backhoe, etc. The older guys don't want a bunch of pussies working around them, they normally get weeded out fast.
They like to screw around with guys too. On gas jobs, they used to tell guys 'go get me a pail of steam from the truck', or 'go get a 3/4" fitting for the 2" pipe', that kind of good natured stuff.
You gotta show them that you can hang and make it through the first couple weeks.
Don't take shortcuts on your own safety either. Wear the PPE. I knew an electrician who was blinded in one eye when he caught a falling nail in the eye. Everyone you meet on the site will have a similar story. And make sure you practice good lifting technique. It should be obvious, but bend at the knees and lift with your legs, not your back. Those who aren't used to this kind of work will get worn out quick, and a loose disc in your spine isn't worth quick money.
Not trying to talk anyone down, Scotian's presenting a great career opportunity, just know what you're getting into.
Working in the Canadian oil sands: 6 figures in 6 months! - Nima - 10-04-2012
Quote: (10-04-2012 05:47 PM)Sabra Wrote:
Quote: (10-03-2012 10:15 PM)scotian Wrote:
Congrats to Irishman for getting the drilling gig!
Guys its getting cold here in Hellberta and that means that the drilling companies will be going on a hiring spree soon, so if you want to bust your ass on a drilling rig, the next month or two would be a good time to get out here.
I actually met a guy on my job site today and he told me that he just quit working on the rigs after 5 years and decided to get into the trades, he was working on a directional drilling rig for Trinidad Drilling, of course, I asked him lots of questions so I could post the info here. This is what I got from him:
-Lease hands (newbies) who arrive on the rig are basically put through pure hell for their first rotation, whether its 2 or 3 weeks, this is to weed out the pussies. The first week or so you won't know what you're doing, but you're expected to catch on quick, YOU WILL BE YELLED AT, the language will be colourful and there will be no down time during your 12 hour shift. If there is down time, the driller will have you cleaning and scrubbing the drill deck, you'll be lucky to have 3-3 minutes to yourself to go piss or grab a quick snack. He explained that its somewhat like boot camp.
-During the first week you have to learn as much as you can and not get hurt, by the end of the 2nd week you should get the hang of things.
They work swing shifts, where you'll work 1 or 2 weeks of days then change to nights.
I asked if there's a lot of drug use and fights among the crews (which is how I imagine a drilling rig to be) and he said that's generally a myth, he didn't see too much of it.
He said its hard, dirty, cold and crazy but the money was pretty good at about $3-3500/week net to begin.
About directional drilling: he said that the directional drillers have the easiest job ever, all they do is sit in a heated room and monitor the computers, the only time they come out if to ensure that the drill pieces are fitted on properly. He also said that a guy could make it into that room in 2-3 years if he played his cards right and that there's a training school for MWD somewhere in Calgary, he didn't know too many details because he always worked on the rig doing the grunt work.
Of course I asked how much a directional drilling consultant makes and he said $2000/day, so Irishman you could be making some pretty serious coin in the future, with your dedication and education, you'll probably own an oil rig one day!
More great info Scotian. Guys where I used to work would pull the same stuff on the newbies. They'd just have them carrying full pails of dirt from one point to another, digging holes with a shovel while the machine operator sleeps in the backhoe, etc. The older guys don't want a bunch of pussies working around them, they normally get weeded out fast.
They like to screw around with guys too. On gas jobs, they used to tell guys 'go get me a pail of steam from the truck', or 'go get a 3/4" fitting for the 2" pipe', that kind of good natured stuff.
You gotta show them that you can hang and make it through the first couple weeks.
Don't take shortcuts on your own safety either. Wear the PPE. I knew an electrician who was blinded in one eye when he caught a falling nail in the eye. Everyone you meet on the site will have a similar story. And make sure you practice good lifting technique. It should be obvious, but bend at the knees and lift with your legs, not your back. Those who aren't used to this kind of work will get worn out quick, and a loose disc in your spine isn't worth quick money.
Not trying to talk anyone down, Scotian's presenting a great career opportunity, just know what you're getting into.
I'm slightly below average height wise (5' 7") and not the biggest person in the world (average weight), would I be able to land a drilling job? Hard work doesn't really scare me, but I'm not sure if I'd be given a chance. Am I over thinking this or should I focus more on trades and forget about drilling?
Thanks everyone for all the info btw
Working in the Canadian oil sands: 6 figures in 6 months! - lavidaloca - 10-04-2012
I gotta say, I'm shocked at what they are paying trades men in Alberta. I knew it was pretty good. But 2k a day for a directional driller? That is ridiculous. I would've tried this post high school if I had known about it at the time. But, I wonder whether your health takes a lot of damage from working out there...(I have no idea, just speculating) or they are paying for danger pay? Power to all the rooshers who have made the move out there. scotian has given a lot of people the opportunity to better their lives.
Working in the Canadian oil sands: 6 figures in 6 months! - BadWolf - 10-04-2012
If they need cooks, I'll be there for sure. I used to love cooking but the pay was crap. If I could get down there and make 2,000 bucks a week for cooking, I'd be sold. See you guys in 8 months.
![[Image: biggrin.gif]](https://rooshvforum.network/images/smilies/biggrin.gif)
Working in the Canadian oil sands: 6 figures in 6 months! - Atlantic - 10-04-2012
Okay everyone I have got a lot of PMs the last few days asking about my back story and why Drilling. Ill try my best to give ye my story and why I picked it.
So before I left I have had a LOT of different jobs from teaching surfing, selling mobile deals over the phone to marketing a skydiving company. I also have a degree in Engineering Management with a (faked-I went back packing instead) 6 month work placement included.
When I came here I put together a resume that left everything not related to engineering and oil out. I changed the names of companies around slightly-fake example: changing Jimmys surf and boat school to Jimmy Marine Engineering Center. I had worked at a petrol station that contained the word Oil in the name, Bingo!. By the time it was finished it looked like I have been working in the Engineering and Oil industry since 18. I made sure all my references would cover my story IF they ever rang -which they never did!. I also put my positions worked down as Graduate Engineer and Operational Manager etc. All hyped up and exaggerated to the max. But I learn fast and am a good story teller so I knew I could back it up. I also put down any other info which might help. I had a small fruit and veg delivery company in uni and helped run the windsurfing club (both true) so they went in.
Paint a colorful picture about how great you are. Believe in your own product- you.
My WHMIS, HS2 Alive course, First Aid and the PST/CST went in right at the top of my resume.
I put down that I have a class 5 license too- not really true cause it takes a few weeks for it to switch over for me but whatever.
I stayed in the hostel for 5 days then found a house to stay in. I cycled around and got all my courses within a week. I was friendly to everyone and made as much contacts as possible. This is Gold as you don't know who knows who and I got a lot of things sorted from random people I met. For example I got my landscape gig which I am still doing at the moment by having pints at an Irish bar. Got talking to a cool guy at the bar, he bought me a pint and gave me a number. I rang it after he left and started work the next morning. 19 dollars and hour and I get picked up/dropped off at my house everyday. Plus they are great fun to work for- I get a tonne of Irish jokes everyday haha.
So I was contacted about the drilling job by phone. It was from an email I sent out through kijijio. No interview just told to come in to do Orientation. I borrowed a car from a girl I am banging and drove out to the Nisku office. I showed up 40 minutes early, talked to as many people in the office as possible before Orientation began. Dressed presentable but also not overkill (no suit). Basically fit in and be social. Make it an easy choice as possible to hire you.
Watched all the videos, signed the forms etc, Was told I would have to do a drug test and then I will be sent up as soon as possible. Cause I don't have my driving license right now I was told I go would go straight to floorhand instead of leasehand haha. Already one up the lander without fetching coffees and cleaning the ground (not that I would have had any problems if I had to do that)! They pay for all my winter gear, I live in a camp and its two weeks on/ one off. Fly in and out. So basically no problem without a car! sweet...
I did a rough calculation of the wages and its over 5k for every two weeks. Delighted, that's more money then I saved to come here over months of working back home. Take the risk and reap the rewards.
I am still working at the landscape place and just waiting for the call, 1- 3 weeks roughly.
Future plans: (Thanks Scotian for the above post with the living conditions etc.)
Basically I don't think i could be much more motivated to work on a rig then I am right now. Its a plan a year in the making that has required some big sacrifices on my behalf and a lot of faith too. Feels great getting this far already and I haven't even began.
Once on the rig I am going to keep my plans about being a driller to myself. I will work hard and smart, be social and friendly. I will accept the fact I am low on the totem pole but not be a pushover. I know how to handle myself and not end up as the guy who gets pushed around. I am actually looking forward to the challenge of it all. Mad physical work and conditions. If it doesn't break me I expect to improve my mental and physical capacities greatly. Whats scary about approaching a girl when you have been out in -50 arctic conditions for 12 hour shift over two weeks? haha.
So work hard and move up the ladder as quickly as possible but realize that good things take time and not try and rush it. I want to earn this not trick my up. Besides its good money from day 1 and easy on my mind not looking to skip ahead of paying my dues.
I also got some PMs asking me why I picked this. One I hate working in an office and all the politics and deadlines that come with it. I really like the work hard play hard element of drilling. It has a lot of side benefits like time to get in crazy good shape, toughing me up to be a bad ass driller and blocks of time off with lots of cash to spend. Plus good money from day 1 and it only gets better (2 grand a day!? haha)
I am kinda tired from working all day so hopefully all this makes sense and I haven't rambled too much.
I am happy to help people coming out here as much as possible but it will be a little while before I am fully settled in and financial okay. Anything in the meantime though and just send me a PM.
Anyone still on the fence about making the move- I will finish with saying that right now I constantly feel great. I am really happy inside with manning up and moving out here. I find myself smiling at work and in general a lot for no reason,I am really getting along with everyone and just feel great. I can already feeling myself changing and growing a lot by just chasing my dreams and leaving everything that was slowing me down behind. Don't be afraid of doing it by yourself. I really believe that the next few years are going to change my whole life and bring me to a whole new level of game, lifestyle, health and wealth and happiness.
Again thanks to Scotian and the people who make this board possible.
Haha hopefully this doesn't sound too corny I am just tripping on life right now haha.
Working in the Canadian oil sands: 6 figures in 6 months! - DjembaDjemba - 10-04-2012
Just finished my second rotation.
Body is aching everywhere. Money is great though and wouldn't trade this for anything. In town for 7 days and then another rotation begins.
Working in the Canadian oil sands: 6 figures in 6 months! - scotian - 10-04-2012
Great post Irishman, so you'll be in Etown next weekend? If so, I'll be there then, we'll have to meet up for some drinks, hopefully Kick and VP will be around too.
Its a good thing that you have some time before you head to camp because I want to let you know about a few things that you should bring:
clothes: Dress warm! You wrote that your company will provide your gear, this will likely be your blue, fire retardant coveralls (Nomex), hopefully a few pairs because you'll be filthy dirty after every shift. Its probably up to you to buy the clothing that you'll need to wear underneath, and as any Canadian will tell you, dress in layers. When its -20 to -40, I wear a Helly Hansen base layer one piece suit and over that a thick cotton sweater and cotton sweat pants. The HH gear is expensive, a cotton one piece soon is good too but not very wind resistant.
All of the outerwear that you wear has to be FR (fire retardant) rated, I have a Nomex thick winter coat and a pair of Nomex bib-style overalls, they each cost about $300, I also have a HH hoody, again its expensive but all this gear will last many years.
Buy good gloves, ask your boss what kind, whether you need leather or not, get ones that are rated for extreme cold. If you need leather, make sure you get cotton liners for inside. Make sure the gloves are flexible so you can move your hands well inside them while you're working.
Heat packs, these are little bag full of some kind of pebbles that when you squeeze and shake it, they turn hot and stay warm for a couple of hours. They're cheap, only a dollar or so, i'd buy 12-20 for a two week rotation to throw in your boots or in you hands when it gets really cold.
Boots, again ask your boss, they may provide them. I have three pairs, all steel toed and steel shank and most importanly CSA ( Canadian Standards Association) approved, yes the government even regulates work boots in Canada, look for the little green triangle. one pair is for warm, non muddy weather (Daktoa tarantulas), the other pair is my rubber boots for the mud (Purofort brand) they are up to my knees and the other are my cold weather winter boots, good for up to -60 (Dakota thermo boots), all three boots cost me about $600.
Good idea to get slip on foot warmers too, also get a few pair of thick wool socks to go along with your cotton tube socks.
You can buy all that stuff at any local Mark's Work Warehouse in Edmonton, you can find coupons online for Mark's that will give you a discount, just google "mark's work warehouse coupon" my friend hooked me up with one that was 20% off. Also, ask your company if they have a discount at Mark's, many oil companies do, if they don't just tell them that you work at suncor and forgot your badge ID at home, worked for me before and you seem to be a capable bullshitter like myself.
After work, youll be in a camp with a bunch of dirty rednecks so no need to bring th eclothes youd wear out clubbing, I dress comfy and casual after work, 3 pairs of sweat pants, 1 pair of jeans 5 tee shirts, 2 hoodies and one warm coat, 1 pair of sneakers, 1 toque. Bring lots of underwear and socks, too many is better than too few, you dont want to be rocking the same undies or socks for more than a day when youre sweating your bag off 12 hours at work. You may want to buy a pair of indoor only footwear, either cheap sneakers or sandals that you only wear indoors, some camps are strict about no outdoor footwear inside
Personal items: obviously bring all of the necessary toiletries to last your rotation, ask your boss if the camp provides towels and face cloths (some dont), also ask if they provide laundry detergent, I usually bring a jug with me. BUY SANDALS for the shower, most important thing, you will likely be sharing showers with other rig pigs and you dont want to pick up athletes foot. Speaking of hygiene, its a good idea to bring disinfectant spray and some disinfectant wipes, you never know if the camp attendant really cleaned your room that well so as soon as you get there, wipe everything down, spray everything, I take a bottle of febreeze and spray the shit out of my room, you never know, the last guy in it could have been jacking off every night and spunking everywhere. Every time I go into a communal washroom to shit, shower and shave I spray and wipe down everything, Im a bit paranoid after picking up scabies a couple of years ago in camp, ya I know, gross!
Internet: Most camps have it some dont, ask your boss. If they have it, buy an ethernet cable, some camps dont have wi-fi. If the camp doesnt have internet and you want it, go to Telus or Bell (they have the best service, unlike Rogers) and buy an internet stick and a plan with enough gigs to get you through, some guys tether through their smart phones for internet access.
Some camps have a small commissary where you can buy little things you may have forgotten but dont plan on it. Bring any supplements or vitamins you need, bring some tylenol and aspirin, I usually bring flu and cold medication (Cold FX is good), vitamin C, echinacea, etc.
Dont bring any illegal drugs to camp, most places have sniffer dogs, dont bring alcohol either if its a dry camp, theyll either take it or ban you from camp.
Bring some books and movies on your computer, most camps have a TV but channel selection isnt always the greatest. You should be dead tired after busting your ass 12 hours a day on the rig anyway so you wont have a lot of time in the evening anyway, youll probably work 0700-1900 then get back and eat, wind down for a bit and be in bed by 2100-2200 . Your company will provide earplugs, I suggest you take a few pairs back to camp with you, I always sleep with them because you dont want to be woken up at 2am by the rowdy neighbor up smoking crack and banging hookers in the room beside you! Oh ya, waking up, make sure you do this and be on time, good idea to have an extra alarm clock, I set two, one on my phone and one alarm clock at the end of my room that I physically have to get out of bed to turn off because trust me some mornings its rough getting up!
I think this list pretty much covers it for what you should bring to camp.
Working in the Canadian oil sands: 6 figures in 6 months! - scotian - 10-04-2012
Quote: (10-04-2012 09:21 PM)DjembaDjemba Wrote:
Just finished my second rotation.
Body is aching everywhere. Money is great though and wouldn't trade this for anything. In town for 7 days and then another rotation begins.
Good to hear back from you, so everything worked out after the last rotation? If you dont mind tell us some of the details about how your job is so far, the conditions, your coworkers, bosses, camp, etc.
I have some good stories to tell, especially the past two weeks when I worked with the biggest moron Ive ever had the misfortune to work with in my entire life, hes since been fired!
Oh yeah, guys, if you have to buy your own hard hat, DONT BUY WHITE OR GREEN, I usually go for grey,black or blue, trust me!