[musashi]

Thanks scotian, I'm now flying to CNRL instead for the shutdown so it's a place I'm very familiar with. I just had a question about airport security, but I don't need to ask it anymore.

[scotian]

Just shove your meth and crack up your butt hole and you'll be fine bro, dogs can't smell it when its inside you.

[Onyx]

Man I miss the Oil Sands. Made some good money there in the heyday of 2012-2015, all gone of course, on travels to Colombia and Ukraine, and paying almost all of my student loans. Thanks Scotian and Atlantic for all the info you provided and the inspiration to go out there and get 'er done.

[Elster]

For a complete newb with no idea save this thread:
what would be a good place to start either in the US or Canadia?
I just thought that if the cash was good maybe I could take it for some time in order to come off with some decent savings

[scotian]

(08-26-2017 05:09 AM)El_Gostro Wrote:  

For a complete newb with no idea save this thread:
what would be a good place to start either in the US or Canadia?
I just thought that if the cash was good maybe I could take it for some time in order to come off with some decent savings

If you're willing to work in some God forsaken shit hole doing shitty work then you could make some decent money but your life would generally suck because you wouldn't have the paper work to get into a skilled trade, which is what I recommend to Canadian guys or immigrants who have their PR. If you're after quick cash then you could do some type of rig work or labour work, they don't require any special skills, its just tough, physical work in shitty places.

If you're thinking of immigrating to Canada, the best thing to do is get your permanent residency ASAP, I believe it can be obtained within two years now (thanks Trudeau). With the PR in hand, then get into a skilled trade by taking courses or starting working as a labourer at a job site where they'll eventually get you into an apprenticeship.

You're from Argentina, right? If you're under 35 then you can get a working holiday visa for a year easily enough.

Personally, if I had a year to live in Canada, I would be in British Columbia on the west coast smoking dope and surfing in Tofino in the summer and snow boarding in Whistler all winter, fuck working like a donkey in Fort McMurray, unless you really need the money.

[Cattle Rustler]

I think El Gostro has American citizenship since he wanted to join the US Military in one of his threads a while back.

There's plenty of work in the US. There were some 20 year old kids with no experience in my training class, so anyone with a pulse I guess. Downtime makes up for most of my shifts, or at least mine....so bring a portable phone charger. A couple of days this month consisted of working 4-6 hours out of the 16 hour shift. We played some video games or slept for the rest of the time. Reading your posts, you don't mind getting dirty so that's good.

The only perks I see in this are:
1 - Too busy working to spend money
2 - Consecutive days off
3 - Housing is provided, so you really don't have to worry about rent.
4 - Benefits (insurance) are great

Other than that, sometimes I wonder why the fuck am I doing this...then I look at my pay stubs, how much debt I've paid off, and stuff I have been able to fix. I just want to make enough off shitcoins so I can quit and go back to my cushy office job. Then make more $$$ off shitcoins and quit my office job. But if you don't have another way to make a good living, then this is probably your best shot. Work on some of your days off and you'll rack up OT cash. But seriously, take some days off.

Negative things:
1 - You'll be sleep deprived, work hours are from 330am-7pm (or pm/am) but you can catch up on some sleep @ downtime
2 - Stuck in Middle of Nowhere
3 - You'll be bored out of your mind, sometimes I get depressed out of nowhere as I have too much time to think. I'm sure I'm not the only one.
4 - You'll have no life for a good 14-21 days.

[joecolombia]

I`ve been following this thread for a while now, and kind of see the whole "working in a shit-hole for 20 days" as a great oportunity. What I would do if I could get a spot there would be cash out and take that money to start a biz in Colombia. An office job here pays pretty much the equivalent of a minimum wage in the US (even less), but creating a business with acquired skills is easy and freaking cheap.

Maybe wasting a couple of months in the middle of nowhere can be the best thing to do to start off.

[Elster]

(08-27-2017 05:53 PM)scotian Wrote:  

If you're willing to work in some God forsaken shit hole doing shitty work then you could make some decent money but your life would generally suck because you wouldn't have the paper work to get into a skilled trade, which is what I recommend to Canadian guys or immigrants who have their PR. If you're after quick cash then you could do some type of rig work or labour work, they don't require any special skills, its just tough, physical work in shitty places.

If you're thinking of immigrating to Canada, the best thing to do is get your permanent residency ASAP, I believe it can be obtained within two years now (thanks Trudeau). With the PR in hand, then get into a skilled trade by taking courses or starting working as a labourer at a job site where they'll eventually get you into an apprenticeship.

You're from Argentina, right? If you're under 35 then you can get a working holiday visa for a year easily enough.

As CR said, I also have an american passport

(08-27-2017 05:53 PM)scotian Wrote:  

Personally, if I had a year to live in Canada, I would be in British Columbia on the west coast smoking dope and surfing in Tofino in the summer and snow boarding in Whistler all winter, fuck working like a donkey in Fort McMurray, unless you really need the money.

Funny thing is I always wanted to learn to surf and snowboard!

(08-27-2017 07:54 PM)Cattle Rustler Wrote:  

I think El Gostro has American citizenship since he wanted to join the US Military in one of his threads a while back.

You've got good memory man!
(As for that thread: Yeah, bad moment in my life but eventually I crawled out of that hole and in relative sanity!Would have been fun I think,but I'd had missed the hell out of my dog and my bonnie lass)

(08-27-2017 07:54 PM)Cattle Rustler Wrote:  

There's plenty of work in the US. There were some 20 year old kids with no experience in my training class, so anyone with a pulse I guess. Downtime makes up for most of my shifts, or at least mine....so bring a portable phone charger. A couple of days this month consisted of working 4-6 hours out of the 16 hour shift. We played some video games or slept for the rest of the time. Reading your posts, you don't mind getting dirty so that's good.

The only perks I see in this are:
1 - Too busy working to spend money
2 - Consecutive days off
3 - Housing is provided, so you really don't have to worry about rent.
4 - Benefits (insurance) are great

Other than that, sometimes I wonder why the fuck am I doing this...then I look at my pay stubs, how much debt I've paid off, and stuff I have been able to fix. I just want to make enough off shitcoins so I can quit and go back to my cushy office job. Then make more $$$ off shitcoins and quit my office job. But if you don't have another way to make a good living, then this is probably your best shot. Work on some of your days off and you'll rack up OT cash. But seriously, take some days off.

Negative things:
1 - You'll be sleep deprived, work hours are from 330am-7pm (or pm/am) but you can catch up on some sleep @ downtime
2 - Stuck in Middle of Nowhere
3 - You'll be bored out of your mind, sometimes I get depressed out of nowhere as I have too much time to think. I'm sure I'm not the only one.
4 - You'll have no life for a good 14-21 days.

Sounds brutal but as Joecolombia said, if its temporary (or "on and off") then it could be something I could profit on.
As in setting up a starter pack or a booster for Family life mode which is something that does take a bit of dimension in my thoughts as of late...
I think I can put up with the god forsakeness if it isnt so long (after all I did chase after herd goats in a mountain for 3 months.

Of course at the moment I'm tending and attempting to improve my situation at a local level but a massive cash boost for some gloom and a lot of sweating sounds like an interesting deal for me right now...

[Oilrig]

I recently spent 2.5 years working for a big oil company in North Dakota. I was able to save $100k per year while I was there. And this was during the downtown. I just moved back to Texas with a fat stack of cash saved up. Oil is coming back very soon! God bless the oil industry!

[joecolombia]

I am no expert, but after harvey, property will most likely drop in some areas around houston. It might be a good time to think long term and root that cash in some land/houses, that can bring passive income. Eventually, that passive income can allow you to live well and avoid the hassle.

I recently met a guy that did this but instead of oil sands he had a very stressful law practice back in london. What he did is bust his ass off until he had enough cash to buy a property, then he bought two, etc, etc. Now he´s chilling at a very nice pad and travels around.

[scotian]

Joe next time I'm in your city we can hang out and I'll explain it to you in more detail.

[komatiite]

I keep hearing from service company guys in canada that they can't find guys to work on their crews. Either service rigs for abandonments and workovers, coil units or frack crews. Most people either can't pass a whiz quiz or they just want a more predictable lifestyle.

Anyone in conventional (not oil sands) service industries who can attest to this? Seems like the best bet right now...

[Cattle Rustler]

(08-28-2017 07:52 PM)Oilrig Wrote:  

I recently spent 2.5 years working for a big oil company in North Dakota. I was able to save $100k per year while I was there. And this was during the downtown. I just moved back to Texas with a fat stack of cash saved up. Oil is coming back very soon! God bless the oil industry!

Doing?

Fucking rent in NoDak is cheap as fuck, I checked it out but I'm sure I can't handle the winters. Pearsall and OKC have cheap rents as well.

@Joe: Please do not post about stuff you do not know about (Houston housing market). The flooding is already priced in to the housing market due to the house being in a floodplain and studied being conducted. Houses in Washington are cheaper because they do not have an actual drainage system and use ditches instead, unlike River Oaks which actually has a drainage system. Meyerland and Brazoria county are deep in the floodplain and people are told so when before they purchase their home. A lot of homes in that area flooded in the 2015 floods as well. Housing in Htown is cheap as it is due to the Oil and Fa(g)s Industry downturn. Sorry brahs, I'm just tired of every retard in town telling me they work in "Oil and Gas"...without saying what they do. That's like saying you work for Goldman Sachs when you're the Janitor there.

Previously I didn't understood why people wrote that, but now I do.

Gostro: I'll PM you some leads.

[scotian]

If anyone is in the Mac and wants to slam pints with me in Timberlea tonight, shoot me a pm.

[Jnx]

It's official. I've become one of those idiots who drops $3k in one night at the strip club or on bottle service in Meatpacking NYC. Blow 1-2 weeks worth of brutal shitty ass labor in the span of a few hours. Really starting to add up now. No self control when I'm drunk.

Only way out is to quit the industry and distance myself from these people or am I forever doomed?

[christpuncher]

Maybe just take your ID and $200 cash and leave the wallet at home? When you run out of money, tough shit. Either keep having free fun or go home.

Admitting your problems is the first step, but not if it's to only vocalise your woes and elicit sympathy.

Sometimes admitting you have a problem is worse than stewing in your own punishing, silent anguish, if doing so gives you tacit permission from yourself "I'm taking a step in the right direction so I deserve a reward" or from others "We all do stupid thing sometimes, don't beat yourself up", to keep doing it.

So ill say:

- "quit the industry and distance myself from these people" - That's no fucking excuse.
- You are forever worse off by throwing that money away.
- Everyone will always be trying to take you money, forever and ever. That's life.
-Nobody cares.

How's the work life otherwise? I was paired up golfing last week with a couple of guys who were bumming around between shutdowns for the summer. Didn't sound like they had much going on till the fall.

[komatiite]

(09-08-2017 11:46 AM)Jnx Wrote:  

It's official. I've become one of those idiots who drops $3k in one night at the strip club or on bottle service in Meatpacking NYC. Blow 1-2 weeks worth of brutal shitty ass labor in the span of a few hours. Really starting to add up now. No self control when I'm drunk.

Only way out is to quit the industry and distance myself from these people or am I forever doomed?

I just saw your NYC thread and you live there? Do you actually live in NYC and fly to the oil sands for shift work? Break down your situation man that is RVF oil sands first!

[Jamike_]

Hey, I just finished welding school in May but I've been looking for a job in my area (Louisiana) since February. So my question is how can I get a job in the oil patch and where do I apply.? Such as online or do I have to fly out to Alberta?

[scotian]

Unless you have the legal right to work in Canada then you're better off looking for work locally, there's no shortage of apprentice welders looking for entry level work in Alberta, it is very difficult for an American to work in Canada these days.

[Jamike_]

Thanks for the info

[Jack Of All Trades]

(08-27-2017 05:53 PM)scotian Wrote:  

If you're willing to work in some God forsaken shit hole doing shitty work then you could make some decent money but your life would generally suck because you wouldn't have the paper work to get into a skilled trade, which is what I recommend to Canadian guys or immigrants who have their PR. If you're after quick cash then you could do some type of rig work or labour work, they don't require any special skills, its just tough, physical work in shitty places.

If you're thinking of immigrating to Canada, the best thing to do is get your permanent residency ASAP, I believe it can be obtained within two years now (thanks Trudeau). With the PR in hand, then get into a skilled trade by taking courses or starting working as a labourer at a job site where they'll eventually get you into an apprenticeship.

You're from Argentina, right? If you're under 35 then you can get a working holiday visa for a year easily enough.

Personally, if I had a year to live in Canada, I would be in British Columbia on the west coast smoking dope and surfing in Tofino in the summer and snow boarding in Whistler all winter, fuck working like a donkey in Fort McMurray, unless you really need the money.

I am a donkey and have been abused like a rented mule, but I made 6 figures in 6 months even in this downturn. As for ft mac, after being caged there for so long you start appreciating it a little.

[flanders]

(08-28-2017 07:52 PM)Oilrig Wrote:  

I recently spent 2.5 years working for a big oil company in North Dakota. I was able to save $100k per year while I was there. And this was during the downtown. I just moved back to Texas with a fat stack of cash saved up. Oil is coming back very soon! God bless the oil industry!

Is the cost of living really high up there? How did you mitigate that?

I am in some pretty serious medical/student loan debt and am going to be fucked for several years if I can't figure out a way into this market. Are there postings online or do you literally just drive up there and start asking around?

The way it looks in this thread ... I'm not so sure an American would be able to work in the Alberta oil sands very easily, and taxes would probably be a huge problem.

(08-28-2017 09:13 AM)joecolombia Wrote:  

I`ve been following this thread for a while now, and kind of see the whole "working in a shit-hole for 20 days" as a great oportunity. What I would do if I could get a spot there would be cash out and take that money to start a biz in Colombia. An office job here pays pretty much the equivalent of a minimum wage in the US (even less), but creating a business with acquired skills is easy and freaking cheap.

Maybe wasting a couple of months in the middle of nowhere can be the best thing to do to start off.

If what these guys say is easy to replicate, you could work a few years and save 80-100k/yr until you have 300k, then invest that into some kind of vanguard that returns 4% interest.

That would grant you 1k/month (12k/yr), for life.

Since a good local wage in Thailand is like USD 300$/month, you could live extremely well for a long time there on those kind of dividend returns. That would give you many years to figure out how to make good money elsewhere (online business, service industry of some kind) should you want to.

[Oilrig]

No the cost of living is not that high up there. They basically over built certain cities like Minot and since the oil bust happened everyone has moved out of the state. You can find cheap rent in Minot for like $400-500 per month, they’re basically begging for renters in certain cities. Williston and Watford City (the other main oil towns) are not that much more expensive.

Other stuff like groceries and fresh produce might be a little more expensive but rent is cheap compared to other states.

[Oilrig]

Also, I will say this. I was able to make that money because I have a lot of experience working in oil and hasn’t and have a specialized skill set. Long gone are the days where anyone could move up there and find a job making $100k+ without any experience. It might be a few more years where that kind of boom happens again.

[redbeard]

Just realized I never shared here that I finally got laid off.

USA land is picking up, not "booming" but there is more activity. GOM isn't moving at all and the layoffs continue.

They wanted a bunch of us to move to land, of course being "a good employee" and "open to travel" they "offered" to move me to bumfuck Colorado. They wouldn't give me a pay raise so I said no way I'm moving.

Few weeks later they laid me off. My manager was heartbroken but I smiled the entire time. Now it's time to live location independent and do internet marketing full time.

I enjoyed my time in the industry but it's getting cucked just like every other field. I had multiple warnings for offensive language and un-PC comments, especially as we started to hire more women.

On top of that wages aren't going anywhere. There are literally hundreds of guys in "Driller's Club Now" who would take your job in an instant.

The real turning point for me was when I decided this wasn't what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. You see guys here, even Scotian, who bounce from job to job forever. Is that really sustainable? Is it satisfying?

Instead I chose to build something myself that'll continue forever, on my watch, no matter what fucking OPEC does.