Post: #4351

14 days working nights on an oil rig, done tomorrow.

Think i would gone mental working 28 days on nights.

Anyone got some good tips working night shifts for a while without becoming a zombie?

Post: #4352

(09-21-2016 03:08 AM)pants Wrote:  14 days working nights on an oil rig, done tomorrow.

Think i would gone mental working 28 days on nights.

Anyone got some good tips working night shifts for a while without becoming a zombie?

I wouldn't work on the rigs. I'm a first year in one of the metal trades.

Post: #4353

(09-21-2016 03:08 AM)pants Wrote:  14 days working nights on an oil rig, done tomorrow.

Think i would gone mental working 28 days on nights.

Anyone got some good tips working night shifts for a while without becoming a zombie?

Bright light therapy worked for me, check out the Lizard of Oz's thread on it. Besides that I've heard of guys fasting the day before a night shift to trick their body into thinking its day time and not night, also you may want to take vitamin D supplements.

The last job I was on was 14/14, its a good shift if you're working a lot (12s or more) but is difficult if you're working less like 6 tens or whatever.

Post: #4354

(09-21-2016 03:08 AM)pants Wrote:  14 days working nights on an oil rig, done tomorrow.

Think i would gone mental working 28 days on nights.

Anyone got some good tips working night shifts for a while without becoming a zombie?

I always used a Vitamin D supplement. It came in an oral spray and you squirt it into the corner of your mouth, not sure if it was a placebo but it certainly perked me up.
I still use it now (as winter is coming living in the UK in winter is like a 5 month night shift!) and recommended it to some friends who work in the Police often on night shifts, they responded positively to it also.

Post: #4355

Nice!

OPEC agrees to curb production, starting in November.

Looks like a cut of just below a million bopd.

Hopefully this bodes well for us all...

Post: #4356

(09-28-2016 02:21 PM)komatiite Wrote:  Nice!

OPEC agrees to curb production, starting in November.

Looks like a cut of just below a million bopd.

Hopefully this bodes well for us all...

Man I hope so! I have been out for over a year now......... I have almost forgotten what it was like to have a job!


Also, I hear Weatherford are actively looking for people in the US.

Post: #4357

Just a heads up, anyone flying with the major oil companies in Canada, they are going as far as checking pill containers for mismatched drugs, oral steroids etc. For the first time ever I was patted down, and they used a wand metal detector to scan my body as well as making me pull up each pant leg to see if I was hiding things in my socks

Post: #4358

(09-30-2016 11:33 AM)musashi Wrote:  Just a heads up, anyone flying with the major oil companies in Canada, they are going as far as checking pill containers for mismatched drugs, oral steroids etc. For the first time ever I was patted down, and they used a wand metal detector to scan my body as well as making me pull up each pant leg to see if I was hiding things in my socks

dang, are you at CNRL by any chance? I thought the dog sniffing bags before going in was bad...

Post: #4359

Hello Guys,

Is anyone seeing any movement on the job front in the USA/Canada? are things looking up yet??

Over here in the UK it's drier than a Nuns Chuff in the upstream world.

Although there are companies advertising SOME positions for downstream work like Concepts or upcoming FEED projects.

Jon

Post: #4360

(10-18-2016 10:55 AM)JonboyUK Wrote:  Hello Guys,

Is anyone seeing any movement on the job front in the USA/Canada? are things looking up yet??

Over here in the UK it's drier than a Nuns Chuff in the upstream world.

Although there are companies advertising SOME positions for downstream work like Concepts or upcoming FEED projects.

Jon

Things aren't too bad in Canada overall, obviously the glory days of $100/barrel oil are gone, for now but for ticketed guys in the trades, its ok. Literally every guy I know who has a trade that's involved in maintenance has been working and some of us did really well in 2016 with some of the big refinery shut downs they had. I started out very well this year with some work in neighbouring BC (pulp mill, refinery, clean energy) then came back to Edmonton and got on a good refinery shut down in Edmonton. The Fort Mac fires kinda fucked shit up for a couple of weeks but once we got the ok, I was up there working pretty steady. Unfortunately some personal shit came up and I had to leave my job, thankfully my company gave me a lay off so I've been on EI (employment Insurance) for the past six weeks back east. Drawing pogey is fun and all (East Coast Lifestyle!) but it does get boring so last week I decided to fire off a couple of resumes to see what would happen, next thing you know I had an interview yesterday for an offshore gig and these cunts want me to start Monday!

The thing about Canada is that although oil is in the shitter and the exploratory jobs have evaporated, we are still exporting lots of oil to the US (and LNG) so if you're involved in maintenance then you're working.

Post: #4361

(10-19-2016 03:49 AM)scotian Wrote:  

(10-18-2016 10:55 AM)JonboyUK Wrote:  Hello Guys,

Is anyone seeing any movement on the job front in the USA/Canada? are things looking up yet??

Over here in the UK it's drier than a Nuns Chuff in the upstream world.

Although there are companies advertising SOME positions for downstream work like Concepts or upcoming FEED projects.

Jon

Things aren't too bad in Canada overall, obviously the glory days of $100/barrel oil are gone, for now but for ticketed guys in the trades, its ok. Literally every guy I know who has a trade that's involved in maintenance has been working and some of us did really well in 2016 with some of the big refinery shut downs they had. I started out very well this year with some work in neighbouring BC (pulp mill, refinery, clean energy) then came back to Edmonton and got on a good refinery shut down in Edmonton. The Fort Mac fires kinda fucked shit up for a couple of weeks but once we got the ok, I was up there working pretty steady. Unfortunately some personal shit came up and I had to leave my job, thankfully my company gave me a lay off so I've been on EI (employment Insurance) for the past six weeks back east. Drawing pogey is fun and all (East Coast Lifestyle!) but it does get boring so last week I decided to fire off a couple of resumes to see what would happen, next thing you know I had an interview yesterday for an offshore gig and these cunts want me to start Monday!

The thing about Canada is that although oil is in the shitter and the exploratory jobs have evaporated, we are still exporting lots of oil to the US (and LNG) so if you're involved in maintenance then you're working.

Glad to hear you're doing well!

Not in maintenance myself, I am Geologist so it looks like I am going to have to sit round a while longer.

Post: #4362

http://magafeed.com/trump-campaign-manag...n-january/

Kellyanne is heading up to Fort Mac to check out the sands, this must be extremely triggering for Notley!

Post: #4363

^Fuck ya! The more bitumen they extract and upgrade in Alberta, the more work for us maintenance workers. Also, Castro's bastard son just announced the approval of some pipelines to BC, things are looking good fellas.

Post: #4364

What's up guys? It's been pretty quiet on here lately, I guess most of the guys fucked off from Alberta like I did haha. I just finished a three week hitch on an offshore rig on the east coast of Canada, overall it was decent but its really not my thing, I prefer working in Alberta for several reasons and am currently considering going back there in the spring. Here's a few observations about working offshore:

-Bunk mates: Everyone sleeps with a bunk mate and on this rig it was bunk beds, I had guys who snored pretty loud so I had to sleep with ear plugs.

-Food: It was pretty good on this rig, compared to the Alberta camps, I'd say it was about average.

-Internet: Sucked pretty bad and was only available in the lounge, even there you couldn't stream videos.

-Safety: It seems safer offshore than in the oil sands, there's only a limited amount of POB (People On Board), as opposed to an oil sands site with 2000+. Also, things move very slow offshore so there isn't a "get er done" attitude offshore, its slow and more meticulous. That being said, you're expected to do more offshore due to the limited POB, so I was doing work that in Alberta would ahve been done by a labourer or first year welder, which kind of sucked.

-Vibe: Its way more European offshore, there were several Brits (mostly Scots) on the rig, a couple continental Euro weenies and only a couple of Asians (non-TWF). Most of the rig was East Coasters though and the majority are older, like 50+, its not like out west where the average age is quite young. Also, they use a lot of Euro building codes unlike in Alberta where its all American (ASME), I even got chewed out for using imperial instead of metric haha.

Gym: There was an ok gym, nothing too fancy but it had everything I needed (squat rack, free weights, etc). It is quite small though, so I went at 5:30am and it was usually empty. Also, you can bring supplements to the rig and eat as much as you want, three times a day.

Money: Its pretty good, a bit less than what I made in Alberta but still pretty good especially factoring in the cheaper cost of living on the east coast.

Lifestyle: It could be good if you get on a 3/3 rotation, which I wasn't (one of the reasons I"m thinking of leaving) and you don't mind living on the east coast, I didn't have flights offered elsewhere but if I stuck around I could probably negotiate flights to Montreal.

So overall it was a decent experience and I would do it again however I do prefer working in Alberta in a refinery than an offshore rig. Being on the ocean was cool for about two days but then the feeling of isolation sets in, you can't just go for a walk for example, unless going up and down a few flights of stairs can be considered a walk haha. Also, there's absolutely no booze or drugs on the rig whatsoever, you're nightly entertainment will be watching TV in the lounge or your room or going on the slow internet.

Post: #4365

^^Good update!

Family and friends are all high tailing it to Fort Nelson at the moment, sounds like things are busy there. Hopefully the rigs start moving now and stay busy right through to spring.

Post: #4366

Someone please go there and troll some salty feminists:
http://globalnews.ca/news/3187585/edmont...ashington/

Post: #4367

Whats everyone up to? Havent been any jobs from my ironworking union. Hopefully shit picks up soon.

Post: #4368

(01-18-2017 06:39 PM)MistaaJack Wrote:  Whats everyone up to? Havent been any jobs from my ironworking union. Hopefully shit picks up soon.

Well its the middle of winter so typically slow anyway but I think that 2017 in Alberta is going to be rough although I do plan on going back there in early April. I'm considering putting my condo on the market or renting it out and heading to BC or Ontario for work, there's also a chance that I may end up in Quebec or offshore east coast again but I think I'd rather work in BC or the nuke plants.

Post: #4369

With Trump in office, hopefully we'll see more U.S. based production pick up. I'm sure he'll try to fast track any EPA hurdles that prevent further exploration. If he can get projects greenlighted, the energy sector is bound to heat up. That's especially true if he brings back enough jobs to the economy that people can spend more money on consumer goods and travel more frequently, thus increasing our energy consumption. Consumption has been low for a long time because cars are getting more efficient and the average joe hasn't had enough money to travel. He's barely scraping by in the Obama years. Only time will tell.

Post: #4370

Opening up US regulation will lower breakeven price/barrel *slightly* but will not overcome the worldwide over-supply and strong competition from the middle east. WTI won't break $70 until there is catastrophe in OPEC nations.

Edit: Obama wasn't terrible for drilling. Yes he could have been nicer on GOM after our incidents but he enjoyed the growth West Texas was bringing in.

Post: #4371

Depends if Trump takes a hardline with the Saudis or not for supporting terrorism. If he really pushes the issue, they could cut exports to us, which would make state-side drilling more economically feasible. We don't know yet just how aggressive Trump will be on foreign policy, but given how the many actually seems to enjoy a good fight, it wouldn't surprise me if he took on OPEC.

Post: #4372

I can't wait until Trump approves the Keystone pipeline, hopefully it will convince the Canadian government to get some pipelines to tide waters built.

I'm not overly familiar with the CETA EU/Canada trade pact but I do remember some Euro-weenie politicians bitching about how dirty Canada's oil is, does anyone know if the pact contains anything in it about our oil?

Post: #4373

http://www.financialpost.com/m/wp/news/e...nadian-oil

Quote:Canadian oil and gas producers happy to see the end of the Obama era are quickly coming to the realization that the imminent Trump presidency could be even more challenging if he moves forward with the adoption of a border adjustment tax.

While other Canadian sectors have been vocal in condemning the proposal, “no sector … will be more affected than petroleum,” according to Colorado-based energy expert Philip Verleger, who has been studying the recommended U.S. tax code changes since last summer.

Verleger, principal of consultancy PKVerleger LLC, believes Canadian exporters of oil and oil products are in for a nasty surprise.

“Bluntly speaking, for oil the law’s passage is pure mercantilism. Exporters from Mexico, Canada, and the rest of the world could be shut out,” Verleger writes this week in a report to clients. “As Woody Allen would say, ‘Sorry, suckers’.”

The border tax proposal is part of a tax reform spearheaded by Paul Ryan, speaker of the House of Representatives, and Kevin Brady, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

Under the proposal, businesses that rely on imported inputs would lose the ability to deduct their costs in computing their taxable income.

The reform would effectively increase the cost of imported goods by 25 per cent, push up the price of oil produced in the U.S. and of U.S. petroleum products, and depress the price of imported oil, Verleger said in a paper for The Brattle Group, a U.S. consultancy.

The reform would slam Canadian oil producers hard because they export more oil to the U.S. — three million barrels a day — than any other country. Canada imports about 300,000 barrels a day from the U.S. to supply refineries in Central and Eastern Canada.

Surging U.S. oil production from tight oil discoveries means Canadian oil is not as vital as it used to be to meet U.S. demand. This month, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in its 2017 energy outlook that the U.S., a net energy importer since 1953, is on a path to become a net energy exporter in the next decade.

The tax could could change oil flows between the two countries completely, Verleger said. U.S. producers would have the incentive to sell at home and no incentive to export.

The proposed changes and their impacts are just now beginning to dawn on the Canadian oil industry.

“It’s blindsided everybody,” Verleger said in an interview. “Canadian producers should be worried.”

Among the most impacted could be New Brunswick-based Irving Oil Ltd., which refines oil in Saint John and exports it to the U.S. East Coast, as well as Canadian oilsands companies with refineries in the U.S.

The tax would make Trump’s promised approval of the Keystone XL pipeline to link the Alberta oilsands with U.S. coast refineries less attractive, since the refineries would lose the incentive to buy imported Canadian oil.

AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta
AP Photo/Manuel Balce CenetaHouse Speaker Paul Ryan
Indeed, Verleger said KXL would make sense under the new tax regime only if it continues as a pipeline to export Canadian oil from the U.S. Gulf.

A senior Canadian oil executive said the prospect of the border tax means a new layer of uncertainty.

Already, Canadian oil and gas companies are struggling to stay competitive with U.S. producers due to new carbon taxes in Alberta, a cap on oilsands emissions and methane reduction regulations that Trump is unlikely to match.

Recognizing the major impacts, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump told the Wall Street Journal Friday that the border adjustment provision is “too complicated.”

Martin King, the director of institutional research at Calgary-based GMP FirstEnergy, said Tuesday the economic implications of such a tax are likely to dissuade Trump, as consumers would ultimately push back against rising consumer prices.

“It’s unclear how that’s going to shakeout, and the U.S. is still very dependent on Canadian crude oil imports, it’s still very dependent on natural gas imports from Canada,” King said. “That’s going to have to be clear to them, that it’s just going to make prices higher for everyone in the United States.”

There are other dangers for the U.S. in relying so heavily on domestic production. Tight oil reservoirs are prolific and costs are decreasing, but production history remains short and whether production will continue to grow is a big question mark. U.S. companies have invested heavily in Canada and its energy infrastructure to the U.S. The tax would boost U.S. energy costs and discourage the repatriation of manufacturing. Environmental opposition to fracking is fierce.

Even if the border tax goes ahead, the proposal re-enforces that Canada needs to double-down to separate itself from U.S. politics, and its first step is to build Kinder Morgan’s TransMountain expansion so it can export its oil to Asia.

If this BAT goes down then you could expect higher WTI prices so it would probably be negligible to Oil Sands producers IMO. Seems like Trump doesn't like it and I am sure Tillerson wouldn't agree due to the massive investments Esso has in Cold Lake etc. Although he would obviously be separated from the company he would recognize how this would fuck over American investments in the Oil sands and Montney. will be interesting to see

Post: #4374

Looks like last week showed highest week on week rig increases in the US since 2013

http://www.reuters.com/article/usa-rigs-...SL1N1F90W2

Perhaps anecdotal, but in the last two weeks, 3 of my laid off colleagues got calls from our old company wondering if they were interested to go out west on a contract basis for the winter. Granted these are guys with 10+ yrs experience used to high profile offshore work, and were being asked to do things (and take the pay that goes with it) that they'd normally send 22yos with 6 months experience to do, so they all turned it down. But at least the moves are in the right direction.

Post: #4375

(01-24-2017 08:59 PM)Seadog Wrote:  Looks like last week showed highest week on week rig increases in the US since 2013

http://www.reuters.com/article/usa-rigs-...SL1N1F90W2

Possible Trump Bump. Personally I've felt extremely inspired the past few months after our big victory in November. Hopefully some operator execs feel the same.