Do you guys remember on the first page of this thread when I said that you would likely be working with ex-cons, crack heads and other assorted riff raff? Well apparently that nut case who stormed the parliament buildings in Ottawa last week and shot the place up used to work in the patch, this doesn´t really surprise me to be honest, from the article:

Employers in the oil patch are so hungry for workers that being picky about employee criminal records is not a luxury some companies can afford, say industry experts. That may help explain why Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, a confessed crack addict with a criminal record managed to find lucrative enough work in Alberta´s oil patch to build up a ¨considerable amount of funds¨ before travelling to Ottawa to shoot a solider before launching his attack on Canada´s parliament.

http://business.financialpost.com/2014/1...=20e3-a040

A few buddies of mine back home have recently asked me if the opportunities are still presenting themselves in the patch. The answer is yes, absolutely. However I told them there is one main difference between getting a job now vs. 2/3 years ago when I moved.

The old requirement to making it in the oil sands:
1. If you have a pulse, you can make it in the oil sands.

The new requirements to making it in the oil sands, which some guys have touched on:
1. You need a pulse.
2. You need a brain.

The requirements ain't steep, but the trend is changing. These barriers to entry will only get steeper with time. Who knows, they might actually start checking references, criminal records, degrees or high school completion next.

Pull the trigger and make the move sooner rather than later.

(10-29-2014 01:33 PM)scotian Wrote:  Do you guys remember on the first page of this thread when I said that you would likely be working with ex-cons, crack heads and other assorted riff raff? Well apparently that nut case who stormed the parliament buildings in Ottawa last week and shot the place up used to work in the patch, this doesn´t really surprise me to be honest, from the article:

Employers in the oil patch are so hungry for workers that being picky about employee criminal records is not a luxury some companies can afford, say industry experts. That may help explain why Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, a confessed crack addict with a criminal record managed to find lucrative enough work in Alberta´s oil patch to build up a ¨considerable amount of funds¨ before travelling to Ottawa to shoot a solider before launching his attack on Canada´s parliament.

http://business.financialpost.com/2014/1...=20e3-a040

Yeah, I briefly met the push of the rig he was working on. All the crew who worked with him got an "appointment" with the Canadian Security Service the next day.

Conspiracy?

Interested in the welding trade here. There are real dangers involved with it like fumes but I don't think it should be too bad if a respirator is worn at all times, no? In shops this is actually mandatory. Do welders who work up north on site wear them as well?

(10-30-2014 09:11 PM)Ricky Rose Wrote:  Interested in the welding trade here. There are real dangers involved with it like fumes but I don't think it should be too bad if a respirator is worn at all times, no? In shops this is actually mandatory. Do welders who work up north on site wear them as well?

The real danger is getting a oil sands admin chick pregnant after a night out at your buddys. Beer, sluts, and no domes around. Actually, I'm serious. Don't jizz in chicks out here.

As for welding safety. Wear a respirator in the shops and field, lots of welders do it.

Lol, that's some funny ass advice. I've heard that about a lot of the local women up north. Just wanna get their talons in the oil boys so they can start getting cheques. DjembaDjemba you're not speaking from experience are you? Lol.

I'll be heading into Etown tomorrow morning to settle in. First night there will be Halloween night, it's gonna be interesting.

Anyone else worried about the price of Oil plummeting at the moment?

Not right now because most of the projects for the winter are finalized and should happen regardless of the price. I would be a little worried if this trend continues into spring break up. It could mean less jobs for the following year.

A lot of drilling companies are slow right now because of their annual drilling budgets. Most run out this time of year and dont switch over till November. A lot of the slow down atm is because companies over spent earlier in the year.

Most companies have to drill to renew their asset base and they will pick up activity once winter hits properly.
It takes more than a few weeks of low gas prices to seriously slow down the industry.

I hope your right man,been checking riglocator for active rigs and its dropped recently to 52%,surely it should be going up this time of year,it's predicted that the price will hit below 80 a barrel for the first quarter of 2015,pretty disheartening

I'd be worried about the price of oil if my job depended on it, since I'm a skilled tradesman who can work in a variety of industries (nuclear, aviation, transport, civil, ship yards, commercial, etc), I don't sweat it.

Anybody have any good winter boot recommendations? My new job will have me outside more than the previous one so I am looking for some good ones. I like the Dunlops:
http://www.marks.com/shop/en/marks-marks...oot--30426 But I worry about the bulky size of the boot. I also found some similar ones but Baffins, they are steel toe and not composite. Even though they are rated to -40 I`m afraid the frozen steel will still make my feet cold as opposed to composite toe. What do you guys think?

Yeah and it's going down now. The beta Sands workers will play second fiddle to the wicked haad core alphas that 1.have oil money. Or. Come to terms that your days are numbered and make way for real oil guys to soak up all your cash and ass.

Edit that is not what I wanted to say. I was just saying that the guys in Canada have it easy and also work with capellini sized bicepts up there.

(10-30-2014 09:39 PM)DjembaDjemba Wrote:  

(10-30-2014 09:11 PM)Ricky Rose Wrote:  Interested in the welding trade here. There are real dangers involved with it like fumes but I don't think it should be too bad if a respirator is worn at all times, no? In shops this is actually mandatory. Do welders who work up north on site wear them as well?

The real danger is getting a oil sands admin chick pregnant after a night out at your buddys. Beer, sluts, and no domes around. Actually, I'm serious. Don't jizz in chicks out here.

As for welding safety. Wear a respirator in the shops and field, lots of welders do it.

Most welders don't really care about their health. I saw a guy welding today, no respirator just sucking in fumes and in his other hand he had a cigarette he was smoking while he was welding.

Even though it's illegal if the owner is redneck enough you'll still be able to smoke in some welding shops.

(10-31-2014 09:38 PM)Tresdus Wrote:  

(10-30-2014 09:39 PM)DjembaDjemba Wrote:  

(10-30-2014 09:11 PM)Ricky Rose Wrote:  Interested in the welding trade here. There are real dangers involved with it like fumes but I don't think it should be too bad if a respirator is worn at all times, no? In shops this is actually mandatory. Do welders who work up north on site wear them as well?

The real danger is getting a oil sands admin chick pregnant after a night out at your buddys. Beer, sluts, and no domes around. Actually, I'm serious. Don't jizz in chicks out here.

As for welding safety. Wear a respirator in the shops and field, lots of welders do it.

Most welders don't really care about their health. I saw a guy welding today, no respirator just sucking in fumes and in his other hand he had a cigarette he was smoking while he was welding.

Even though it's illegal if the owner is redneck enough you'll still be able to smoke in some welding shops.

Guys welding is like any other trade, there's equipment available to ensure the complete safety of the user, but like any other safety measure available, it is only as useful as the person using it. Will you see red neck idiots who don't give a shit about their health not using any protection? Of course, just as you'll see guys taking risks in any other line of work, just wait until you see welders in 3rd world countries welding without any eye protection, smoking cigs and wearing flip-flops!

This is what the confined space welders use in the oil sands, 3M technology, fully filtrated welding masks:




Its 2014 guys, come on, don't let a bit of weld fume scare you off!

I think a lot of you guys are having trouble cause you're lazy and too damn picky. I know cause I pulled the same shit three years ago. I was convinced that the rigs were the way to go--I was just wanting to chase that quick, easy money. I came out to Alberta in October of 2011 with my heart set on the rigs, didn't even want to consider anything else. And what happened? "We're not hiring green hands right now", "The ground isn't frozen yet", "Here's my card, call us once a week"--blah, blah, blah, blah.

One company actually put me through their orientation and everything but didn't call until January of 2012. By then, I was having second thoughts and didn't even bother answering back. Then, I stumbled upon this thread some time in 2013. I thought wow, there's more to Alberta oil and gas than the rigs. I had a plan: get a trade, but until that happens take whatever opportunity you can get.

So last year this time, I headed to Edmonton, stayed at the hostel, and visited the pipefitter/instrumentation union hall. I was interested in the instrumentation trade and still am and will probably be looking to get into a program next fall. With no experience in the trade I was basically blown off. So I decided to head down to Red Deer and hit up Studon, Techmation, and a few other instrumentation/electrical outfits. The recruiter at Studon said, "Our projects are winding down, but once things pick up again I could get you into docking control". It sounded promising but it wasn't a firm offer. A manager at Techmation wanted me to come back in a few days to discuss matters which sounded promising as well but no offer. So I said the hell with it, I'm hitting up the well testing companies. I made a few phone calls and got the address of one testing company and drove to their location to get a resume in the hands of a hiring manager. The manager said they weren't hiring at the moment but wouldn't you know there was another testing company right across the street--I figured what the hell, I'll drop a resume off there too.

By lunchtime I got a phone call from the company across the street with an offer. No interview, just when can you start? As Buko and many others know, I hated the job overall but to this day there's certain aspects of the job that I enjoyed. Eventually, things slowed down and I ended up getting on a few weeks later with the testing company I sought out to begin with. But I made the mistake of choosing the wrong base to work out of, which ended up getting shut down in April.

Eventually I scored some temp work as a swamper in rural and I mean rural Alberta--a side of the province I'd never seen, the muskeg lol. Again, hired over the phone no interview just how soon can you get here lol. Once things slowed down, I was on the lookout again for work and stumbled upon a frac support services gig, which just didn't work out at all. It was an alright job and all but for me just not the right fit for my skill set and psyche. And their "training" program was simply pathetic.

While I was actually still on this job, I was putting resumes out like crazy and getting offers for work as a trades helper in a variety of different trades, which led me to believe it was time to say goodbye to the bullshit frac support gig. Instead of rushing to the next big thing, I decided to take my time and just see what kinds of offers come in. Let me tell you guys something, there is a shit load of work in Alberta. My phone is littered with 403, 780, and 587 area code numbers over the past month and a half lol.

But a lot of you guys just seem hell bent on going the rigs route on your way to MWD riches. I know cause I was looking at doing the same thing back in 2011--sorry boys but that's a niche job that brings about a lot of competition. And at the end of the day where's it going lead to? I think you guys need to keep an open mind when coming out here to work. I want this trade or oil and gas gig, but I'm willing to do this, that, or the other to sustain myself until the ultimate goal can be reached.

From framing, to tiling, to well testing, there's so many companies short handed it's insane. Ensign Opsco well testing is looking for guys out of Grande Prairie and Red Deer--Red Deer is only an hour or so away from Edmonton! If you really want to work get your asses down there lol. Does packing and hammering pipe suck in -30? Hell yes, but who says you have to do it forever? Who knows, it might lead to a pipe fitter helper job--I got called a few weeks ago to this very position but ended up as a trades helper elsewhere.

I don't post on here that often but I try to stay updated on a daily basis. It's inspiring reading about the successes many of you guys have had. This thread inspired me to get off my ass and try again. I can't thank Scotian enough for that. And for the record, I'm no guru making six figures, but I'm making more money than I ever did working in some tacky office in Saskatchewan or my home state in the US. And I've only had a few hours of sleep the last few days and have had a few beers so some of my ramblings may lack coherence but I don't give a damn. I think this shit needs to be said, especially to you single guys.

If you're lurking and thinking of making the plunge from Ontario, BC, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, NWT, Manitoba, SK, or around the world, work out a plan and put it to work! Accept the fact that you may not get that coveted camp job or that drilling rig gig, or that welders helper job--take what you can get, always taking steps to get where you want to be. Stress on your resume that you don't mind doing shift work, display your safety tickets, if you have a license mention it--it goes a long way out here. And don't be afraid of posting some positive quotes that co-workers/supervisors have said about you. One of my testing supervisors was a cunt but at the end of day he wanted me to come back and work with him all winter. I put that quote on my resume. Don't be afraid to toot your own horn. I hope this helps someone.

(10-31-2014 09:22 PM)Kdog Wrote:  Anybody have any good winter boot recommendations? My new job will have me outside more than the previous one so I am looking for some good ones. I like the Dunlops:
http://www.marks.com/shop/en/marks-marks...oot--30426 But I worry about the bulky size of the boot. I also found some similar ones but Baffins, they are steel toe and not composite. Even though they are rated to -40 I`m afraid the frozen steel will still make my feet cold as opposed to composite toe. What do you guys think?

If you just want warm feet and aren't going to be hiking around, get a good pair of pac boots (most people here buy Baffins as far as I know) with an extra set of liners and switch out the liners every day to let them dry out. Make sure your boots aren't too tight and wear good socks (I like Darn Tough, awesome socks) that wick moisture so your feet aren't soaked. Yeah, composite toe is better than steel, but I spent a lot of time with steel toe boots last season and my feet were fine. It's not like your toes are wedged right against the steel so it can conduct heat directly out of your feet into the open air.

I prefer wearing tighter fitting boots that are better for walking, and thus don't insulate as well. I just wear goretex gaiters when it's really cold if I'm going to be out for awhile (hours at a time, that is) and my feet are fine. I like Danner Ft Lewis 600g boots for work and snowshoeing. In town I wear White's insulated Hunters, and if I'm lazy and just working around the yard or can't be bothered to lace up a pair of boots I wear my Red Wing 4441s.

Note - if you wear rubber boots your feet will sweat like a motherfucker.

Don't buy boots that are stupidly tall, they're just a pain in the ass for no gain if you're not standing in water. Long underwear + Carhartt insulated bib overalls keep my legs warm; I don't need a knee high boot too. You can get 8 inch pac boots that work just fine.

I'm not working in the oil patch but this is my fifth winter in a place kinda like Edmonton, except colder, and until recently I worked in mining doing an outside job. Plus I spend a retarded amount of time crawling around under my vehicles in the dead of winter. I've gotten light frostbite on my thighs once or twice when I was caught out without long underwear bottoms, but haven't lost any toes yet. My feet never even go numb, so I guess I'm doing something right regarding footwear. The vast majority of my time in -40 and colder weather has been in 400g insulated boots with just a pair of Darn Tough socks and goretex gaiters over the boots. My hands suffer a lot more than my feet, since I am not a mitten person. I like gloves that I don't need to take off to shoot irate moose if necessary.

Tl,dr: Get some 8-10 inch Servus or Baffin pac boots and an extra set of liners, switch out the liners every day so they can dry, and buy Darn Tough full cushion socks (and wash them inside-out).

For the guys in Edmonton Whyte Ave was crazily crowded tonight, lots of places to go and have a good time. If anyone wanna join in message me up. Halloween is my favorite occasion of the year

Solid post by Temm +1 from me. Thanks for that advice man. Hit me up sometime if you're around Edmonton.

Temm, nice post but I dont think it kinda misses the point in terms of good advice for people coming out here fresh. Most people dreaming about the sweet set up are people that havent come out here and are just talkers, most that are out here quickly learn and are pretty happy from what I gather.

When you did orientation with the rigs, you should have been at the office every week asking if there were any spots, and dropping by at other companies in the mean time. But I am sure you know that, just writing that so other guys will understand.

Going straight to union hall wont work, you got to go to some town like lloyd were they hire on apprentice pipefitters at 30 an hour off the bat. No need to waste time well testing. If someone wants to pipefit, thats the best way, not taking edmonton crack-head level jobs in drywall and spamming applications to places that get spammed with applications everyday.

Its best if you work from day one towards your goal in the most efficient way possible. Sometimes its not clear, but seems like several guys followed the guides here and easily got on rigs, and guys wanting to get into trades in edmonton seem to know the best way is start at shop/small outfits. Other option is to go to those small shit towns, they are hungry for people and rent is high, but tough it out a year and you will be in the 1 percent of application most places get, and land that camp gig.

This thread has really been on point recently with some great, realistic advice.

Hats off to a lot of newer/lower post guys who are telling it like it is.

Hey guys,

I was interested in this whole deal and looked hard at many of the websites that were recommended. I am looking for a position as a chef there but could not find anything.

I assume kitchen staff earns a little better there, too?

Anybody know anything about that?


Cheers,


Michael

Chef at home or go to some tropical location and work in a fun sunny climate.

No point coming to freezing cold alberta and working as a chef cause you make an extra $5 an hour.

Well, I thought we were not talking "an extra 5$" here.

A qualified head-chef (or any chef for that matter) is hard enough to find around attractive places, so I thought freezing cold alberta would shell out some serious dough.