Post: #4126

What's the general consensus as to when oil is going to be back to decent levels and work pick up in AB? 1, 2 or 3 years from now?

Any one has any insight intel? Scotian?

Not that I'm looking to get back to the patch just yet as I'm having a lot of fun here in China, but just out of curiosity.

Post: #4127

(11-23-2015 10:42 PM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  What's the general consensus as to when oil is going to be back to decent levels and work pick up in AB? 1, 2 or 3 years from now?

Any one has any insight intel? Scotian?

Not that I'm looking to get back to the patch just yet as I'm having a lot of fun here in China, but just out of curiosity.

VP, if I could predict the price of oil then I probably wouldn't be working today, so who the fuck knows but if shit pops off in the Middle East then she could go through the roof tomorrow! What I do know is that we elected the NDP who are pandering to their environmental base as well as PM Selfie, who together are trying to portray Canada as a climate leader, so this could fuck with the Alberta oil biz, but so far from what I've read in media reports, oil sands execs from Suncor and IOL are on board with it, so we'll see how she pans out.

Basically all companies have cut back big time, gone are the days when any random jiberoni could show up in the patch and be making $25-30/hour (although there may be the odd one you hear of), drilling is fucking dead, big time, its the slowest drilling season in a generation. The easy, quick cash is gone and the fly-by-nighters have fucked off but for those of us who were in it for the long haul and picked up tickets and experience, there still is work.....just a lot less.

Basically if a guy couldn't cut it in the patch when oil was $100/barrel then there's a fat chance that he would now, companies have trimmed all their fat and cut costs at every corner. Yes it sucks balls, not so much for me as I know I'd have work in a second if I went back but for the guys who are just starting out, there just isn't much opportunity there now.

Check out this article and the vid: 'We are not the devil': Fort Mac calls for support from the rest of Canada
-Its a bit dramatic and that food bank skank is probably dipping her hand in the cookie jar by the looks of her huge arse, but things are pretty shitty up in the BIG DIRTY!!!

http://www.bnn.ca/News/2015/11/18/We-are...anada.aspx

Post: #4128

(11-23-2015 10:42 PM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  What's the general consensus as to when oil is going to be back to decent levels and work pick up in AB? 1, 2 or 3 years from now?

Any one has any insight intel? Scotian?

Not that I'm looking to get back to the patch just yet as I'm having a lot of fun here in China, but just out of curiosity.

Spin in a circle 3 times and throw a dart at a board of oil prices. That's what so called analysts are doing. No one knows what's going to happen.

Post: #4129

(11-24-2015 10:03 PM)Tresdus Wrote:  

(11-23-2015 10:42 PM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  What's the general consensus as to when oil is going to be back to decent levels and work pick up in AB? 1, 2 or 3 years from now?

Any one has any insight intel? Scotian?

Not that I'm looking to get back to the patch just yet as I'm having a lot of fun here in China, but just out of curiosity.

Spin in a circle 3 times and throw a dart at a board of oil prices. That's what so called analysts are doing. No one knows what's going to happen.

This

Post: #4130

Man, I made this account specifically to discuss this but the last response answers my question of, "when is oil gonna pick back up."

Fellas, I am 18, currently in community college, they have a welding program here that will take 16 months to complete, I just want some insight as into, will the juice be worth the squeeze. I know there are plenty of other jobs that will pay well for a welder, but oil rigs seem to be where they pay the most.

Post: #4131

To Vacancier Permanent:
Lol. Stay in China man, find a nice girl and wait it out cause the screwing you'll get in China will be way better than the screwing you're gonna get in the Oil Patch.

To Slothy:
Welding trade is good but any trade is good as long as you get certified and experience anywhere but in the Oil Patch. Keyano College can go f itself. They're too bloody expensive and so is the city of Ft. Mac.
Class 1 with air helps also crane operators are in demand but again you need to get certification and 1-2 years experience before you can get decent money and job placements.

Post: #4132

(12-11-2015 03:30 PM)GeoMike Wrote:  To Vacancier Permanent:
Lol. Stay in China man, find a nice girl and wait it out cause the screwing you'll get in China will be way better than the screwing you're gonna get in the Oil Patch.

To Slothy:
Welding trade is good but any trade is good as long as you get certified and experience anywhere but in the Oil Patch. Keyano College can go f itself. They're too bloody expensive and so is the city of Ft. Mac.
Class 1 with air helps also crane operators are in demand but again you need to get certification and 1-2 years experience before you can get decent money and job placements.

The welding program at my school will only cost me 1300 in total for the 16 months I don't think that's bad I have come across a man who was a navy seal and he told me there's a place in san diego where they weld the navys ships (not too far from me) and they accept welders at entry level, starting your salary off somewhere in the 20's, so that's a pretty good place to get your experience. I'm gonna go ahead and take this road and I'll definitely keep this forum up to date if I end up making those 6 figures easily.

Post: #4133

(12-11-2015 03:47 PM)Slothy Wrote:  

(12-11-2015 03:30 PM)GeoMike Wrote:  To Vacancier Permanent:
Lol. Stay in China man, find a nice girl and wait it out cause the screwing you'll get in China will be way better than the screwing you're gonna get in the Oil Patch.

To Slothy:
Welding trade is good but any trade is good as long as you get certified and experience anywhere but in the Oil Patch. Keyano College can go f itself. They're too bloody expensive and so is the city of Ft. Mac.
Class 1 with air helps also crane operators are in demand but again you need to get certification and 1-2 years experience before you can get decent money and job placements.

The welding program at my school will only cost me 1300 in total for the 16 months I don't think that's bad I have come across a man who was a navy seal and he told me there's a place in san diego where they weld the navys ships (not too far from me) and they accept welders at entry level, starting your salary off somewhere in the 20's, so that's a pretty good place to get your experience. I'm gonna go ahead and take this road and I'll definitely keep this forum up to date if I end up making those 6 figures easily.

Yes welding is good, you're only 18 so take the course and try out the trade, if you don't like it then do something else but at least you'll know how to weld and that's a decent skill to have in life. Forget about oil rigs, there's only rig pigs out there, not welders, unless something breaks then they'll call a welder. If you want to work in oil, you'll be working mid-stream or down stream in places like oil refineries, here is a list of oil refineries in the US: http://abarrelfull.wikidot.com/us-refineries , every single one of them has staff welders and take on lots of contract welders during busy times like maintenance shut downs. You can also work in a variety of other industries: Nuclear, marine, ship building, aviation, etc. Go to this website and look at all of the welding jobs in the USA, there's tons in every corner of the country: https://www.roadtechs.com

You could also eventually become dual trade after you get your welding ticket by becoming a millwright, pipefitter or electrican, all trades that compliment the welding ticket. You could also join a union, Google these ones: United Association, Boilermakers, IBEW.

You can also go into QC and weld inspection by taking the AWS visual ticket (http://www.aws.org/certification/detail/...-inspector) or the API visual tickets (API 510, 570, 653), or get them all, these guys make $80-100+/hour.

Rope Access welders are in big demand too: http://www.irata.org/

Also, forget about Canada, get your tickets in the USA, then if you want to make more money, go work abroad and get big tax free money in the middle East, Asia, Africa, etc. That would take about 5-10 years to get to that level.

Good luck in the metal trades, its treated myself and other RVF members very well.

Post: #4134

Good advice from Scotian.
The concensus and general wisdom of today's and near future job prospects and trends from labour market analysts is that the average individual should expect to move and change jobs and vocations at least 8 times in their working lifetime.
Therefore your career choices should include the ability to continously upgrade your skills and transfer from one industry to the next seemlessly. Good solid trades such as welding, carpentry, electrical, iron working, plumbing, etc all have this need and ability.
Niche jobs are nice but because technology changes happen so fast these days, so do you. As an employee, you need to constantly upgrade yourself to keep current and worthwhile to your employer.
As you age this becomes even more important.
Older workers who are laid off might find it necessary to rethink and reinvent themselves and start a small business to keep themselves busy and employed. Age discrimination is worse as an employee ages but as a business owner, (to some small companies) it appears more likely that you are highly experienced and worth hiring for short term projects.
Good luck everyone in keeping employed.

Post: #4135

Okay, I'm 23. Say I have no experience (other than basic construction), and I took an electrical course at a jc. Would I be able to get a job? How? What course in particular would I take?
Sorry if this has been answered; long thread

I thought about getting an MMC and working as a merchant marine (ships). Dropped $1k on a week long cert a couple years back but had to wait to continue to get my felony dropped. Haven't really looked into it since

Post: #4136

Look into your state's licensing authority.

In Texas you need to be an apprentice and after X amount of work hours and X education units you become a Journeyman. To become an apprentice you need to take a couple of classes, at some career center or at a community college (cheaper here but more full too). Then you take the apprentice test and receive your license as an apprentice. You then work under the supervision of a JM. In houston there's plenty of work for apprentice electricians, although the pay is not the best. Right now everyone is claiming to be a "pipeliner, millwright, pipefitter, firewatch, helper".....all in one.

Apprentice programs in Texas : https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/AMPS/ShowAppr...grams.aspx

Fees and other licensing crap in Texas: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/elecfaq.htm

Post: #4137

Hey guys drilling is dead but there's still work in the downstream sector, especially if your service includes turnarounds.

For those who don't know that terminology, here's a video that will help you learn what to turn around

Post: #4138

Wut?

My ears heard words but my brain just registered titties titties titties...

Post: #4139

(12-16-2015 09:32 PM)redbeard Wrote:  Hey guys drilling is dead but there's still work in the downstream sector, especially if your service includes turnarounds.

For those who don't know that terminology, here's a video that will help you learn what to turn around

There's a Spanish version too:

Post: #4140

Quote:The oil crash is taking a heavy toll on Alberta and the worst is yet to come, December 23, 2015 9:16 AM ET

Crime is rising, home prices are falling and food banks are overwhelmed in Calgary as job losses spread. And the worst isn’t yet over in the heart of Canada’s oil patch.

Some of the city’s largest employers are poised to cut more jobs in 2016 as they reduce spending for a second straight year, adding to an estimated 40,000 oil and natural gas positions lost across the nation since the crude price rout began 18 months ago.

“We all know someone who has lost a job,” Naheed Nenshi, the city’s mayor, said in a speech this month, lamenting the “funeral”-like atmosphere in the business community.



Calgary, which boasted one of the lowest jobless rates in the nation as crude prices rose over US$100 a barrel, is reeling after a global glut pushed prices down by two-thirds. Shares of energy producers have slumped along with oil. While Alberta’s biggest city is benefiting from gains in tourism and transportation, its economy is still 30 per cent dependent on oil and gas, according to the mayor.

The largest 23 Canadian producers are set to spend 11 per cent less in 2016, a cut of about $3.61 billion. That includes reductions by Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., Imperial Oil Ltd. and Cenovus Energy Inc., according to company forecasts and analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. It follows a 32 per cent cut in 2015.

Jillian Berling-MacKenzie, 25, was one of the lucky few of her graduating geology class to secure full-time work this year, at oil company ConocoPhillips. She bought a house with her boyfriend, also a newly graduated geologist with a job, before they both became victims of the cuts. A friend’s company has provided some contract work paying slightly more than employment insurance as Berling-MacKenzie tries to land positions just about anywhere, seeing no postings she qualifies for in her field.

Career Change

The dearth of opportunities has Keely Eng, 27, seeking a career change. Eng was let go from an engineering position in March at Nexen, the Cnooc Ltd. subsidiary. Dreading an extended job hunt, Eng took medical school exams and has applied to several programs.

“The industry isn’t doing well and I’m not super- established, so it isn’t too late to switch,” Eng said.

Career transition firm Gilker McRae Ltd. is already hearing from companies planning next year’s cuts. The firm helped with more than 20 downsizings in 2015, mostly in Calgary, said Ross Gilker, owner and president. A typical year would include one to three.

Stampede Cuts

The impact of the energy downturn is easy to see downtown in the easing traffic, emptier office buildings and closed restaurants. The Calgary Stampede, which runs an annual rodeo and events throughout the year, suffered its own round of cuts last month after losing funding and site bookings.

Kevin Mulligan, 61, was among Stampede workers who “got the Tuesday boot,” he said. The former park maintenance manager, six years from retirement, is helping his wife with a Christmas wreath-making side business to supplement severance payments while job-hunting.

“My new job is finding a job,” Mulligan said.



Calgary’s unemployment rate rose to 6.9 per cent in November from 4.6 per cent a year earlier, Statistics Canada data show, as 21,100 more were put out of work. Home sales have fallen 21 per cent this year as the average price skidded 2.6 per cent, according to the Calgary Real Estate Board.

Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids is providing 16 per cent more school lunches than in September — about 2,900 across 187 schools. The rise is unprecedented, said Tanya Koshowski, the group’s executive director. Food bank use jumped 23 per cent in Alberta in the year ended March 2015, the country’s biggest increase, according to Food Banks Canada.

Crime Surge

Police are pointing to economic decline and rising drug use to explain Calgary’s crime surge. In the first 10 months of 2015, commercial break-ins almost doubled from a year earlier, bank robberies were up 65 per cent and home invasions increased 52 per cent, Calgary Police Service data show.

There is a silver lining. Thanks in part to Canada’s weaker currency, some sectors have been doing well, such as transportation, agriculture and tourism, and have been a source of employment for people previously working in energy, said Todd Hirsch, chief economist at ATB Financial. He predicted the oil industry will start recovering in the second half of 2016 as companies stop cutting jobs.

“We’ve got a bit more tough sledding before it starts to turn around,” Hirsch said.

Greg Cosma is being patient about a rebound, using his woodworking skills and time to volunteer building houses with Habitat For Humanity. The 58-year-old engineer was let go from Cenovus in October, the second industrywide cut he’s endured in the past decade.

“If you’re good at something, you have a future,” Cosma said, offering advice to the new grads entering Calgary’s energy work force: “Don’t sweat it.”

Source: http://business.financialpost.com/news/e...=8dcb-9baf

The cuts will be deep. More than ever now, if you're in school or thinking about it, do it. This is the time to get more skills under your name.

Those with degrees, skills, and trade tickets are going to recover faster, and/or job retraining will be smoother.

Most importantly, keep in mind going forward it won't be easy or smooth sailing, if you're considering jumping in the oil-game, stay disciplined and determined.

Post: #4141

Very surreal. People thought 2008 was bad. This is chaos.

Post: #4142

(12-23-2015 02:22 PM)Kdog Wrote:  Very surreal. People thought 2008 was bad. This is chaos.

Calgary is being hit harder because the oil majors are firing all of the office people who had jobs in new construction projects, since so many have been moth balled or cancelled, positions like geologists, planners, estimators, drafters, etc, they just aren't needed anymore. Thankfully, most of us on here are involved in the trades which are still needed to operate and maintain existing oil facilities. The oil sands are still producing as much, if not more oil than they have been over the past few years so all of the pipelines, tanks farms, upgraders and refineries need to be maintained. Still it sucks and the value of my condo went down about $40,000 but there's still work in Alberta and I don't know a single Alberta based tradesman who isn't working right now.

Post: #4143

Oil's at 29$, Nisku is looking more and more dead every day and I just got denied something I needed for my PR which basically means once my visa ends I'll be done here in Canada.

I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do, maybe I'll go to Uni and get a degree until oil recovers, maybe I'll see if I can work in my trade in Europe. I'd definitely like to stay in the oil industry in the long run.

I'd also like to thank scotian again for starting the thread. Living here for 2 years has been a really valuable life lesson.

Anyone still left in Edmonton?

Post: #4144

It's so crazy how low oil prices have wrecked this country's promised land. Definitely a learning experience to endure the cycles.

I went back to school and have been riding it out in mexico. I did the calculations and even if I have to pick up a tim hortons job, still be in the top 4 percent of income in the world haha. All about perspective.

Post: #4145

I'll be back in Etown late March, its gonna be a busy shutdown season: http://calgaryherald.com/storyline/the-c...ch-carnage

Post: #4146

Some say that oil could go even lower with the sanctions on Iran being lifted, but maybe that's already priced in via anticipation.

Post: #4147

(01-15-2016 10:18 PM)RexImperator Wrote:  Some say that oil could go even lower with the sanctions on Iran being lifted, but maybe that's already priced in via anticipation.

There's a lot of anxiety in the market, and a lot is because of the potential surplus of oil from Iran. I don't think it's priced in just yet, because nobody knows the logistics of everything. Lot's of analysts think it'll be worse than we expect, so who knows. Not to mention Iran already has buyers lined up.

Just keeps getting uglier for Canada.

Post: #4148

Just got rejected for a job here in the states. Flying back up there tomorrow with minimal expectations, so I shouldn't be disappointed.

Post: #4149

I'm in Edmonton 2 years now (in it for the long haul). I'm doing the new museum located in the downtown area, I see lots of construction (ice district, arena, etc). You should do fairly well if your work isn't directly related to oil & gas. I wouldn't mind a nice meetup for the guys still in town.

Post: #4150

I wonder if some of you guys who have cash stacked up could profit from this situation.

There must be some great bargains on pickups and other vehicles there.

Maybe buy, and then drive to a favorable location in the USA or Mexico, sell, rinse, wash, repeat?

Or perhaps offer short term high interest loans to people with home equity or a vehicle as collateral.

Or make a website with an ebook that offers job retraining and relocation expertise. Make it 4HWW style, scammy and promising the moon.