Anybody work for Phelps Drilling?

[project240]

My brother and I were out in Calgary last week looking for oilfield work. We were just hired with Phelps Drilling. Does anybody work for them? Are they a good company?

My first day is Tuesday....

Any tips for first time out? I've talked with a few Rig guys so I have a pretty good general idea of what to expect, but more info is always useful.

[armae]

I have a friend who works for that company. I think she's the senior account. She said that it's a good company...

[Kirbs17]

what did u get hired on as?

[project240]

We both got hired as leasehands.

When we came up to Calgary, we went around to probably 35 different offices. After about the first 25 in Calgary & area all told us basically the same thing (road bans lifting, still a bit wet, hiring in the next couple weeks) it was starting to get a little depressing. We then headed out to Nisku, went to about 10 places there and were hired by Phelps, pending a physical. When we walked into the office, 2 other guys were in there and left while we were filling out applications. They got the same speech, but we asked if it was possible to speak with someone in HR. WE waited about 15 minutes, then had a short meeting and were hired.

Long story short, the guys before us were in a hurry and didn't even really bother to clean up at all before coming in. At every place we went to, we were willing to spend the time and talk with people. Even though most of them told us the same thing, I think it was very beneficial to spend the extra time as now I feel like I have a few more connections.

Sorry for the long read, maybe it will help someone else get a job.

[adamc]

Hi all,

Just moved to Calgary a few months ago from Kelowna.

Have been working in the O&G industry for about 3 years, working for Akita and Precision Drilling.

Started as a leasehand, got promoted to roughneck after a week of working hard.

Roughnecked for a year, working relief (aka working on different rigs for people that get sick, get fired, whatever)

I really liked working relief because I have seen about 17 rigs in 3 years, from Whistler BC, to Halifax NS.

Working motors since last summer, worked relief derrick a few times, and am around the corner from being setup as a fulltime derrickhand.

I am looking for a new job in O&G now, probably something as a field operator, fluid engineering, or drilling technologist.
Something where I can spend some time in an office as well as the field would be ideal.


I can answer pretty much any question about rig life that you guys have, I've seen A LOT :thumbsup:

I also have a great deal of advice (SAVE YOUR MONEY) to dispense, I've learned a lot the hard way :p

[project240]

Please feel free to post up some tips you've learned here.

[adamc]

Well, make sure you have all the gear before you get out there.

Good hard hat, black preferrably, but blue or green in a pinch.
Do not get a white hard hat, generally they are reserved for drillers and rig managers, this is not a "set in stone" rule, but it is one of those things that most people out there respect.

Green king gloves can be bought in packs of 12s at marks work wearhouse for about $40, buy one pack to start out with, they should last you about 1 hitch.

You can wash them afterwards, and they last forever.

You will also need atleast 1 pair of good rubber gloves, some guys like to get thin liners to wear inside (winter time) but in the summer you can wear them liner-less.


Coveralls, Precision supplies these, not sure about phelps, ask your coodinator or recruiter.

Boots, one pair of good quality leathers, one good pair of rubber (the most popular kind are called RANPRO by dunlop, they are green and look like space boots, I wear them year round)

Wet suit, you can buy a helly hansen rainsuit for about 200 from marks, these are the best quality and will last forever.
You can go cheaper for your first time out, but when you get your cheque get a good pair. trust me.


Eye protection, your rig manager will generally be able to supply you with safety glasses, do not fuck around, wear your saftey glasses AT ALL TIMES..

Earplugs, available at the rig, it is fucking NOISY out there, I recommend wearing plugs at all times, my hearing is seriously depleated because I tend to not wear them all of the time.



That about covers the gear you'll need.



As a leasehand you will be doing a lot of building scrubbing , washing coveralls, and painting in the summer.

Personally I love working lease, and I even work several jo bs DOWN from derrick or motors once in awhile. It is a nice relaxing change of pace from the big responsibility.
Less pay, but a nice change sometimes.

You will also be asked to drive the crew truck to get lunch and dinner from camp, and to drive the other crews back and forth from the rig.


DO NOT fuck this up, it is one of the best jobs on the rigs, you wakeup late, and leave work early (camp jobs)
Do not be tempted to race in the crew truck, if you crash or have anything more than a scratch on the truck, you will probably be sent home, doesn't look good for a new guy to be fired after a short time.



IF you want to move up on the rig, PAY attention, ASK questions, and try to learn as much as you can about how things work. There is a chain of command (tool push, driller, derrickhand, motorhand, roughneck, leasehand), you are at the BOTTOM of the totem pole, and much like the army you should respect the people working above you, or they will make life very uncomfortable for you.

If you work hard, and learn fast, you can expect to be roughneck in a short time, running the tongs on the rig floor, which is a great way to get in shape :D


I can't think of too much more to say right now, BE CAREFUL, it is a dangerous job.. spinning gears, exposed motor parts, suspended loads... all of these things can kill you very quickly. Keep your wits about you, and MAKE SURE to ask if you are UNSURE about ANYTHING. SERIOUSLY this is very important.


Any other specific questions, feel free to ask.

It is a very enjoyable job, I came from an office job before I started with Precision, and what a night and day difference it was.. got my ass in great shape, and the money is excellent.. easily 100k if you work a normal rotation.


Good luck!

[theken]

yeah oil and gas is so the way to go, our breakup has been extended havent done many jobs this year but i enjoy it when i do so jobs. I am a fracer though diferent game. if you have it in you to get a class one this is the job to do, sketchy driving, easier work. :thumbsup:

[adamc]

calfrac?


what kinda $ does that pay, if you don't mind me asking?

[theken]

yeah calfrac, how did you know? haha unless i said it somewhere, we get a salery of 2650 a month gauranteed, and bonuses for every job, there is different levels of jobs based on how deep we have to go, how much product we have to pump down, but a level 7 coil tube frac is worth 230 bucks, and for each zone over 7 you get an extra 45 bucks, plus living expenses and shit like that. you can do 2-3 level 7's a day if things go smooth, but most of the ones i have been on havent gone smooth, like start at 4 home at midnight.


easily make 100 a year while it is busy

[adamc]

Just a good guess, they are all over the fuckin' place in the patch. :D

Although I don't get to see that end of things very often..

[theken]

haha yeah we kinda blew up big in the last little while, i cant wait till we get our new shop, it will be so pimp, supposed to be huge.

[broken_legs]

Drilling holes is subject to the price of oil and gas /supply demand bla bla bla


Any production related activity on holes that already exist would make a stable job.


And I heard Phelps is a great company to work for.

wash your green kings before you take them out, new ones suck until they are washed

[adamc]

true, they are very big when new (green kings)

toss em in the washer for a better fit.

[adamc]

I bet broken_legs is still on his first pack of 'em.

[GotOwned]

im from edmonton. im also looking a job at oil field. What kinda expreience or skill do i need to get the job? is anybody know any place that at edmonton is hiring? thx..!!

[adamc]

Get a resume together, get a haircut, get clean clothes on, and go out to nisku.

If you are mechanically inclined or have labour experience, highlight that.

Go to every drilling company in Nisku, be polite and professional.

Ask for the number of a coodinator, call every day for updates (seriously).

Do this for a while, prepare to be drug tested, if you are not a total tool, you WILL get hired.

[broken_legs]

Originally posted by adamc
I bet broken_legs is still on his first pack of 'em.

I dont like gloves that dont keep invert off your hands

Really, whats the point?:dunno:

[danno567]

not sure if this was mentioned but get coveralls that are fire retardant also, a helly hansen long trench coat style rain jacket is great to have when your outside all day in the rain.

expect a drug test

work fucking harder than your counterparts, and when there is nothing to do, ask if there is anything you can clean, help out with etc. your push ( lead hand ) will respect that and keep you around. if the dog house is dirty be the first to get up and clean the floor of all the mud, etc. be the first to sweep it out. they may laugh at you but you can laugh back when you get your raise and promotion.

good luck and be alert all the time.
-D

[Audio_Rookie]

I am in Grande Prarie right now and have been working for denarii servicing for the past 3 weeks. I gave my boss my weeks notice yesterday, im quitting. The work portion is great, the problem being that after work I have to ride with the driller, he is everyones ride....and I get dragged around to alot of places and restaurats and stuff before I get a chance to go back to the hotel. Kinda trapped being around lots of partying and big $$$ spending.

Get back to the hotel at 1am and have to get up by 5am to do the 2 hour drive to work with the driller. It sucks nut.

I am gonna look for another oilfield job. I was a roughneck from the beginning. First day holy fuck. Learned how to use a pipe wrench and a scrub brush really quick. After 2 days I we started taking out pipe and I was responsible for hooking the elevators on the pipe, latching em on, and guiding the pipes onto a tray.....do 170 pipes and your arms get a little tired.

I was getting alot of respect at work within a week, more than the other roughneck that was there for a month, and had 6 months roughneck experiance before that.

Lots of scrubbing trays, cleaning dog house, taking out the garbage, and filling up the coolers with ice every morning in the hotel. Also got to get out all the tools, grease all the trucks...the rig, pump, and the 5 ton truck. Got to bleed the air from everything at the end of the day. It was really confusing at first, and still kinda is because they tell you to get something and you dont know what the hell they are talking about. I am starting to understand most of the lingo now though.

I think im gonna try drilling rig, see how it is compared to service rig. Everyone on my crew says we have not worked really "hard" yet. But everyone who says that on my crew has been in the patch 10+ years and is old fashion. Lots of.. "get me the 36 you fucking maggot!!" lol.

Couple days ago we were putting pipe back in, I guided the pipe and put lube on the threads..about 100 pipes in the well kicked and fluid just went flying everywhere. Holy shit that freaked me out. Grabbed the fucking TI and threw it on the pipe, closed the valve and got the fuck off the floor. The driller told me to stay off the floor because I was so new, then the tool push got out of the dog house and told me to get the fuck back on the floor, this kinda thing happens alot and is annoying.

I wish I would have bought ear plugs because its really fucking loud and it hurts my ears now.

Definately buy a set of good work boots and some good gloves. They supplied me with glasses and I borrowed some coveralls, gonna have to buy some now.


I dont really know who I wanna work for now, I think I will hop around till I find something I like and stick with it for a while.

[adamc]

circus (service) rigs suck, everyone in the patch knows that.

if you want a more relaxed pace, find work on a triple or big double drilling rig.

I have worked on singles, doubles, and triples, and doubles are my favorite, you can move up VERY quickly.

I just got off a Precision Double that I was working relief on, the driller was 22..

Nobody on the crew was over 26, toolpush included.

[Kirbs17]

Im getting my class 3 with airbrake at the end of the summer, any places I should try applying for? I know of Precision and BJ up here in red deer, anywhere else?

[Audio_Rookie]

kk, drilling rig I will try now. Gonna shoot for phelps or trailblazers.

I actually sent my resume to phelps the day before I started for denarii, maybe they have left a message at home and want to hire me already. If not I will drive back into nisku and show em I want to work.

God luck guys, the good news is I am gonna clear around 3k for working 11 days at about 9 hours each day, and 3 hours travel time sitting in a truck.

drilling here I come.

[ole dsm]

try sds in calgary

good group of guys, no fucktards, overall good company, try to get on there sonic rigs , those are the shit!, u have the most fun .


anyone looking for operator type possitions , try harvest energy trust, they need people they just don't advertise, and if u have operator experience , ur practically a shoe in.

[project240]

Well,

I just got back from my first 10 days out in the field. To be honest, I expected much harder work. I was a leasehand and if you are hired as one, prepare to be bored. Honestly, the majority of the days were spent cleaning stuff that is already clean and recleaning and cleaning, etc. I'd say out of 110 hours there, probably half or more were spent with a scrubbrush and mop.

I could have left and nobody would have noticed I was gone...lol.

I'm at a camp job, the food was surprisingly good, the people and really good and the camp is much more than what I expected. I also was lucky to be put on a new triple rig I guess.

When I go back Tuesday, I'll be moving up to roughneck, which seems to be alot better. You get to do something other than clean all day every day.

I found the hardest was part was being away from the gf, family, friends, etc. The work challenged my sanity at times, but that will get better with time. We'll see how everything goes my 2nd "hitch"...

I'm having trouble with the rig lingo... comes with times I guess...

[alienman]

Well project240 how has it been now... how about an update as i am very interested in heading to the rigs this fall for some real work.... Who do you work for? Any other tips to add about the work out there? thanks in advance....

[project240]

Still working for Phelps Drilling. They seem to be pretty good. AS\s I said before, the work isn't the most fun or exciting work, but it's not terrible either. The job is pretty monotonous at times, so I usually try to think about the paycheque during these times.

Every person who works on our rig is very decent. I expected at least a few assholes, but haven't come across one yet.

The worst part is the drive out for me...
Twelve hours each way sucks.

[alienman]

Ya 12 hours would be a long ride. If you don;t mind me asking... what kind of money do you make hourly? is there Overtime? After you stayed there for the 2 weeks how much do you really have when you come home? I had a friend working out on the rigs and he said by the time he got home he had less cash in his pocket from out there than when he was working in town for 18 bucks an hour.

I am currently making about $23 bucks an hour with what i do now but it is a 7 on 4 off 7 on 3 off rotation of 8 hour shifts straight time. I really want to make sure that i can make more than the $1100 every 2 weeks i am getting right now. Thanks again.

[Billet]

Originally posted by adamc
circus (service) rigs suck, everyone in the patch knows that.

if you want a more relaxed pace, find work on a triple or big double drilling rig.

I have worked on singles, doubles, and triples, and doubles are my favorite, you can move up VERY quickly.

I just got off a Precision Double that I was working relief on, the driller was 22..

Nobody on the crew was over 26, toolpush included.

YEARS of experience... sounds real safe!! :eek: :thumbsdow

[spacemoose]

well, project240, can we get an update on your progress so far?

[BokCh0y]

my brother in law was the IT dude for Edmonton and Calgary for that company, he said it's a good place to work for.

[jdmcrx]

Originally posted by Billet


YEARS of experience... sounds real safe!! :eek: :thumbsdow


Well another "real" righand has spoken. My Driller is 23 years old and he is the best driller i have had in the 2 years i have been on the rigs. The guy answers your questions when you have them and isn't an asshole. Even the leasehand gets a little respect. Not everyone knows what a "36" is and if i ask a new leasehand to get a 36" pipewrench instead of a "fucking 36!!!" everyone learns faster and stays safer. A pissed off leasehand will make way more mistakes than one who gets treated with a little dignity and respect. Do YOU want to go and scrub everything that is already clean 5 times in a 12 hour shift when he walks off the lease? Grow the fuck up. The rigs aren't or shouldn't be the same as they were back in the 70's and 80's. Show a little respect for your fellow man and remember you were a green leasehand once too.

[Audio_Rookie]

Wow......sounds like I was that roughneck biatch your describing lol.

it was......"grab a 36 you fucking maggot!"

I remember scrubbing the rig with a scrub brush and a bucket of diesel fluid for 7 hours straight when it was +41 outside. Just because my orders were to keep busy no matter what.

[adamc]

man, the "new school" way of thinking can be detrimental too.

if you automatically are required to give every tom dick and harry respect right away, you have a bunch of fkn prima donnas that think they have the right to not try/work hard.


you are not automatically handed respect at any other job in the world, so why should some punk green leasehand not have to earn it?




my .02