Women drillers up in Fort McMurray

[DefiantDragon]

Hey all,

Dumb question - but are there any leasehand/roughneck/drillers up in Fort McMurray that are women?

My sister and my brother are having a fight - my brother says women don't belong up there, my sister's pretty tough (and strong, she's a boxer) - wants to get a job on a rig and earn some real money (she's sick at working at Timmy's).

Anyways, it's a whole big thing now - he says it's no place for women and that she'll be a day away from getting raped or something crazy, she says she can take care of herself.

I'm sure there's gotta be women up there workin' - so what's the real story?

Can and do women work on rigs?

Thanks!
DD

[Proyecto2000]

I know a few female drilling engineers that work out on the rigs, but I have no clue if there are any female roughneck/drillers.

[project240]

While I was out I saw only 1 woman who came out for a leasehand position. She made it almost a full day before leaving...

but that's not saying another female couldn't do it. For me, I never found the work to be that tough, I just hated the lifestyle and having to work with douchebags all day.

[Aerobat]

werd^
good luck getting a job now!

[Supa Dexta]

Yeah some come out, none last. You don't jst come out and drill, you have to work your way up from the bottom, and that ain't easy.

[Super_Geo]

Originally posted by Proyecto2000
I know a few female drilling engineers that work out on the rigs, but I have no clue if there are any female roughneck/drillers.

I know a couple of female drilling engineers as well (pretty cute ones, too!), but that's a whole different can of worms than a female labourer.

I'm sure the guys will say all the same shit about them behind their backs, but at the end of the day they can boss around the roughneck but the engineer can run them off the site or pick a different contractor for the next job.

[JAYMEZ]

I knew a chick friend who went up north... She got harassed and treated like shit.. She left a couple days after.

[adamc]

I worked on the rigs for a long time, and never ran in to any women on my rigs.

I did see photos of female roughnecks on drilling rigs in the area though, and have heard that they were harder workers than the guys, but just not as physically strong.

Service rigs is where this lady should look to start, I have heard of numerous females rising up the ranks of the service side.


She could also try testing, logging, fishing, or any of the other service sector jobs there are that support the drilling operation.

[ExtraSlow]

Lots of ladies on the service side or in the wireline, logging, bits area.
Drilling rigs is another matter. Most guys can't handle working on the drilling rigs for the reasons mentioned above. I have serious doubts that anyone but GI jane could hack it mentally.
Those guys aren't going to go easy on her, and everyone starts at the bottom as a leasehand.

[BlackArcher101]

I know of a pretty cute/hot female welder working the rigs with her own truck. She doesn't take shit from anybody.. and as long as other females don't, they will last as well. I'd be more worried about a lone female in a camp.

[googe]

yeah, her going up there would be a mistake.

it's not even a question of if she is tough enough. it's the fact that life will suck, and it's in no way worth it.

[sputnik]

Originally posted by BlackArcher101
I know of a pretty cute/hot female welder working the rigs with her on truck. She doesn't take shit from anybody.. and as long as other females don't, they will last as well. I'd be more worried about a lone female in a camp.

I know of a pretty good looking welder as well.

[Graham_A_M]

Originally posted by project240
While I was out I saw only 1 woman who came out for a leasehand position. She made it almost a full day before leaving...

but that's not saying another female couldn't do it. For me, I never found the work to be that tough, I just hated the lifestyle and having to work with douchebags all day.

Almost a full shift? that's something I would have thought a few hours max. I wouldn't put your sister with those people. She'll be the only female (besides the camp staff) out there realistically, and I can see them making her life a bloody hell.
Seriously. As if most newbie leasehands dont have it hard enough, I can see it being hell for her.
Good luck getting on too, with the oil patch where it is I can see a LOT more qualified people getting on long before she ever does.

I'm sure she can do hard work, I can to, but working on the drilling & service rigs is extremely harsh... there isn't much I can compare it to. So just be warned about both things.

[Black Gts]

isn't there a couple all female rigs in the province, I have heard that a couple times. I don't see a female really having a chance the minute she walks on lease, from the work aspect to the sexual harassment

[JRSC00LUDE]

Only time I saw girls were wireline, water trucks and welders.

[johnboy27]

Originally posted by JRSC00LUDE
Only time I saw girls were wireline, water trucks and welders.
I have seen quite a few chicks on service rigs, most do not resemble females what so ever. Other than that the only oilpatch relates jobs I nave seen many women working in was on nitrogen transports and nitrogen pumpers. There are a few female water haulers, vac truck ops etc but even they are few and far between. Most ladies in the patch are medics.

[Jim Rome99]

I have worked with plenty of women in Fort McMurray without any of them being treatly badly at all. Mind you, I've never worked non-union up there, which is where she sounds likely to be headed. Maybe that's a totally different ball game.

[Graham_A_M]

^Yes and Yes

Originally posted by Black Gts
isn't there a couple all female rigs in the province, I have heard that a couple times. I don't see a female really having a chance the minute she walks on lease, from the work aspect to the sexual harassment
Its just that stupid rumor I'd always hear when I was still in the oil patch. :rolleyes:

Apparently it was "Right off the ANC road" but not surprisingly nobody had even the slightest clue where:facepalm:
okie dokie.

[Darkane]

Female operators. Seen a couple Female laborers too.

Usually chemical sales, water testing shit like that, on my plant site anyway.

Tell her to get her 4th class power eng and she'll make the cash. She'll get easily hired.

If she has thick skin, she'll make it. If not she'll come crying.

[Dumbass17]

probably get raped

[DefiantDragon]

Originally posted by Graham_A_M


Almost a full shift? that's something I would have thought a few hours max. I wouldn't put your sister with those people. She'll be the only female (besides the camp staff) out there realistically, and I can see them making her life a bloody hell.
Seriously. As if most newbie leasehands dont have it hard enough, I can see it being hell for her.
Good luck getting on too, with the oil patch where it is I can see a LOT more qualified people getting on long before she ever does.

I'm sure she can do hard work, I can to, but working on the drilling & service rigs is extremely harsh... there isn't much I can compare it to. So just be warned about both things.

Uhhh wow, thanks guys. Yeah my brother's been warning her up and down about what it's going to be like out there - but she seems determined.

I think she sees the money these guys are making.

I told her that everyone I talked to on here says it's insanely hard work and that most of the guys will treat her like crap, etc. She doesn't care - says she'll knock'em out if they try anything.

Ugh... So, if she decides to go anyways - what's the best advice I can give her to help keep herself safe? I told her that she'd have to work her way up from leasehand but she doesn't care. Says she's willing to put her back into it.

*sigh* if she's going for leasehand, what can she do to stay safe? She... doesn't look like a man... but she is really strong (she can beat up my brother... lol).

Thanks!
DD

[ExtraSlow]

Honestly, I don't think the risk of actual violence is very high. It'll be more mental abuse.

Tell her to work hard, look out for herself, lift with her legs and avoid injury.

Shit, who knows, she might make it.

[Supa Dexta]

pics.

[broken_legs]

Never seen nor heard of a female working on a rig anywhere.

Service side yes, working on the rig absolutely not. SLB has lots of female engineers in wireline and mwd/lwd. We have even had 2 female Directional Drillers.

There was a super hot blond welder that just came up here. Apparently the truck said Douche Welding lol

[max_boost]

Women shouldn't be up there, regardless how strong they are or think they are. That is all. :drama:

[adamc]

Apparently there were a few mostly female crews working for PD at one time.

Like I said earlier, I did hear (and see photos) of a roughneckin' girl at one point.

One of my roughnecks worked along side her, and said despite being weaker, she would always work harder than everyone else (and was smart, to boot).


I would suggest that she tries to get on a coil tubing rig, or a brand new super single. They have these rigs automated to the point that a roughneck doesn't throw tongs, lift slips, or really any of the back breaking labour myself and all the other men had to go through in the past.

Or work as a leasehand on a huge triple that moves every 8 months. :)


Your mileage will most certainly vary, but call Precision in Nisku and ask for Cindy.

[Graham_A_M]

Originally posted by DefiantDragon

I told her that everyone I talked to on here says it's insanely hard work and that most of the guys will treat her like crap, etc. She doesn't care - says she'll knock'em out if they try anything.
DD

:rofl: :rofl: God help her if she ever tries to "knock out" a couple of my old co-workers. That wont be pretty for her in the least. I'd strongly advise her not to bite off more then she can chew in that regard. ;) Not everybody she'll encounter is some slow, lumbering goon.
One of them was a second degree black belt in either Muay Tai or Judo, I forget. Even guys twice his size wouldn't even think of giving him an awkward eye; or a couple other guys in I knew. But shes going to "knock them all out" for treating her wrong eh? okie dokie. :rofl:
Keep in mind, there are 5 guys, and her. I can appreciate her spirit, but she seriously will go through hell...
If those 5 guys are your friends it can be a blast, but if that said 5 guys hate your fucking guts, its hell on earth.

Honestly, there is a pretty damn huge gap between working the rigs, and working at Timmy's pouring coffee.
I'd check out a variety of different roles within the oil patch. Try Swabbing. Its very easy work, and the money is almost as good. Some guys I know would sit in a cab all day and watch movies, perhaps work for 1 hr of every 12hr shift, yet take home between $4-9k a month. :dunno:

Anyway, my break is over so I have to go back to rowing with the other slaves, but yeah, I'll update this later.

EDIT: yeah I was just going to say, there are many other options, both locally and off-shore. I think she's focusing way too much on just the money aspect, and working on the rigs.
She should check out www.rigzone.com and see what other positions are typically available, then research those.
I used to do openhole Wireline amongst a few other things.... and there is a lot of money to be made elsewhere too.... she just needs to look around somemore and network.
Stay the hell out of cementing though, Jesus thats a shitshow within itself. :thumbsdow Shit money, shit work, and its almost always during the night


Re-edit.

Originally posted by adamc
Or work as a leasehand on a huge triple that moves every 8 months. :)


Your mileage will most certainly vary, but call Precision in Nisku and ask for Cindy.

Are they starting to pick up slowly? or whats the deal as of lately, with hiring leasehands?

[Supa Dexta]

There used to be a canadian sniper on this crew that had over a dozen kills or something.. He ran off after taking some flack, and hasn't returned.. or called... I'm a little nervous to step outside of the shack. :rofl:

[googe]

sounds like she has a lot to learn. send her up there, it'll make for a funny story at least.

sounds like she's also on some crusade to be a strong woman in a male dominated field. all her male coworkers have an attitude more like "yeah, whatever." even if she did make it, no one will really care, and its nothing to brag about. there is no reward for winning this battle, just do something that doesn't suck.

[The_Rural_Juror]

Originally posted by Supa Dexta
There used to be a canadian sniper on this crew that had over a dozen kills or something.. He ran off after taking some flack, and hasn't returned.. or called... I'm a little nervous to step outside of the shack. :rofl:

I've found you.

[DefiantDragon]

Originally posted by googe
sounds like she has a lot to learn. send her up there, it'll make for a funny story at least.

sounds like she's also on some crusade to be a strong woman in a male dominated field. all her male coworkers have an attitude more like "yeah, whatever." even if she did make it, no one will really care, and its nothing to brag about. there is no reward for winning this battle, just do something that doesn't suck.

I don't know if she's on a crusade or not - I think it's more about the money. I know she makes crap money at her day job and hates her manager like crazy (I've met him - the manager's a passive aggressive wreck).

I'm thinking of pushing her toward something else... if I can... maybe if she knows just how far down the bottom is - and how hard it is to climb up - I can talk her into doing something else... Hell, I'm sure Tim's up there pays good money too... lol

How does the team structure work up there? Someone said everyone starts as a Leasehand and works their way up - do you stick to one team and work under one Driller or something?

Cheers,
DD

[adam c]

how bout she goes back to school and earn at least a diploma and get her ass out of tim hortons and stop complaining?

[Tik-Tok]

1 in 3 women in the US military are raped ... and these people are supposed to be disciplined soldiers... imagine what a bunch of random redneckers would be like?