Another oil field ???

[masterburn]

Sorry guys I know theres a lot of oil field threads and I have looked through them all. Heres my problem I'm a student studying Chemistry what kind of work is there available in the oil and gas industry ? I have WHMIS, First aid needed it for lab work, I will be getting my H2S. It seems like oil and gas are only hiring engineering students. Thanks and again sorry for another repetitive thread.

[My_name_is_Rob]

It depends on what your looking for, or where you are looking for work. Lots of places are hiring for various field positions if thats ehat your.looking for.

Your studying chem for high school/college/university? Are you looking for something lab related?

[masterburn]

I'm in university, my field of study is organic chemistry. I want to work in the field something like MWD, but I'm not sure if they hire chemist for that position. I would take anything in the oil field. I do have back ground in physical and general chemistry

[Unknown303]

Just an FYI WHMIS is something you'll get everywhere you go regardless if you already have it. It's company specific.

[masterburn]

Oh, thank you didn't know that a little searching around and they all just said WHMIS, H2S, and first aid were a must have. Heh

[Graham_A_M]

^ They'll show you're serious and put your foot in the door more so then anybody that doesn't have it (That shows you have initiative and you're serious) but most companies will put you through their programs just the same. Its a waste of money & time on your behalf, but it does help. Thats what I did.

With Chemistry, that wont do too much for you asides from perhaps getting you on with a "frac" company/crew that uses fluids exclusively.
You may want to check out Schlumberger, or other similar companies.

Asides from that, you'll likely be doing something well out of your field.

[masterburn]

Aha I was expecting doing something well out of field. I just wanted to know what are the likelihood of being hired with chemistry ? am I over qualified as a rough neck ? am I under qualified trying to get into MWD ? I have no clue. The goal is to get into MWD but, I doubt it since I don't have a technical degree or oil field experience. I just want to get out there and start working honestly I'd take anything starting from lease hand.

[SKR]

If you're taking chemistry, and want to do chemistry, look for a job in fluids. Drilling, completion, production, frac, cement. They look for people like you. There are tons of opportunities available. Look at Halliburton, Baker Hughes or Schlumberger.

[masterburn]

thanks, I have to remind everyone I haven't graduated though, and the occupations are more physical chemistry side of things. My knowledge in physical chemistry is limited. I'm in organic chemistry, so theres pretty much no chance I'll be doing any MWD ?

[Graham_A_M]

^ I wouldn't say that. I've talked to lots of people from all sort of experience that work in MWD. I have to warn you though, you'll be traveling a LOT. So its really not for everybody. I think MWD is the least physically exerting jobs you can get on the lease. Its long hours, but not hard work.

[masterburn]

yea I know I'll have to travel that why I want to get into it now before I have obligations. No kids, No wife, single and ready to move to where ever. Do you think applying as a lease hand is a better option ? I'm physically capable, I work out 5x a week but then again I can never know the true physicality required until I get out there.

[Graham_A_M]

^ Yeah thats why I got into it, while I was still young & free, but the travel in relation to the pay will get to you like it did me.
Being a leasehand on a rig is probably the best bet. The pay is definitely there, and your hours are set. Its not like you'll get a call at 2am, telling you to be on a lease by 3:30am, and you may be there for days and days. That sucks believe me.

[masterburn]

aha thanks, Well essentially I want to get a camp job so I can just stay at camp and drive to and from the rigs, but if your saying the driving will get to me I use to drive a daily 2 hours to get to school. 4 hours round trip, however I'm sure these drives are going to be like 6+ hours. The reason I want to do MWD is eventually I want to go into office this forum has put the consensus that MWD is a safe bet. Being a lease hand I see myself on the rig for a long time.

[vadeit]

Don't listen to Graham_A_M, it is obvious he has no idea what he is talking about.

I have a BSc chem and have been in the oil industry since graduation (2006). It is a huge industry with many jobs for chemists; including MWD if that is what you heart is set on.

Don't worry about the physical vs organic vs inorganic etc. Unless you are going into R&D no one gives a shit.

PM me.

[effingidiot]

If you're in uni you're overqualified for the field: people who MWD usually have 9 grades of education. Not sure why you would want to waste your time like that if you *really* want to be in the field you'd be better off working at refinery/upgrader/production facility (preferably sagd type but any eor will suffice).

[masterburn]

I messaged. Problem is the pay just as good ? don't want to be paid a lab technicians salary of 16 an hour even after moving all the way out there

[SKR]

If the only reason you want to MWD is because you read it's a good job on Beyond, you need to do more research.

I mean, it's a fine job and all, but every thread here is the same in treating MWD like it's the best job in the oilfield. In reality it probably doesn't pay any better or worse than any other field position. What does a starting MWD hand make, $3-400 a day? There are lots of jobs that will pay that much to inexperienced guys, and you don't have to stay out at the rig all day every day in the small end of a shack.

What I'm saying is, there's nothing wrong with MWD if that's what you want to do, but look around first. Seriously go to any of the companies I mentioned, which all offer MWD among other things, tell them what you are and what you can offer, and they will tell you where you fit in. I have a hard time believing that a person with a chemistry degree, or studying to get one, is best suited to a job that deals with iron and electronics.

[DRKM]

Look at Fracking companies.

[masterburn]

To SKR, you would be surprise how much electronics are involved with chemistry a lot of time we have. Compounds which we don't know what they are and have to do x-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy to peace the puzzles, I chose MWD because it similar to that IMO not knowing what's underground and figuring it out with measurements, I also chose mwd because I want a career not a quick 2 year job then leaving, I can do rough neck jobs now but what to say when I'm 35 or so I'll still be in good shape. I'd take anything. Just need employment, and the options by browsing the forum was either lease hand, rough neck, and MWD so my obvious choice is MWD which is why I'm also on here asking about other options.

To DRKM do frac companies have camps ?? My ideal situation would be to live in camps from the threads mc Murray living expensives can be quite expensive. Also what job should I inquire about when contacting frac companies

[SKR]

Originally posted by masterburn
To SKR, you would be surprise how much electronics are involved with chemistry a lot of time we have. Compounds which we don't know what they are and have to do x-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy to peace the puzzles, I chose MWD because it similar to that IMO not knowing what's underground and figuring it out with measurements, I also chose mwd because I want a career not a quick 2 year job then leaving, I can do rough neck jobs now but what to say when I'm 35 or so I'll still be in good shape. I'd take anything. Just need employment, and the options by browsing the forum was either lease hand, rough neck, and MWD so my obvious choice is MWD which is why I'm also on here asking about other options.

I don't understand what the first half of this post means so I'll take your word for it but it seems more advanced than what you would be doing as an MWD hand on location somewhere.

I get what you mean about the idea of being able to pinpoint your location hundreds or thousands of meters below ground to within maybe a few centimeters. That appealed to me too for a while, and still does every now and then. But there are other jobs that can give you the same challenges.

I am a mud man, and my job is to maintain the mud between certain chemical and physical parameters. My mud has to clean the hole and maintain wellbore stability so that we don't end up getting stuck with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of fancy directional tools downhole. It has to prevent formation damage so once the hole is drilled it will be able to produce. It has to provide lubricity to allow the directional drillers to slide and steer and make hole. And it is the first line of defence against blowouts. You would know what appeals to you better than I would, but as a chemistry student a job with fluids like mine would seem to be more up your alley. And if you're good at it, it's not that hard to go from the field to the office, and then to an operator's office.

If nothing else, while you're stuck in a wellsite shack 24 hours a day, I get to leave. Sometimes it's just to camp, or back to a hotel, but a lot of times I just get to go home. It's nice to be able to leave rather than sitting in the same shack looking at the same rig all day and listening to the autodriller squeak the brakes all night. And I don't have to work with anyone, or work by any set hours. The majority of my time is spent in my truck by myself driving from one location to the next. A lot of my days have me leaving town at 8am and back by 2 or 3pm, and I get paid about the same as an MWD hand does.

Edited to add this:

Originally posted by masterburn
To DRKM do frac companies have camps ?? My ideal situation would be to live in camps from the threads mc Murray living expensives can be quite expensive. Also what job should I inquire about when contacting frac companies

Just about any service company you'd be looking at will pay for your hotels, either give you a vehicle to drive or pay for mileage on your own vehicle, and might pay you for travel days. If you were going to get a job with a frac company you'd probably have to live where the trucks are based out of, but for my job you can within reason live wherever you want. There are lots of mud men who live in Calgary and just hotel it if they have to stay out of town.

As far as what job to ask about, I would just tell them your education and experience, and let them tell you where you fit.