Location, location, location

Who's hiring in west Texas

 

I prefer the Permian Basin for several reasons.
There's just so much oil there, has been for decades and will be for many more because they're still drilling into new formations.
It costs less to drill and complete wells there than in other plays like the Eagle Ford (b/c the formations aren't as tight) so companies are more likely to bring new wells online there.
Community relations there are much better than in the Barnett shale, for one.
The weather is much better than the Bakken, and the cost of living isn't quite as high.

 

When I left, the Delaware Basin was still going strong, and production was starting to shift a little bit to the West around the area from Carlsbad down to Orla and Pecos. I don't know anything about the Midland Basin, but I would definitely recommend you check into it.

Oil will give you a more consistent income over time, because it's midstream. Sand, being upstream, will have more ups and downs just depending on how much drilling & completion activity is occurring. Also, I've heard rumors of a lot of rate-cutting and unpaid waiting time in the sand business.

If you decide to do sand, look for an established company like Chalk Mountain. If you do oil, look for a first purchaser that hauls their own oil, like Enterprise ($5K sign-on bonus at the Hobbs, Monahans, and Midland terminals) or Energy Transfer.

 

Do you prefer hot or cold? Hot? Permian. Cold? Bakken.

There's not really any in-between with the weather.

I've known of some who would drive ND from May-October, then TX from November-April. Heck, I knew a guy who drove ND in the summer and AK in the winter because it was warmer in AK!

 

Don't forget your health.
No amount of money is worth ruining it.

 

Crude Haulers Wanted!! Average $4000/wk - transportation - job...

They're advertising 4k a week...

 

They may claim it, but no company driver is hauling crude at $4k/week. Hell, I was only making $2.5k/week when I did it, but that was 7 years ago so pay has risen... but *not* to $208,000/year.

 

Sounds like owner operator rates doesn't it!

It's no different than thinking 80% is more than 75% without looking at the specifics first.

If I were looking for oilfield work I'd be calling up companies like the ad I shared and writing down the take-home pay/benefits and going where the money is.