Alberta oilfield driving jobs

OH.. and by the way...

H A P P Y N E W Y E AR TO All

 

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-...y-u-s-oil-output-rises-as-prices-plummet.html
doesnt sound like its all doom and gloom

 

That Bloomberg story is about "low-cost" oil in the USA. Alberta has high-cost oil.

 

Spot on. And talks mostly about downstream activity. Nice to hear that wells won't be shut off. But it doesn't mean much to your average AB oilpatch guy.

We need to know if E&P budgets are being slashed.
Rig count was mentioned above, definitely need to know what the numbers look like. I've read that a few companies focused on gas are maintaining average drilling activity into 2015.
Some companies are locking in budgets for gas plays (Encana being one), and record sales of leases in NE BC.
But will they sit on that land and not explore til prices increase back to higher natural gas levels?
OR - to reframe the question - why drill, complete, and build a pipeline if the output end (LNG terminals) aren't ready yet?
Rig count is tied directly to drilling and related services (pipe, cement, rig moves, road construction etc) .
Also impacts completions, affecting frac, service rigs, coiled tubing, testing, snubbing, chemicals, and parts.
Nobody wants to see entire frac crews sitting idle, or equipment being parked in the yard for weeks at a time.
Lots of jobs potentially affected in Edmonton, Nisku, etc where the big manufacturing and supply companies are based.
Shallow oil in SE SK might be slowing down quickly.
The big question is pipelines to the coast and LNG, where's all that at? Nobody really seems to know the details, but the big picture is Asian economies slowing down, games being played between investors and BC Government, against huge opportunity to develop LNG infrastructure, but we're playing catch up with US and Australian LNG providers.

I've not really seen, read, or heard anything really bad so far, so I'd just keep an eye on industry and media information and see what all the various companies are doing right now. Mid to late January will probably be a better time to start hearing about decisions being made. Or take a drive around Red Deer, Nisku, GP and see what the various companies' yards look like. Usually there's a bit of equipment in there, but are they rammed full?

The Saudi royals are starting to get concerned about the oil minister and OPEC, because they face (I think this number is correct) a US$800bn shortfall in revenue. Not something they are particularly comfortable with. Expect pressure to be put on the government, to the point that it has already been suggested the oil minister resign. When Saudi royalty is doing that, something positive should result from it.

For those looking to head to AB for work, companies still need people. Turnover of employees is always high, typically anything from 25-100% per year, and you may find you can get your feet in the door. Might take luck and/or perseverance, but the oil and gas industry has to keep moving ahead. It might mean having to do a bit of work to find a job, rather than anyone with a heartbeat getting a job. You might have to bring a Class 1 and tickets, instead of asking for driver training. Maybe we'd see fewer guys that last a week or a month, or quit after getting all their tickets and go next door for $1/hour more, or follow their buddies to another place like high school kids. Maybe managers can have a rid out of guys that don't care about the job and take no pride in their work - the "warm bodies" and superstar drivers that are needed when things are busy. And that aspect alone, might be one good thing to come out of the present situation. Everyone has to step things up a notch, and I'm OK with that.

Make a phone call, talk to a recruiter (who don't usually know much more than numbers of bodies they need to fill each day/week/month). But you might get some insight.

Happy 2015 to all, let's hope we all ride through this OK.


Stay safe.

 

Not directly related to my job either but interesting all the same to watch what's going on close by to us.

 

Here's the place to get the rig counts.


http://www.caodc.ca/rig-counts

 

Thanks for the response guys.. Yea I am still debating it. I have an interview in Sylvan lake for CanadianWell Isolation. Has anyone heard of them ? Right now I am taking home around 9 k a month will it be comparable money? really don't want to make the wrong decision here. Thanks for your guys help. you guys are a ton of help.

 

Where do you live now???

 

Renting a room In GP at the moment wife and kids in Richmond BC. she is from Calgary and prefers to live there than GP im just not sure if leaving 10 k a month is gonna be worth it or will regret it.. there are lots of perks with the wellhead iso job as shop day is only till around noon and weekends off and usually home at nights when working around town. Here I am gone most of the time. I would trade make the trade of a 1-2 thousand less to be home with the family more and live in sylvan.. what to do....

 

CWI - One of the posters on this forum works for them, I've never heard bad things said about them.

OK so currently $9 clear a month. Is that a good month, average? What's the T4 say for a full year taking into account ups and downs? Including March-June, slower months, months with vacation time.

Need to compare this with figures quoted by CWI to be realistic.

Regardless, your approach to taking a pay cut to be home more makes sense, but how much? Too many guys look for $ not happiness, quality of life. Looks like you are thinking the right way, looking at the perks, work-life balance, home life, etc.

Wellhead control is a job you can grow with. How long can you frac for? Worth thinking about.

One thing about Sylvan Lake, it's very pretentious, lots of keeping up with the Jones's. Just a misery trap if you play into that scene.