Rothman states in the comment section of the post his reasoning behind writing the post saying, “ I actually wrote this post because I was recently laid off from my roughnecking job (they stacked half of our rigs) and I am trying to gain attention among industry professionals like yourselves.”
Good Luck Alec on the job search,hope the article/blog thing works out for ya
They get days off? WTH? I can remember going for about 6 months at a time(a lot of times actually) working 7/12 with no days off. Death included, unless you brought a not from the mortuary. :>}
Glad I went to college.
When my Son was a tech, tearing down oil tools in the shop( His first Post-Navy job) He’d bring home the grottiest coveralls I’d ever seen.
He’s now a MWD Engr and seldom gets even a couple days off between rigs. Then before Thanksgiving he got off 3 weeks, not knowing if every day He’d get the call. And of course late Thanksgiving eve he got the call. Later, since I was going his direction to go hunting, I drove out and delivered him his Thanksgiving dinner.
Well I worked as a roustabout for 2 summers and got a taste of what it is like to work 36 hrs, sleep 9 hrs then work 36 hrs more. Great incentive to finish college!
I met a kid back in the 70s who was working as a roughneck in Oman, making 4 times as much money as I was. After he described his typical tour of duty, I was no longer envious. I think itwas 3 weeks on, then a month off, but “home” was a 2-day commute at his expense.
This guy can go right to work on the pulling units.
Its different but in some ways still the same.
I worked as a medic on the North Slope for 26 years. Started 7 on/7 off (which was really 8/6 due to travel), then went to 10/11/11/10 on a 3 week rotation, and ended up at 14/14. I liked the 10/11 schedule the best.
When working 14/14 I learned that I was productive for 10 days and then developed the 1000 yard stare. It took 2-3 days after I got home before I was pleasant to be around.
You don’t realize how stressful these schedules are until you quit. I’ve been offered similar jobs since and turned them down. Sleeping in your own bed every night is worth a lot.
later
And then there’s the “Ginsel”, the roughneck’s helper and then there’s the “Ginsel worm”, the “Ginsel’s” helper......................
“You turn a pipe wrench as fast as humanly possible while the Driller verbally harasses you over the loud speaker insulting your work ethic and manhood”
Boy! Does that bring back memories of my earlier years. However, back then the word SAFETY did not exist.
Being a roughneck is a thankless hard job. I really appreciated and enjoyed the article for it actually shows what it is like.
Roughnecking is not for “sissies” and you have to be strong both mentally and physically for fights are common and insults to your “manhood” and family lineage are a common language.
Trippin pipe on an oil rig is a rite of male passage back in my earlier days.
Back in the 80’s a favorite bumper sticker on oilfield equipment and vehicles went like this....”
“Don’t tell my mother I work in the oilfield. She thinks I play a piano in a whorehouse.”
I Loved it!
Big deal...I would have happily worked 7 x 7. I spent years on a 21 on and 9 off, (two travel days) in the Andes of South America and I lived in Chile. In Africa it was 45-days on and 18 off which included 4-travel days in the 18 off. Just finished a two-year job in Canada of 19 on and 7 off.
We would have laughed at a 7x7 schedule.
Back in the day..it was 28/28 Flying out of Texas to ME oilfields.