Alberta Oil Careers

Category: Oil Field

  • Description of Oil Field Trucking Jobs

    The trucking industry is quite interesting in that there are not only many different types of trucks and drivers but the work itself is interesting. Even when looking at oil field trucking jobs, many of the same types of positions would be available although there is one very important difference.

    When comparing conventional truck driving jobs with oil field trucking jobs, those associated with the oil and gas industry typically pay more. However, there is a reason for this in that the type of driving is more dangerous because of freight being hauled. Drivers for oil companies would also drive short hauls or local routes, as well as long hauls, which means over-the-road and long distances.

    The really great news beyond excellent pay is that jobs are in abundance, especially for certain types of haulers and in some geographic locations. Therefore, for the person looking to find a great job in the oil industry but who has no engineering type experience, working one of the many oil field trucking jobs might be a consideration.

     

    Job Market

    Although the oil and gas industry was hit hard by the recent economic downfall, it has not only recovered but is now thriving. Because of this all types of workers are needed. Most people are still unaware of the amount of crude oil being produced in the United States, with the majority being hauled by drivers to intended markets.

    As a driver transporting product, oil would be picked up in an 18-wheeler followed by being delivered to terminals or refineries. Today, a number of smaller to mid-sized trucking companies handle work such as this, providing people with options. For larger companies with open oil field trucking jobs, some of the finest include Permian Crude Transport, Coastal States, Tesoro Petroleum, and Koch Industries.

    Now, along with oil field trucking jobs involving transportation of crude oil, other driving related jobs exist. For example, a vacuum truck driving job would be one that moves brine water or salt used for the majority of the country’s oil wells. These trucks would transport the liquid to facilities with disposal wells. Although the work is quite different, both jobs are in demand and the pay is similar for both. (more…)

  • A Complete Overview of the Various Oil Field Security Jobs

    Although there are a number of different oil field security jobs, as with any jobs in this industry, some are more unique than others. Because some doing a unique job is important to some people interested in the oil and gas industry, it is important to understand the various types of jobs that are currently in high demand. For most of these jobs, a person would not start out at these levels, but through specialized education and training, advance to a higher position, one with great stability and pay.

    The majority of oil field security jobs entail the same type of responsibilities being carried regardless of geographic location out but there could be subtle differences based on the country in which a person works, as well as the company or government entity working for. For the sake of information provided, we provided a few of the unique oil field security jobs found throughout North America.

     

    Senior Director – Global Markets

    As part of this role, it would be common for the Senior Director to create a top-rated forecasting system of the global macro-economy whereby information could be obtained and reported on quarterly. With this, appropriate technology would be utilized so knowledgeable customers would have the ability to develop forecasts in a way that would work best. To accomplish this, this professional would work with a team of professionals with multi-disciplinary roles for the design, development, testing, and execution of such system.

    Other vital responsibilities include providing project management and collaborating with other senior team members or executives specific to forecasting and modeling. With this, economics could be strengthened and risk reduced as a means of enhancing professionalism.

    To enjoy the benefits that come from a position such as this, an individual would need to possess a PhD in economics with focus in econometrics, international economics, and macroeconomics, as well as 10 years minimum designing and working on large scale economic projects. (more…)

  • Opportunities for Oil Field Jobs Overseas

    While some people interested in the oil field industry or those already performing some type of work prefer working on US soil, others want to see what opportunities for oil field jobs overseas has to offer. Although principles and disciplines of this particular industry would be the same, because of work being in different countries, some variances might be found. However, for jobs in the United States, as well as those in foreign countries, this continues to be a career path in high demand and one that provides the ability to make a lucrative income.

    Just as there are tremendous opportunities for a wide range of jobs domestically, an individual would be able to find a wide array of possibilities overseas. Therefore, someone working on a lower end job or holding a top executive position would discovery viable options for oil field jobs overseas.

    Some of the oil field jobs overseas that most people think of are drillers, roughnecks, tool pushers, and so on but along with these, an operation pertaining to oil is very complex, which means skill of all types is needed for every project. Some of the additional career opportunities outside the scope of traditional oil field jobs are provided below.

     

    Construction Project Manager

    Often, working for an US-based firm in a foreign land is an opportunity waiting for the right person. For instance, a job that entailed the combination of construction, engineering, and oil field experience would be able to make between $150,000 and $180,000 in US dollars a year. In this role, the person would be responsible for the success of a construction project specific to the oil field industry to include staying within budget, on scope, and in line with scheduled completion.

    The main job duties for oil field jobs overseas such as this would involve planning and managing activities and schedules for the assigned construction project, but also serve as a liaison and consultant to various project teams, clients, and even government agencies. Standard requirements include being a United States citizen, having 10 years of construction management experience, holding a Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree or other related degree, possessing security clearance or being eligible, and preferably, having experience or at least knowledge of the oil field industry in general. (more…)

  • Tips for Securing Offshore Oil Field Jobs

    With the oil industry experiencing significant growth, the number of offshore oil field jobs has exploded. Whether on an entry or executive level, jobs right now in many parts of North America and beyond are in abundance. While this is obviously great news for the economy, it is also valuable pertaining to job security. However, this also means that competition for jobs is extremely high. After all, during the recent financial crisis, people lost jobs, were forced to take early retirement, or reduced to a lower paying positions. Because of this, multiple people are vying for the same offshore oil field jobs. Therefore, having insight into getting noticed would certainly increase the odds of being hired. To give someone a boost that has interest in working within the oil industry but who also realizes competition is tight, the information provided would prove helpful.

     

    Be Realistic

    With so many available jobs, a person could quickly become enthralled with all the publicity that oftenincludes over stated claims. For example, websites that make promises of someone being hired for an entry level job while making $8,000 to $12,000 a month has unfortunately become all too common. For people eager to get started in a secure industry while making great money, glossing over the fine print can lead to disaster. Instead of getting sucked into an empty promise, one that could actually cost a person precious money, one of the first steps would be looking at different offshore oil field jobs of interest so the person could learn as much as possible about responsibilities, qualifications, pay, and job stability. That way, if a company states someone could earn $10,000 a month doing a specific job, the person would know immediately if the claim was realistic or a scam. Although there are some entry level jobs that require little to no special education and/or training and jobs that pay well, the majority of positions of any level within the oil industry need some type of education, training, or experience. However, a person should not be discouraged from looking at all possibilities when conducting research. An important note is with the number of offshore oil jobs growing and expected to remain stable for 20 to 30years it might be a worthwhile investment to get some degree of education, training, or experience prior to making application.

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  • Job Profile: Service Rig Roughneck

    In this guide we meet Shawn, a roughneck on a service rig operated by Great Plains Well Servicing in Brooks Alberta and learn first hand about what a roughneck’s life and job are like.

    Salary: $45,000 – $85,000
    Education: High School plus basic oilfield safety courses
    Progression: Derrickhand, Driller, Rig Manager, Consultant
    These are typical for a roughneck but will vary from company to company.

    Hi, my name is Shawn and I’m a roughneck on one of Great Plains Well Servicing service rigs in Brooks Alberta. I work with a crew of four other guys, the rig manager (tool push), the rig operator (driller), a derrickman (derrickhand), and another roughneck.

    Unlike a drilling rig a service rig is a small mobile operation that gets wells ready for production and services wells that have stopped flowing. We also work with other crews such as a frac crew, or a perforating unit, to enhance well production.

    I just started working in the oil patch a few months ago and this has been my only job so far. So far I enjoy my job, I am making a lot of money, I have fun with my coworkers, I get to travel a lot, and there is plenty of room for advancement. Once I get a few more months experience I can become a derrickhand, and from there a driller, a tool push, and then a consultant.

    My work day typically starts at around 7:00 am and lasts until around 7:00 pm. When we get to our job location (lease) we rig up our equipment and if we are already on location then I start the rigs light plant and head to the doghouse (the crew quarters). When I get inside the first thing I do is turn the heat on and make coffee. Once the coffee is brewing I get changed into my work gear.

    Once the entire crew has their work gear on we hold a general safety meeting. We go over basic things to remind everyone to do their jobs safely. Once the safety meeting is over I make sure I am the first person out of the doghouse and ready to work. I start preparing all of the tools we are going to need for the day and if the derrickhand needs help getting his pump lines ready I give him a hand.

    Once the rig is ready and all of our tools are prepared we hold another meeting. At this meeting we discuss what we will be doing to the well that day and talk to any other crews that will be on location performing a service.

    Depending on what the oil company wants us to do to the well determines what I will be doing for the day. Sometimes I get to help run tubing in and out of the well with a large hydraulic wrench we call “tongs” and sometimes I spend entire days cleaning and repairing tools and parts.

    It is very important to always be doing something, if I don’t have anything to do I talk to my driller and ask him if there is anything he wants me to do, if not I ask my derrickhand. Sometimes I spend all day scrubbing tools and the trucks.

    Here are more articles regarding oil field jobs:

  • Job Profile: Well Tester

    In this guide we look at the job of a well tester, what well testers do, their salary, and what you need in order to become a well tester.

    Salary: $40,000 – $60,000
    Education: High School plus basic oilfield safety courses
    Progression:In this guide we look at the job of a well tester, what well testers do, their salary, and what you need in order to become a well tester. Assistant Operator, Operator, Crew Supervisor
    These are typical wages for a well tester but will vary from company to company.

    Well testers or flow testers as they are sometimes called are usually one of the last crews that work on a well before it begins sending oil or gas to the refinery. Well testers do various tests on the wells to get information such as a well’s flow rate, pressure, salinity levels, or anything the oil company wants to know about the well.

    A well tester travels from well to well conducting various tests on each well and they usually travel in a crew of 2 or 3 people, a supervisor, an operator, and an assistant operator.

    A well testers job can be vary strenuous at times, they are away from home for long periods of time, they work in extreme weather conditions, do a lot of heavy lifting, and there is an element of danger involved with their job.

    Well testing is a great entry level job in Alberta’s oil field. Well testers typically earn between $40,000 and $60,000 a year depending on how much work a crew does in a year and what position you hold in the crew and there is plenty of room for advancement into other fields of work.

    Here are some articles that feature the cities in Alberta and it’s oil industry:

  • A Day in the Life of a Service Roughneck

    In this guide we talk about the life of a roughneck on a service rig, what your life will be like, the pay, your job duties, and what to expect while working in the Alberta oil fields.
    Before we talk about a roughneck’s life first let me explain to you what a service rig is. When most people hear the term “oil rig” they typically think of a drilling rig operation which drills new wells and installs casing pipe.

    Service rigs are different than drilling rigs in many aspects; for starters they do different things to a well. While drilling rigs are used to drill a new well service rigs perform services on wells that have already been made. Service rigs performs such tasks as completing wells that have just been drilled, fixed wells that do not produce oil, and abandoning old wells that have stopped producing.

    Service rig operations are much smaller then drilling rig operations and are usually manned by a crew of 4-6 people. A service rig crew generally consists of a tool push (the boss), a driller (second in command), a derrickhand, and 1-2 roughnecks. If you are new to the oil patch (e.g. have no experiences in the oil patch [green]) you will start out on a crew as a roughneck.

    In the chain of command the roughneck is on the bottom rung, or in other words is the lowest man on the totem pole, but hey, we all start out somewhere right? The service rig crew’s roughneck(s) is responsible for all of the menial and unskilled tasks the other crew members don’t have time to do (or want to do).

    A roughneck on a service rig is responsible for everything from making the coffee in the morning to greasing the axels on the rig. On a typical morning the roughneck will wake up between 5 am and 6am (depending on how far away from the jobsite you are), prepare for work, and wait in the crew truck. The roughneck should always be the first person in the crew truck; this will show the tool push and driller you are ready for a hard days work. Once the tool push, driller, and derrickhand make their way to the crew truck you are off to work.

    Once at work the roughneck should be the first one in the doghouse (crew quarters) and making coffee and turning on the heat. Once you have the coffee brewed and the heat cranked the roughneck should get his work gear on which includes coveralls, hard hat, steel toed boots, and work gloves. When you are dressed you should go out to the rig and get all the tools ready for the day. It is important that the roughneck be the first one out of the doghouse every morning, again this shows your boss you are a hard worker.

    Once all of the tools are ready you wait outside for your driller to come and tell you what to do. When you are outside you do anything and everything your driller tells you to do, and if he is not around you do whatever the derrickhand tells you to do. They may ask you to do anything from making them coffee to cleaning out the restroom, and if they don’t have anything for you to do then you find something to clean. A roughneck should always be doing something and should never be doing nothing unless told to take a break.

    The job description of a roughneck may not sound pleasant but their current pay rates are more then that. A typical roughneck’s salary right now in Alberta ranges from $22 to $28 per hour depending on what company you decide to work for plus you are able to make certain bonuses such as danger pay, out of town allowances, overtime, and holiday pay which can add up to quite a bit of money on top of your regular wage.

    Here are some articles regarding oil rig jobs:

  • Basic Requirements for a Job in Alberta’s Oil Field

    Basic Requirements for a Job in Alberta’s Oil Field

    This guide outlines the basic requirements you should have before looking for work in the Alberta oil field jobs and what employers are looking for when hiring new employees. Working in Alberta’s oil field jobs can be a very satisfying livelihood but at the same time it can be very demanding. Working long hours, long periods of time away from home, and working in the elements are very common in most oilfield jobs but so are above average pay, travel, and working in the great outdoors.

    When it comes to working in the oil field you have to take the good with the bad and realize that these types of jobs won’t suit everyone, but for the right individual the oil field can provide a very satisfying career.

    Each individual company will have their own set of requirements for hiring a new employee but here is a list of common requirements found in Albertan oil field employers:

    • High school education
    • Class III or class I (class V in some provinces) clean drivers license
    • You must be physically fit (i.e. normal blood pressure, strong, be in half decent shape)
    • Be drug free (they will test you)

    While those are the basic requirements most employers in the oil field jobs are looking for here are some of the skills you should possess if you would like to succeed in the industry:

    • Be able to read and write
    • Be able to communicate yourself and your ideas verbally
    • Problem solving skills
    • Planning and organizational skills
    • Plans and documentation skills (read maps, plans, ect.)
    • Math and science skills
    • Be mechanically apt

    Here are some articles related to Alberta’s oil industry:

  • Construction Oil Field Job Opportunities

    Specific to oil field construction jobs, a number of different possibilities exist. Each job involves specific duties, has unique requirements for employment, and offers a specific pay level. The nice thing about jobs of this type is that they are so varied. As a result, someone could work in the oil field with very little experience or secure a top position and the lucrative income that goes with it.

    Because the types of oil field construction jobs are so varied, we felt it would be helpful to provide details on some of those. With this information, an individual would have the chance to see the opportunities that exist for this industry, making it easier to know if working in construction related jobs connected to oil fields would be a good career match.

    Construction Planner and Scheduler

    The first of the oil field construction jobs we wanted to mention is the planner and scheduler. In this role, the individual would have the responsibility of planning but also scheduling all work on site in support of the various operations for drilling. In addition, the person would order, receive, store, take inventory, distribute, and ship any needed tools, supplies, parts, and equipment to different locations of operation. Additionally, maintaining accurate records and building an MMR catalog are typically required.

    (more…)