Consultants

If you have a degree, a family member, or photo's of a guy screwing a goat, you can be a consultant. If you have experiance in the field, you are screwed. Operators want robots in the "shack", they will do what they are told, not what they KNOW should do.

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Permalink Reply by Guy Brown on June 16, 2009 at 11:40am: I do have a high school diploma. I also started roughnecking when I was in the 9th grade. Worked morning tour and went to school in the day time. My old man was a driller and I worked for him most of the time while finishing school. Worked my way up through the ranks on the rigs and with a service company (Dowell) before hiring out as a company man in 1980. Started working for my self in 1990 as an independant well site supervisor. I have seen alot in the past 29 years sitting out there in the so called "shack". One thing that I have learned though is to communicate with the operators you are working for. I really don't like the term consultant and I preferre the use of well site supervisor. If asked I do offer my thoughts and discuss the operations in length as well as any possible underlying problems that could arise. If they micro manage the operation, cool, its takes alot of pressure off you, but always remember, your the fall guy. It's you that will be let go if things start to go awry. Heck, they have to point a finger at some one as they will not take the blame themselves for a screw up. It's called CYA, when I am asked to do something silly by a inexperienced engineer, I just asked him to send me an email explaining why and how, usually they will back off and rethink things. I have broke out alot of worms in my 42 years of being in the oilfield, some of them are engineers and are now owners of their own companies or sitting in high places of other companies as they to have climber the ladder. Over the years they have become possible friends and we have built up a trust in each other. I don't think or quite agree with the blow comment but there is something about who you know and what you know; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Karl Eiriksson on June 16, 2009 at 12:56pm: Some good points guys. Yes sometimes they'll just want a yes man to carry out their orders and "follow the program" and yes too, you're in the line of fire when something goes wrong.
But then on the other hand you may wind up working for a drilling Superintendent that I am fortunate to have. He has common sense, his door is open and welcome to suggestions and together we can usually work out a problem, we both know how to listen when the hole is talking to us.
He realizes that the young engineers today are "copy and paste".....when things are going smoothly, theyre on top of their game, but when problems arise, they're the ones in the conference calls with no input, as they're trying to learn first hand to deal with issues.
It's good to have a boss where you can call @ 02:00 and explain the problem once, give him three options as a solution, and he can immediately respond coherently without a "I'll call you back" . I'm lucky to be working for someone that isnt looking for a yes man and possibly keep both his and my butt outta trouble, we has developed a good trust over the years.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Doug Graham on June 16, 2009 at 2:32pm: I have to agree with Guy on this one! I have worked for several Engineers that I would not work for again, have worked for people that wanted to keep me for several more well and I declined because my, call it work ethic, was not the same as theirs. It all boils down to integrity, I go to work every day and my rig crew comes to work every day and at the end of the day I want to send them ALL home to their families in one piece, so to do this I do not take short cuts, I do not put my workers at risk and when shit hits the fan, I dont care what the engineer says, he is not here when it took place, I had to act and act to the best of my knowledge and ability, that is why they pay me and that is why I am here. I know far from everything, and I try to learn new things every day and challange myself without getting in over my head, that is all they can ask for and that is all I can do. If th oil company does not see that or like that then guess what " I was not looking for a job when I got this one" and I will do it again. So in a nutshell if you are sour because you think you are better qualified than that guy who blew his way to the top, make the change, work for someone else, you dont want to work for them anyway, take as much pride in yourself as you do your work and your trade and go where you are apreciated. SOMEONE IS LOOKING FOR SOMEONE JUST LIKE YOU. just my two bits.

DG; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by James A. Letsinger, Jr. on June 18, 2009 at 2:33pm: I started working on spudder rigs drilling water wells with my Daddy when I 13 years old. finished High School and went to Junior college in Uvalde, Texas. All the while working on weekends and summers. We got some small
rotary rigs when I was 20 (and married to my first wife... LOL) I sold out to Dad when I was 24 to keep her from getting any of the company when we divorced (Bet none of ya'll have been through one of those. The currant Wife and I have been together for 32 years July 1,2009.)

I went in oilfield on a barge rig for Matagorda Marine Drilling in 1974 in worm corner then going to floors for 2 years, worked derricks for 13 years, drilled for 10 years, pushed tools for 4 years and have been consulting for the last 8 years., guess thats about 33 years not counting the water wells.

I have drilled around the world (on land and off-shore) with nearly every medium from dry air and downhole hammers to senthetic oilbase mud. Straight, "S" curves, short & long radius horzontial wells. I guess I was a pretty good roughneck because during the down turns in the 70's, 80's & 90"s I managed to work when others did not, although if I listed all the companies I have worked for it would lok like the oilfield yellow pages in Houston. That is untill now it seems I can't buy a job now I have been out of work since November 2008 and it don't look good here in West Texas. I guess the companies don't want a 60 year old consultant.

So all you guys remember what my Daddy said.
"Keep your mind on the bottom of the hole and you won't go wrong."

Well thats my history.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Frank J. Shattuck on February 19, 2010 at 1:34pm: After 60 years old just use you when they can:t find anyone else. Im 66; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Chuck Marsh on June 20, 2009 at 8:25am: Hate to burst your bubble, but I earned my spot in the trailer house. Don't have a sheepskin or the initials PE after my name no family members in high positions in oil companies, aint never been caught with no farm animals, BUT you are right about some Operators wanting "Yes Men" in the trailer. They are there to take the fall when the engineer has completely screwed the pooch and damn near lost the well, that's where guys like myself come in and fix the screw ups the 'Degreed Fellers' have created. I've been at this for over 37 years now, can work from the crown to the ground, worked from McAllen, Tx to Miles City, Montana, from Zanesville, Ohio to Bakersfield, Ca on over to Chengu Du China to the dessert in the KSA and on to the dark continent and back to the USA, so I've got a little experience. It's all in the reputation, you got to have a good one, and, make your own luck, be willing to listen and be able to explain why something will or will not work, and always 'think out side the box' I really hate that expression. Oooohhh, weeeelllll; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by TDK on June 20, 2009 at 10:30am: Funny how a lot of our bio's are so similar. I quituated high school in the 10th grade and started roughnecking for my old man. Worked all through the 80's bust but had to pack up and go where the work was. Started working overseas in '90, came home in '05 and started consulting.
I have worked for 3 companies. The first I worked under an engineer. He wasn't bad, didn't know shit about drilling, let us do our job without too much interference. Spent a lot of time explaining to him why that won't work. Then hired out to a company that had a drilling superintendent who was an old rig hand. Best job I ever had. Guy was great to work for. He ran interference between us in the field and the engineers in the office. But that co. got bought out and the new one used their PE's for supers. Hated that job. I hate working for engineers. They seem to think that if you don't have letters after your name you don't know anything.
There was a movement awhile back that wanted to require 2 years in the field experience in order to get a PE degree. Sounds good to me.
I'm in the same boat as others. Been laid off since Feb. So many of us out there looking that what few jobs come up the co's can be very picky. And the contractors won't hire us because they know we will go back to consulting when things pick up. I've resigned myself to just waiting it out. Looks like things may be getting ready to pick back up. I have talked to a couple of co's that are expecting to start picking rigs up in the 4th quarter. I thought I was in good shape. I had 6 months of bills paid ahead, 6 months of living expenses in savings. Never thought it wouldn't be enough. Next time I will have a year's worth!! Hang in fellas, it will turn around.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by James A. Letsinger, Jr. on June 20, 2009 at 1:32pm: Hey guys, when I first broke out most of the PE’S were form the old school. They had there coarse studies in the fall and spring but in the summers they spent at least 6 weeks lab work in the patch with the hands they would some day boss. They were really good company men and knew their stuff. Then it all changed in the mid-70”s and they went on theory only. The patch hasn’t been the same since.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Taylor Mullaly on June 23, 2009 at 4:51pm: Well it looks like the good guys answered. Yea I am damned near embarassed to call myself a consultant. Because like in the 80's everybody and their brother is now a consultant. Or were a year ago. Guy I think I used to work with you but I cant be sure. Oh well the worms weed themselves out every time and go somewhere else andend up as "Have beens". The rest of us stay because this is the only thing we know. As far as robots - I wont do it. I have had those companies offer me a job. Turned it down. Don't want to be just a paper shuffler. I always like the small independents. The engineer usually knows his stuff and he doesnt want you bothering him. I always like the worms when they call you in the middle of the night on a completion with "trouble". Damn what do you want me to do about it now. I dont call my engineer at night. Why wake his ass up whether your drilling or completing. I guess with some thats what you are directed to do. Screw that. If I cant pick my own bit or if someone has to tell me I can pull it I am going to be a Pecan Farmer. Pick nuts instead of talking to them on the phone. Skinny Taylor Mullaly; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by T L Strickland on June 23, 2009 at 6:14pm: I'll drink one to that!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Taylor Mullaly on June 24, 2009 at 8:21pm: Strickland, I think we are cut out of the same cloth and thats scary! Skinny; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Chris Keilberg on July 13, 2009 at 12:21pm: Is anybody here consulting in the Marcellus ? What material does the typical casing program consist of there ?
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