Opportunity to go Co-man

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Joe lilley on January 22, 2011 at 2:15pm

Most hands that go the Co Man route usually aren't ex MWD hands. I have been told they don't make good Co Men. WORM!!!!!

Permalink Reply by Kim Bufton on January 22, 2011 at 5:16pm

While becoming a Co Man is a good career choice for a lot of people, it is not necessarily the best for a lot of others. Those that do, and are suited to it, are usually the guys who are sticklers for detail; you will get a lot that will require attention to a lot of detail. The fly by the seat of your pants Co Man is a thing of the past these days, so unless you are a stickler for the detail it probably will not be the best move. Most Co Man, especially those starting out, have very little to say in the day to day operations, what you are told to do on the phone at the morning call is what you will be doing, any change would also require a phone call to the office for permission before you do anything. What you will be doing is making a lot of phone calls, doing a lot of logistical and safety oriented business. So much so, that you are glad when you get a good DD on the rig to take over the drilling aspect while you get one with the rest of the 1001 details.

I worked from rousty to rig manager, then went Co Man in Indonesia, lucky, it was a small outfit and I pretty much ran it myself. However, I then went Co Man for a major in the North Sea, and I had no time to deal with the pesky drilling side of things, there were much bigger fish to fry. I moved over to my current employer as Co Man on integrated solutions wells in South America, when that work came to an end I stayed on as DD. Best of all worlds, you take care of the drilling, have very little in the way of responsibility, and unless you miss the target, it aint your fault. Luckily, after 33 years I do not need to chase big buck anymore, and frankly I currently get paid close to industry standards for Co Man (I always work deep water, and only get $67 a day less than the Co Man on this rig) and I understand for others this is not the case.

However, at the end of the day I would say go for it if your up for the challenge, you will lean a whole lot more that the average DD on the rig will ever know. He goes when the drilling stops, you will have completions etc, then there is the time you will spend in the office and that, my friend, is a whole different ball game and will be the steepest learning curve. Also, the shakeout in the industry due to the gulf mess is going to change the landscape completely in the offshore environment, so you will need to be prepared for a whole lot more paperwork and new, exacting, industry standards to meet. Good luck.

By the way, a buddy of mine went from MWD, DD to Co Man, doing very well at it too, but he always was a smart guy who loves detail, so it was no surprise. He still emails me to ask questions on drilling, so the fact that he is not scared to ask questions makes him a cut above average as well.

Permalink Reply by Nick Broussard on January 23, 2011 at 10:45am

Thanks man, the main reason I want to do it is to learn more. More money and a schedule is nice too though. The only way I'd go is if I could work nights for someone I knew, they'd be more patient and easier to work with if there was something I didn't know. I'm just not sure if I want to go that route or stay with Halliburton and eventually move up, I'm thinking sales. Not sure..

@ Joe: kiss my a** worm, most MWD hands don't move up within a year and end up Sr. hands makin' lead hand pay.......worm..

Permalink Reply by Joe lilley on January 25, 2011 at 10:55am

They do if they kiss Lane Keen's b***....... U smoocher!!!!!!

Permalink Reply by Nick Broussard on January 25, 2011 at 11:52am

Bwahahaha, Chris Scrantz and John Jordan were my first bosses there fool, you're just mad cuz Lane said you tore up a computer and put you as "NOT re-hirable".......lol worm..

Permalink Reply by Monte R. Teague on February 6, 2011 at 3:26pm

The most important person on the drill site is a "GOOD" Directional Driller. No need to be a company secretary. A "GOOD" directional driller will usually never be out of work.

Permalink Reply by Joe lilley on March 18, 2011 at 8:26am

The Directional Driller and the Company man


A man is flying in a hot air balloon and realizes he is lost. He reduces height and spots a man down below. He lowers the balloon further and shouts: 'Excuse me, can you help me? I promised my friend I would meet him half an hour ago, but I don't know where I am'



The man below says: 'Yes. You are in a hot air balloon, hovering approximately 30 feet above this field. You are between 40 and 42 degrees N. latitude, and between 58 and 60 degrees W. longitude'



'You must be a Directional Driller,' says the balloonist.



'I am,' replies the man. 'How did you know?'



'Well,' says the balloonist, 'everything you have told me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to make of your information, and the fact is I a m still lost.



The man below says, 'You must be a Co man.'



'I am,' replies the balloonist, 'but how did you know?'



'Well,' says the man, 'you don't know where you are, or where you are going. You have made a promise which you have no idea how to keep, and you expect me to solve your problem. The fact is you are in the exact same position you were in before we met, but now it is somehow my fault.'