Oil Field Jobs
Oil companies run through workers at oil fields and offshore rigs quickly. The work is stressful, physically strenuous, risky, often involves long stays away from civilization and involves getting quite dirty. On the upside, it pays very well for the level of education expected of most workers and can lead to high-paying jobs in the energy industry all over the world.
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Significance
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Oil accumulates in underground reservoirs buried deep beneath the earth. Oil companies install rigs in areas rich in this valuable natural resource to extract crude oil in oil fields; the oil is sent away for refining. Workers at oil fields construct, service and maintain the oil rigs or support the employees. Some workers also focus on the seismic imagery and exploration part of the business, mapping out reservoirs and searching for new sources of oil.
Function
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The most common workers at oil fields are Roustabouts and Roughnecks. Both are untrained manual laborers, with Roughnecks acting as a slight promotion over the former term. These workers must be strong, cautious and efficient workers capable of working 12 hours straight on a regular basis. They often have to connect pipes together, conduct small-scale drilling and operate heavy machinery. Other types of Roughnecks deal with different aspects of a rig and require varying levels of expertise.
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Features
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Many service industry and other non-oil-related positions are also available for servicing oil field workers: caterers, doctors, nurses, physical therapists, construction workers, cleaning contractors, loggers, fire safety companies, electricians and more. These jobs are often less strenuous and demanding than those involved directly with oil machinery, although they may offer significantly higher salaries during periods in which the oil price is extraordinarily high.
Effects
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Wages in the oil industry depend heavily on the price of oil on the global market. When the price is very high, oil companies tend to work to increase production as much and as quickly as possible. They expect workers to put in far longer hours but will compensate higher accordingly, as well as offering significant overtime pay. For healthy, strong people with few attachments, work on an oil field can be an excellent way to make money and gain work experience.
Benefits
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Specialized workers, such as engineers, will not need to work as long hours in most cases and are better compensated. Unskilled workers can be very well compensated if they are willing to work overtime on a regular basis. Also, many companies offer stipends for living expenses and offer to pay for housing. Some offer health and retirement benefits. Job security can be relatively poor if a downturn strikes the oil industry, as in many cases entire rigs or regions are left fallow to await a return to higher prices.
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Resources
- Photo Credit KB35, Flickr
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Comments
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OIL Field going big in North West USA.
