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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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 Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 5:28 pm Post subject: Anyone quit Korea to work in the oilpatch? |
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| Just curious if you know anyone who's done it. One of my cousin's is make 7 to 8 thousand a month and to think of how wages here and living costs have changed, it makes me wonder if it's time to do something else. He lives just outside Edmonton. So, he's technically not in the oil patch itself or up in Fort McMurray (Fort McMoney as some call it). |
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waynehead
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
Location: Jongno
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| Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 7:14 pm Post subject: |
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| Ha, I thought you meant the mid-east. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 7:41 pm Post subject: Re: Anyone quit Korea to work in the oilpatch? |
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| Weigookin74 wrote: |
| Just curious if you know anyone who's done it. One of my cousin's is make 7 to 8 thousand a month and to think of how wages here and living costs have changed, it makes me wonder if it's time to do something else. He lives just outside Edmonton. So, he's technically not in the oil patch itself or up in Fort McMurray (Fort McMoney as some call it). |
Little brother is in the patch (mostly working on service rigs between Edm and Lloyd). He pulls in about 8k per month with overtime (85k last year), has a nice home in Sherwood Park and enjoys a month or 2 on the beaches of Mexico or Cuba every winter.
The Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn1YFOk_3e0
If you have any experience at all in the patch you can easily find jobs (floorhand) around Nisku starting at $50k. http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/jobposting.do?fter=S&pcd=AB&wid=bf&sort=D&id=13177478&source=searchresults
rates: http://www.caodc.ca/service-rig-crews
Drilling rigs pay better but entry level jobs (roughneck), as common as they are, are hard to get into without some training or experience. rates: http://www.caodc.ca/drilling-crews . Rates start at $28/hr for leasehands and go up to about $47/hr for drillers.
Training: http://www.caodc.ca/service-rig
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Last edited by ttompatz on Mon May 26, 2014 7:47 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 7:46 pm Post subject: |
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I'd prob take a course or something. Not sure, as this over here ain't paying out. It was great when I was just eking out a bare bones living back in the Maritimes in the sense that Korea paid the flight and gave free rent. Alberta, doesn't do those things. But, of course longer term, it seems the better deal.
My cousin told me the down side were the a holes he had to work with sometimes. Up side was the money. He was previously in the same bare bones barely living situation like me. Maritime economy sucks as most folks know. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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Ginormousaurus
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
Location: 700 Ft. Pulpit
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| Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 7:56 pm Post subject: |
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| After teaching for 6 years in Korea, I left to pursue a career in oil and gas in Canada. I'm very satisfied with my choice. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 7:59 pm Post subject: |
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Rig tech info:
Employment and Advancement
Rig technicians are employed by drilling contractors who own and operate oil and gas well drilling rigs and who contract with oil producers to drill wells. Work schedules for Rig Technicians vary with industry demand, but an example of a Rig Technician's work schedule is two weeks of work followed by one week off from work.
Rig technicians may be promoted to rig managers, or to management positions within the drilling industry. Experienced rig technicians may also be hired by specialist companies for occupations such as mud technician, directional driller, or for service occupations. For example, they may go on to drilling-related equipment sales, employment as rig training providers, occupations in rig regulation, occupations in rig supervision, oil and gas well supervision or rig safety, or various other career paths.
http://tradesecrets.alberta.ca/trades-occupations/profiles/0521/
Roughneck:
Employment and Advancement
Below average is the expected occupational growth for 2013-2017. Job openings are a result of employment turnover and newly created positions.
Leasehands and floorhands are employed by oil and gas well drilling contractors. Some rigs operate year round but employment often is seasonal. Winter is the busiest season for drilling activity. Late fall and early winter are the best times for inexperienced applicants to inquire about upcoming job openings.
http://occinfo.alis.alberta.ca/occinfopreview/info/browse-occupations/occupation-profile.html?id=71001840
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Ginormousaurus
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
Location: 700 Ft. Pulpit
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| Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 8:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Weigookin74 wrote: |
| It was great when I was just eking out a bare bones living back in the Maritimes in the sense that Korea paid the flight and gave free rent. Alberta, doesn't do those things. |
There are plenty of jobs that are fly in/fly out where the company pays for your flights and puts you up in a camp during your work days. There are an estimated 40,000 workers living in camps surrounding Ft. McMurray at any given time. These people are definitely not paying for their flights and lodging. Although I doubt any companies are flying in simple labourers. Those jobs would be more for people like welders, pipe fitters, electricians, etc.
Last edited by Ginormousaurus on Mon May 26, 2014 8:08 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 8:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Ginormousaurus wrote: |
| Weigookin74 wrote: |
| It was great when I was just eking out a bare bones living back in the Maritimes in the sense that Korea paid the flight and gave free rent. Alberta, doesn't do those things. |
There are plenty of jobs that are fly in/fly out where the company pays for your flights and puts you up in a camp during your work days. There are an estimated 40,000 workers living in camps surrounding Ft. McMurray at any given time. These people are definitely not paying for their flights and lodging. |
Yeah that was 2006 and I didn't know much about it then. Did you take any courses or just show up on the job sites and ask for work? |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 8:09 pm Post subject: |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
Rig tech info:
Employment and Advancement
Rig technicians are employed by drilling contractors who own and operate oil and gas well drilling rigs and who contract with oil producers to drill wells. Work schedules for Rig Technicians vary with industry demand, but an example of a Rig Technician's work schedule is two weeks of work followed by one week off from work.
Rig technicians may be promoted to rig managers, or to management positions within the drilling industry. Experienced rig technicians may also be hired by specialist companies for occupations such as mud technician, directional driller, or for service occupations. For example, they may go on to drilling-related equipment sales, employment as rig training providers, occupations in rig regulation, occupations in rig supervision, oil and gas well supervision or rig safety, or various other career paths.
http://tradesecrets.alberta.ca/trades-occupations/profiles/0521/
Roughneck:
Employment and Advancement
Below average is the expected occupational growth for 2013-2017. Job openings are a result of employment turnover and newly created positions.
Leasehands and floorhands are employed by oil and gas well drilling contractors. Some rigs operate year round but employment often is seasonal. Winter is the busiest season for drilling activity. Late fall and early winter are the best times for inexperienced applicants to inquire about upcoming job openings.
http://occinfo.alis.alberta.ca/occinfopreview/info/browse-occupations/occupation-profile.html?id=71001840
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Thanks ttompatz. You truly are a man of knowledge about many fields.
(I'll prob be here in Sk for at least a couple of more years. Hopefully, things will still be strong there by then.) |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 8:11 pm Post subject: |
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Wasn't it Suncor or Syncrude that has a charter flight back and forth to St. John's every 2 weeks for rotating crews (free for the crews)? Work 6 weeks in and 2 weeks out.
Another one of those projects flies a monthly charter into Halifax for the same reason with crews doing 4 & 4 rotations.
Oh, and yes, they are journeymen and not just laborers.
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Ginormousaurus
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
Location: 700 Ft. Pulpit
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| Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 8:18 pm Post subject: |
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| Weigookin74 wrote: |
| Ginormousaurus wrote: |
| Weigookin74 wrote: |
| It was great when I was just eking out a bare bones living back in the Maritimes in the sense that Korea paid the flight and gave free rent. Alberta, doesn't do those things. |
There are plenty of jobs that are fly in/fly out where the company pays for your flights and puts you up in a camp during your work days. There are an estimated 40,000 workers living in camps surrounding Ft. McMurray at any given time. These people are definitely not paying for their flights and lodging. |
Yeah that was 2006 and I didn't know much about it then. Did you take any courses or just show up on the job sites and ask for work? |
I'm currently an engineering student and my job was a co-op (intern) position with a major oil company.
If you have no experience, you'd be looking at getting a labourer position and then working your way up from there. You'll run into the classic catch-22 of not being able to get a job because you don't have experience, and not able to get experience because you can't get a job. This is more for Fort Mac jobs, not necessarily for working on an oil rig (which could be anywhere in Alberta).
If you're willing to go back to school, look into SAIT and NAIT. They both have a wide variety of programs taylor made for Alberta's oil industry. You could take a two year program in, say, Power Engineering that includes several months of paid co-op work and be nearly guaranteed a high -paying job when you're done.
If you're Canadian, technically minded, and at all interested in oil & gas, then I'd suggest looking at some of the Engineering Technology diplomas offered at SAIT in Calgary.
Four programs in particular stand out as excellent fields to get into. These are:
1. Power Engineering Technology
2. Petroleum Engineering Technology
3. Instrumentation Engineering Technology
4. Chemical Engineering Technology
Each of these are two year programs, are relatively high paying, and job prospects are good (Power Engineers are in highest demand because of the oilsands). You might end up working in a plant of some kind or out in the field.
Last edited by Ginormousaurus on Mon May 26, 2014 8:34 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Ginormousaurus
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
Location: 700 Ft. Pulpit
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| Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 8:23 pm Post subject: |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
Wasn't it Suncor or Syncrude that has a charter flight back and forth to St. John's every 2 weeks for rotating crews (free for the crews)? Work 6 weeks in and 2 weeks out.
Another one of those projects flies a monthly charter into Halifax for the same reason with crews doing 4 & 4 rotations.
Oh, and yes, they are journeymen and not just laborers.
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Both companies offer those flights. There just aren't enough workers locally. I believe Suncor operates the 5th largest airline in Canada!
Lots of jobs that I could potentially be doing when I graduate next year are 7 on/7 off, fly in/fly out. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 8:44 pm Post subject: |
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The trades (apprenticeship) or academics ... just a matter of personal choice.
There are plenty of high paying jobs in the patch (in Canada and abroad, onshore or offshore) in both directions.
The advantage to the trades is you are on the job most of the time (so earning while you learn) rather than extensive class time (and student expense) before you get into the job market.
| Ginormousaurus wrote: |
| Both companies offer those flights. There just aren't enough workers locally. I believe Suncor operates the 5th largest airline in Canada! |
air oil sands
Call it Air Oil Sands. Industry giant Suncor Energy Inc. alone moves enough people that it would rank somewhere between Canada's `10th- and 12th-largest airline. Several oil sands companies operate fully functional airports, complete with baggage handlers, and have filled out employment rosters with pilots and mechanics. One airplane charter outfit engaged in oil sands work is bringing in new airplanes so fast it doesn't have time to paint them before they start flying workers.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/air-oil-sands-a-new-flight-path-in-alberta/article543552/?page=all
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Ginormousaurus
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
Location: 700 Ft. Pulpit
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| Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 8:55 pm Post subject: |
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Money-wise, it's the guys in the trades (on average)that earn the big bucks in Fort Mac.
Apprenticeships: <1 year in class, the rest of the time you're working
Engineering tech.: 2 year program with several months of paid co-op
Engineering: 4+ years in class, 1 year co-op |
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