A job in the offshore oil drilling industry can be a challenging yet
rewarding experience for anyone. The challenges one faces while working
on a rig for weeks at a time, isolated from friends and family, can take
its toll on anyone. However, the excellent pay and opportunity to
travel is a big draw for many who make their living on an offshore oil
drilling platform. Don’t believe all the stories you may have heard
about employers working you to death. The work is hard but very feasible
for anybody in good physical condition with a willingness to work.
Hiring can be sporadic at times due to fluctuations in demand as well as
the global economic markets. All this aside, there are many employment
opportunities available from entry level roughnecks to more technical
jobs such as engineering and exploration. Usually though, you start out
at the bottom and learn the basics of how the rig operates and assist in
the drilling process by keeping the work area clear and clean, bringing
in new pipe and material as needed for the drill crew, and various
general tasks as directed by the supervisor.
The first and foremost requirement of working offshore is that you simply be in sound health. You will have to have a physical exam done by a doctor, including a spine X- ray, before you may be employed. You will also get a drug screening before you can be hired. Generally speaking, there are few jobs that pay less on a rig, with the exception of dishwashers and the like, but they too still make more than their counterparts on land. Overtime can also kick in rather quickly as the hours are often long.
In general, there are two types of offshore oil rigs. The first is located near the shore and hire roustabouts and other crew by the day. That means you go to their recruiting point early in the morning and then try to get yourself chosen for that day’s oil crew. Usually, you will travel to and from the rig by boat. If you get hired, you will be doing general unskilled labor under supervision. It is not a career but is mainly a way of gaining experience. It is also a way of getting yourself noticed as a hard worker and team player by the supervisor. The second type of offshore oil rig is located farther away from shore. You will normally get there by helicopter because it is too far to go by boat. The tour of duty will normally be two weeks on and two weeks off, although there are an increasing number of tours with three weeks on and two weeks off. Basically, you do not get a break, i.e. no weekends, when you are on the offshore rig.
A typical schedule for a rig worker is 14 days on, 14 days off. However, it can be 7 on, 7 off, or 21/21 depending on the project and location. If the rig is located in deep water far off coast, you will likely be on a longer hitch than if you were located close to shore. Employers fly their employees in on a helicopter, so extended stays are fairly common as this helps keep the employers cost down.
For exciting oil drilling jobs and oil drilling jobs UK visit www.hazelleng.com.
The first and foremost requirement of working offshore is that you simply be in sound health. You will have to have a physical exam done by a doctor, including a spine X- ray, before you may be employed. You will also get a drug screening before you can be hired. Generally speaking, there are few jobs that pay less on a rig, with the exception of dishwashers and the like, but they too still make more than their counterparts on land. Overtime can also kick in rather quickly as the hours are often long.
In general, there are two types of offshore oil rigs. The first is located near the shore and hire roustabouts and other crew by the day. That means you go to their recruiting point early in the morning and then try to get yourself chosen for that day’s oil crew. Usually, you will travel to and from the rig by boat. If you get hired, you will be doing general unskilled labor under supervision. It is not a career but is mainly a way of gaining experience. It is also a way of getting yourself noticed as a hard worker and team player by the supervisor. The second type of offshore oil rig is located farther away from shore. You will normally get there by helicopter because it is too far to go by boat. The tour of duty will normally be two weeks on and two weeks off, although there are an increasing number of tours with three weeks on and two weeks off. Basically, you do not get a break, i.e. no weekends, when you are on the offshore rig.
A typical schedule for a rig worker is 14 days on, 14 days off. However, it can be 7 on, 7 off, or 21/21 depending on the project and location. If the rig is located in deep water far off coast, you will likely be on a longer hitch than if you were located close to shore. Employers fly their employees in on a helicopter, so extended stays are fairly common as this helps keep the employers cost down.
For exciting oil drilling jobs and oil drilling jobs UK visit www.hazelleng.com.
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