oil work in North dakpta

Help Support CattleToday:

GMN

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 7, 2005
Messages
3,323
Reaction score
7
Location
southwest, MO
Has anyone worked here either driving truck, working on site at the oil fields in North dakota? What is it really like?
 
GMN":3nk99oqv said:
Has anyone worked here either driving truck, working on site at the oil fields in North dakota? What is it really like?

A lot of the young folks from Northern Minnesota go out there when they get done with their trade schooling. It's like any boom town, pretty expesive for living expenses, pretty wild as far as the social life goes. They make some pretty good cash and leave after about a year or so because they get sick of the lifestyle. And yes it gets cold there, but not as cold as here!
 
My oldest boy has worked out there the past couple of years operating heavy equipment. There is more than enough work, (as a matter of fact you can get fired for rolling and totaling a water truck on Friday, and start a new job on Monday) and very little experience is needed to get a job. The pay is phenomenal, but the cost of living is such that it eats it up. He's a pretty rowdy kid, and hasn't complained about the life style any.
 
Never been there, but have been to Minot back in the 80s, whose tourism motto at the time was "Why not Minot?"
My answer="Freezin's the reason"
 
I have a nephew who's been working for Haliburton up there for a couple of years now. His wife stays here in Colorado with their kids and he lives in a motorhome up there to save money on housing. He comes home about every 8 weeks. It's expensive and kinda rowdy, but he stays out of trouble and is smart about his money. And it's all about the money for them, they hit a pretty rough patch when the economy tanked in 09. They're doing pretty well now and he loves working for Haliburton.
 
MistyMorning":2zvksu16 said:
GMN":2zvksu16 said:
Has anyone worked here either driving truck, working on site at the oil fields in North dakota? What is it really like?

A lot of the young folks from Northern Minnesota go out there when they get done with their trade schooling. It's like any boom town, pretty expesive for living expenses, pretty wild as far as the social life goes. They make some pretty good cash and leave after about a year or so because they get sick of the lifestyle. And yes it gets cold there, but not as cold as here!

One ?. Finished your trade schoolin' yet Misty?
 
I think they are still looking for good people to work, paying good $$, and the more mechanical, big truck skills, or engineering skills, the better the job is. Housing is hard to find unless you tow it along with you -- then you have to find a place to park it. I'm a Dakota (N and S) native, so I watch the local newspapers up there. Traffic problems are horrific. And, of course, with the big influx of mostly transient people, the local communities are struggling to keep up with places to put them, cops to keep them in line, traffic control, extra kids in the schools, etc. Sort of like the old gold strikes.
 
Got a couple of friend's working over there. Been hearing both good and bad stories from them both.
One guy says he works so many days on then a few days off.

The influx of people are causing lots of trouble for the volunteer fire and EMS people. They are all getting burned out.
 
I have been working in the oil patch for almost 10 years now and have figured out that knowledge is king. I started out hauling stone to lease roads, then got into some roustabout work then service rig work, then tending wells until I tried to quit but got promoted. Turn-over is common, but if you pay attention and are an ass-buster and want to learn you can have a good career as an oilfield worker. I believe this is true wherever the location may be.
 
GMN":o7lnhps5 said:
Has anyone worked here either driving truck, working on site at the oil fields in North dakota? What is it really like?
Come to South Texas. the boom is almost as big there and the weather is a he77 of a lot better. Just lots of snakes and mezkins to deal with.
 
GMN":24b2ojsi said:
where in texas is the work?
Eagleford Shale in South Texas.
Barnet play is in about 8 counties surounding DFW.
The Hyanesville is still popping in NE Texas and NW La.

Even some of the older areas like around San Angelo are now seeing some rig activity again.

The frac tecnology has busted the Permian Basin open again too.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-0 ... dessa.html
 

Latest posts

Top