Drilling Rig Lay Offs/Cut Backs

I hear from some folks in the offshore drilling industry with major companies of lay offs all the way up to drilling superintendents, drillers etc. Also mechanics, deck crew and engineers either being released or taking pay cuts in the Gulf of Mexico. Anyone experienced this?

[QUOTE=tengineer1;156929]I hear from some folks in the offshore drilling industry with major companies of lay offs all the way up to drilling superintendents, drillers etc. Also mechanics, deck crew and engineers either being released or taking pay cuts in the Gulf of Mexico. Anyone experienced this?[/QUOTE]

Spoke with a friend (DPO / Mate) yesterday at Ensco.

He said numerous personnel have been laid off at the Houston HQ (HR staff getting hit hard). Only a few days after big cheeses came abd his semi in the GOM last month telling the crew that the company could easily afford to keep the unit crewed up for over a year with no contract, they axed dozens of roustabouts and roughnecks.

I asked him about pay cuts and/or lay offs for Mates/Engineers. He said he had not taken a pay cut yet and had not heard of layoffs for those types of personnel.

He’s a little worried, but is obviously still employed.

[QUOTE=Johnny Canal;156949]Spoke with a friend (DPO / Mate) yesterday at Ensco.

He said numerous personnel have been laid off at the Houston HQ (HR staff getting hit hard). Only a few days after big cheeses came abd his semi in the GOM last month telling the crew that the company could easily afford to keep the unit crewed up for over a year with no contract, they axed dozens of roustabouts and roughnecks.

I asked him about pay cuts and/or lay offs for Mates/Engineers. He said he had not taken a pay cut yet and had not heard of layoffs for those types of personnel.

He’s a little worried, but is obviously still employed.[/QUOTE]

Sounds like what I have heard. The visiting Ensco big cheeses were either lying or only perceived to be big cheeses. Most decisions like this are made high up and there are also contractual issues involved.

I don’t work in the GOM, but in the European division of the drilling company I work for, they have axed hundreds of office staff, and the drill crew has took some hits. Mostly Derek hands and down. Have not heard of any of the maintenance guys or licensed mariners being laid off. The only subsea guys that have been let go were less than stellar anyway. We lost a materials man a few hitches ago. Seems they are keeping the better people, not necessarily just going by seniority or the rig having a contract. No pay cuts, some talk about cutting the retention bonus, but probably won’t know that until bonus time. 401K match and all other benefits remain the same

Things are getting strange. I heard about one company cutting pay for licensed engineers but promoting a mechanic to first engineer even though he has no license, As long as he gets some MODU license soon he is OK. This is on a 6th generation drillship. Can you get a MODU master’s license? I know some deckhands that always wanted to drive a ship.

[QUOTE=tengineer1;157013]Things are getting strange. I heard about one company cutting pay for licensed engineers but promoting a mechanic to first engineer even though he has no license, As long as he gets some MODU license soon he is OK. This is on a 6th generation drillship. Can you get a MODU master’s license? I know some deckhands that always wanted to drive a ship.[/QUOTE]

only in the very odd world of drilling does such nonsense abound…

Wonder what the crossover requirements are for Master large OSV to Master of Large Drilling Vessels? Prolly like 180 days as DPO and a sign off packet?

[QUOTE=Fraqrat;157028]Wonder what the crossover requirements are for Master large OSV to Master of Large Drilling Vessels? Prolly like 180 days as DPO and a sign off packet?[/QUOTE]

Yeah, plus an approved training program (2 weeks), but only ECO and Harvey are approved to offer it, all in affiliation with Noble.

[QUOTE=z-drive;157046]Yeah, plus an approved training program (2 weeks), but only ECO and Harvey are approved to offer it, all in affiliation with Noble.[/QUOTE]

But if its for SHELL Alaska, they are approved for Special High Intensity Training, which only takes two hours.

[QUOTE=Fraqrat;157028]Wonder what the crossover requirements are for Master large OSV to Master of Large Drilling Vessels? Prolly like 180 days as DPO and a sign off packet?[/QUOTE]

You are dreaming. That will never happen.

Clearly Fraq was joking.

yes, baiting c.captain into a BAYOO mafia joe boss bashing rant ??? That’s what I assumed.

Every time someone brings this license up all I can picture is the scene from super troopers where they get Farva to say shenanigans.

Rob-“the next person who says large OSV license is going to get pistol whipped”

Fraq rat-"hey c-capt. What’s that’s license with all the unlimited tonnage implications you hate?

C.capt-“YOU MEAN THE LARGE OSV LICENSE!”

I keep him busy with that so y’all can have real conversations in other threads. If things are slow he starts a new thread and goes into shuffle all/repeat mode from his usual playlist.

The Mechanic promotion to 1st Engineer is most likely with one of the Drilling majors that utilizes the ATSL (Assistant Technical Section Leader) position which supposedly manages the Engine room and the Topside mechanics. Most of the time the only concern of the Company is making sure they have enough licensed employees to cover the minimum manning requirements. The 1st Asst position could be covered by a 3rd Asst who holds a 1st Asst license. I think all the nonsense also comes into play depending on whether the ship is in transit or latched up which makes no sense with a diesel electric plant.

[QUOTE=z-drive;157069]yes, baiting c.captain into a BAYOO mafia joe boss bashing rant ??? That’s what I assumed.[/QUOTE]

sorry to disappoint but I ain’t biting…too many sensitive posteriors out there which seem to get very tender whenever I weigh in on the subject.

I am really quite past the point of giving a shit actually.

I have friends with all of the major drilling companies, and none have seen much of a change. I know of one person at Noble who was fired, but that individual was a shitty employee and would have probably been fired outside of the current market situation. All of the majors are obviously trying to control costs as much as possible, but no cuts to benefits or pay as far as I know. The guys who have taken the biggest cuts in the GoM are at HOS. I have a friend who took about a 150 a day pay cut, but I think he was probably not a stellar employee. They have furloughed quite a few, but those who were furloughed were limited license and most likely did not want to advance their license or level of responsibility. HOS had a massive restructuring in January. They now pay by position (Master, C/m, 2/m, 3/m, Cargo mate) , not license. This is understandable and I don’t know why any reasonable company would pay everybody the same regardless of the level of responsibility. I hear that there is a lot of bitching there because theres no longer such a thing as second or third captain. I remember my second trip as a mate on a ship five years ago, I was the only deck officer without an unlimited masters license. I felt so small, but nobody was complaining about how they weren’t being paid as master just because they had the license. The supply boat companies should have figured this out long ago.

That’s a pretty perceptive comment about people not wanting to advance their level of responsibility or license. With a talent like that you can probably read my mind, but in case you can’t here it is “eat my dick”

I will agree that it was insane to pay all three mates on the boat equally when only one had any real responsibility. I know I got sick of someone with six months on their license who got their OICNW’ company sign offs done making the same amount as me while I held their hand around Fourchon.

[QUOTE=Surfrider;157306]I have friends with all of the major drilling companies, and none have seen much of a change. I know of one person at Noble who was fired, but that individual was a shitty employee and would have probably been fired outside of the current market situation. All of the majors are obviously trying to control costs as much as possible, but no cuts to benefits or pay as far as I know. The guys who have taken the biggest cuts in the GoM are at HOS. I have a friend who took about a 150 a day pay cut, but I think he was probably not a stellar employee. They have furloughed quite a few, but those who were furloughed were limited license and most likely did not want to advance their license or level of responsibility. HOS had a massive restructuring in January. They now pay by position (Master, C/m, 2/m, 3/m, Cargo mate) , not license. This is understandable and I don’t know why any reasonable company would pay everybody the same regardless of the level of responsibility. I hear that there is a lot of bitching there because theres no longer such a thing as second or third captain. I remember my second trip as a mate on a ship five years ago, I was the only deck officer without an unlimited masters license. I felt so small, but nobody was complaining about how they weren’t being paid as master just because they had the license. The supply boat companies should have figured this out long ago.[/QUOTE]

There have actually been a lot of layoffs within the drilling companies.