I’m hoping someone here who works or has worked on rigs can answer a few questions for me. I’m female, 25 years old, and educated (i.e. I have a Bachelor’s degree but it’s in finance, nothing maritime). Bored stiff sitting at a desk for the past 3 years and am interested in a major career change. I’m seriously interested in working on an oil rig, mostly because of the schedule, and of course the pay. I’m not easily intimidated by men (I’m not very “girly” but I’m straight). But it’s not JUST the schedule and pay… it’s the idea of working hands-on in a field that appears to have many opportunities for lateral and vertical movement… the gas and oil field seems to have an infinite amount of possibilities (yeah, I know I could go sit in an office again in the oil/gas field with my finance degree, but I’m not interested in being in a cubicle ever again). So, my questions are:
Is it feasible for someone like me with no sea experience, no engineering degree or maritime degree, to get a job on an oil rig?
Are there any female roustabouts or roughnecks? If so, do the men respect them or is it just a bad idea to think I could work as a laborer on an oil rig?
What are the “cushy” jobs on an oil rig (i.e. maybe I need to go get a license of some sort if I can’t expect to get hired as a roustabout)?
What’s more feasible for someone like me who wants to work on a rig: go back to school and get some kind of maritime degree OR could I get hired and work my way up to some watch/managerial/supervisory position in a few years?
What can I TRULY and really expect if I were to work on a rig… being a woman?
Thanks for any information any of you can provide!
I have worked with several women in the oil field over the years, there are several 3rd and 2nd mates with DPO cert that work on the rigs. I have seen one or two assistatant engineers, several women diver’s and tenders. a couple female ROV techs, a couple mud engineers, several female medics and clerks, even one Norwegian female crane operator. I don’t think you are going to want to come out here and work as a roustabout or roughneck, unless you like being around a bunch of grumpy dirty guys spitting tobaco everywhere. You really have to bust ass and the chance for advancement is far less than most other positions. The mate DPO spots require a license or a degree from a maritime academy, which is 4 years, then another 2 basically to get the unlimited DPO. The mud engineers require a 4 year degree in petroleum engineering. The money is good in those positions. A medic or clerk would probably be the simplist positoin to get into without a bunch of time in school. A crane operators position is not all that hard to get into without a degree, you just need some time as a rigger, or roustabout, then go to a crane school, to get your first cert then work your way up with a API, or Sparrows program. I guess it will all depend on which way you want to go and what will interest you the most. The hardest part you will probably encounter is getting someone to give you a break with no offshore experience. It usually takes atleast 4 or 5 years to start making good money probably like most any career. I have 2 women on my ship right now and they do get respected as long as they respect others. Just realize that you are wanting to work in a mans world, and you need thick skin, and a good atitude and you will be fine.
[QUOTE=ChiefRob;78253]I have worked with several women in the oil field over the years, there are several 3rd and 2nd mates with DPO cert that work on the rigs. I have seen one or two assistatant engineers, several women diver’s and tenders. a couple female ROV techs, a couple mud engineers, several female medics and clerks, even one Norwegian female crane operator. I don’t think you are going to want to come out here and work as a roustabout or roughneck, unless you like being around a bunch of grumpy dirty guys spitting tobaco everywhere. You really have to bust ass and the chance for advancement is far less than most other positions. The mate DPO spots require a license or a degree from a maritime academy, which is 4 years, then another 2 basically to get the unlimited DPO. The mud engineers require a 4 year degree in petroleum engineering. The money is good in those positions. A medic or clerk would probably be the simplist positoin to get into without a bunch of time in school. A crane operators position is not all that hard to get into without a degree, you just need some time as a rigger, or roustabout, then go to a crane school, to get your first cert then work your way up with a API, or Sparrows program. I guess it will all depend on which way you want to go and what will interest you the most. The hardest part you will probably encounter is getting someone to give you a break with no offshore experience. It usually takes atleast 4 or 5 years to start making good money probably like most any career. I have 2 women on my ship right now and they do get respected as long as they respect others. Just realize that you are wanting to work in a mans world, and you need thick skin, and a good atitude and you will be fine.[/QUOTE]
REPLY: ChiefRob gives excellent advice above. The Rig File Clerk jobs pay about $500 to $600 per day and its a clean, safe, managerial job that doesn’t require any heavy lifting. You should have the office, math, and computer skills to learn the clerk job fairly quickly. There are some accelerated Remote Medicine EMT courses that might eventually lead to Rig Medic position. Rig Medics usually have other duties because there is not enough medic work to keep them busy. I don’t know, but Clerk / Medic skills might be a good combination. Check the Rig Clerk job postings on Rigzone.com. The best way to get your foot in the door might be to seek an office job at one of the drilling contractors.
[QUOTE=tugsailor;78288]REPLY: ChiefRob gives excellent advice above. The Rig File Clerk jobs pay about $500 to $600 per day and its a clean, safe, managerial job that doesn’t require any heavy lifting. You should have the office, math, and computer skills to learn the clerk job fairly quickly. There are some accelerated Remote Medicine EMT courses that might eventually lead to Rig Medic position. Rig Medics usually have other duties because there is not enough medic work to keep them busy. I don’t know, but Clerk / Medic skills might be a good combination. Check the Rig Clerk job postings on Rigzone.com. The best way to get your foot in the door might be to seek an office job at one of the drilling contractors.[/QUOTE]
Ya our medic actually works about 2 hours a month as a medic, the rest of the time he gathers the safety cards, puts that info in the company data base. Lines up flight manifests, gets peoples body and bag weights. Gives a little speach about drinking enough gatorade when working outside in the sun, then surfs the internet the rest of the time. hard job huh? Some times the clerk and medic are the same person, depends on the company. A safety man, oopps Safety woman is not bad either, it only requires a couple courses and no formal degree.
I’m a 22 year old woman who is interested in working on a offshore on a rig. I want to know what’s the best position for a woman to have offshore? I don’t have any experience working offshore. Is there any advice that anybody can give me that will help me land a job offshore. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
I’m a 22 year old woman who is interested in working on a offshore on a rig. I want to know what’s the best position for a woman to have offshore? I don’t have any experience working offshore. Is there any advice that anybody can give me that will help me land a job offshore. Any advice is greatly appreciated.[/QUOTE]
Read the replies above and also, at your age consider one of the maritime academies. (State academies plus USMMA)
Regarding the maritimes academys - we have a few cadets who have earned a bachelors degree, then decided they wanted a maritime education. These cadets are on and accelerated program and should graduate within 2.5-3 years.
Contact the academy of your choice and discuss your prospects with an admissions counselor.
You could also try the service companies: Oceaneering, Halliburton, Schlumberger, NOV, Franks, many, many others. They will bring you in, train you, they as well have accelerated training programs, and just like the drilling and oil companies are very short staffed at this point.
Not oil platforms but on deep sea ships there are lots of women out there. I worked on the Denali (tanker from movie Periscope Down). The chief mate who was edited out of the shot on the bow (blurred out) when we coming into LA. was a woman and so were the 2nd and 3rd mates on there. I heard she is a ships pilot up in Alaska now. Most of the guys like having women aboard because we get sick of being around men all the time. Do your job and you will fit in fine. Advice on getting out there has already been given by Chief Rob.
[QUOTE=PDCMATE;110797]We have female chevron engineers, franks, geoservices and schlumberger onboard.[/QUOTE]
Hell, some drilling companies even hire blacks and Hispanics, in the Gulf of Mexico of all places ! Not many mind you but there are a few scattered about from what I have seen.
Hell, some drilling companies even hire blacks and Hispanics, in the Gulf of Mexico of all places ! Not many mind you but there are a few scattered about from what I have seen.:p[/QUOTE]
Woman…on the sea, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA what is this shit!?
Joking aside, and what I am about to say refers to mostly what I know, and I live in Norway and got several friends working on the rigs here.
A woman can work eveywhere on a rig, it all depends on her choice and education.
However, as a woman you will most likely become a part of the guys, need to accept chewing tobacco, snuff, crude language and jokes that are deemed inappropiate around a woman, but mostly, do not let that get in to you, for mostly it is just how it is, mothing aboout you, if you do not fuck up.
Here there are several ways to work on offshore rigs…one where you do not need any education at the start, but be prepeard to work your pretty ass off at the dock…show interest and whatnot, then they will relocate you to a supply and then further on to the rig.
In the between you need to take the certificates needed, and if you proove to be a valuable aasset, most likely the company will help you achieve certaint certificates.
With all the automation that is being implemented on to drilling rig floors, it’s certainly feasible in this day and age that a female roughneck or roustabout could advance through the ranks, but you have to be aware that it’s very dirty and physically demanding work that requires a fair bit of upper body strength and strength of character.
[QUOTE=rob;110929]With all the automation that is being implemented on to drilling rig floors, it’s certainly feasible in this day and age that a female roughneck or roustabout could advance through the ranks, but you have to be aware that it’s very dirty and physically demanding work that requires a fair bit of upper body strength and strength of character.[/QUOTE]
If things continue to progress there will be little use for a roustabout or roughneck in the near future. The driller will be an ET with well control training though little will be needed as things will be monitored by computer and the toolpushers will be electro-mech types. This entire changeover will happen relatively quickly. The clients are demanding it and the contractors realize that having people with a technical background and training are cost savers. Statistical quality control is quite capable of handling drilling matters from both an operational and maintenance standpoint.
