Stories from The Bakken oil patch

[jayden71]

Any idea what they're paying mechanics in the area?

Mechanics make good money, especilly when you know how to weld.

Kim, rig hands will make $25 an hour 12-18 hrs a day. Some get OT.
I not a rig hand but I put in 185hrs in 2 weeks and grossed $5500.

[DRIVEN]

I have a buddy that worked the Alaskan fields for a few years. He was telling me that some of the oil companies employ small groups of mobile mechanics that remain on call waiting for generator units, etc to break down in remote locations. The phone rings and they have just a few minutes to gather whatever parts they think they may need along with the tools for the specific job. The helicopter picks them up and drops them wherever the repair needs to be made. They work around the clock until the machine is back up and running. He swears that $10K bonuses are common. If a couple guys haul ass and do a complete overhaul in 2 days that is supposed to take 4, they could save the company hundreds of thousands of dollars.
I wouldn't mind a gig like that.

[jayden71]

That's the way it is up here too. Minus the helicopter part. I think its too fuckin windy for helis up here. But yeah, housing is provided with a lot of these companies too. All I pay for up here is my food.

[jayden71]

Wind 1
Big tank 0

[izzo]

I see a shitter that is still standing. yet the big tank not? Ouch.

[jayden71]

I see a shitter that is still standing. yet the big tank not? Ouch.

we take our shitters serious up here!!

Don't wanna get frostbitten ass do ya??

[jayden71]

Yeah man!! I found us the perfect shop to work on our trucks, just pull em right on in!



Ummmmmmm..........

[510freak]

Needs more lube to fit

[draker]

Just the tip

[izzo]

that should be ok... just close the barn doors a bit, crank the heat up... shouldn't let to much heat out eh? be a little more comfortable.

[jayden71]

that should be ok... just close the barn doors a bit, crank the heat up... shouldn't let to much heat out eh? be a little more comfortable.

sure that'll be great right now when its 40ish degrees outside

how bout when it gets to -40ish degrees outside eh?

[510freak]

Just crank it up more yo!

[jayden71]

Early morning bakken sunrise accented with a natural gas flare.

[jayden71]

So right now we are back on the site that was fracked about 2 weeks ago. The one with the cool dog! Its called the Mauser.
Anyways, all the fresh water that was pumped into the well is now coming back out, dirty. Mixed with oil and other goodies, frac sand and what not. Our job is to take this water to disposal.

This can be quite dangerous. The pressure coming out of the well (mother nature) is unpredictable. It can flare up at any time and if its strong enough, pipes can burst throwing lethal pieces of metal in your direction.

Safety is paramount!! And not the "garage" type safety either, lol

The biggest concern however, is a thing called condensate. It is the gasses that come up from the ground with the water.



That is not all steam rising from this tank. Mixed in there are deadly gasses. When entering the location, it is the responsibility of all drivers and the truck pusher on the ground to watch the wind sock to see which way the wind is blowing.

If there is no wind and you park a truck next to this tank, in that "steam", and leave your truck running, those gasses coming out will take over your truck engine and cause it to rev out of control. A 15 liter diesel engine does not like to rev over 2500rpm. The engine will suck this stuff in and take off. If the driver does not catch it in time by slamming it into gear with the brakes on, the engine will explode and burn the truck to the ground and anything else around it. Scary shit!!

Since we must run our engines for the pto to run the pump to suck the water on, the noses of our trucks must be upwind from this stuff.
I have not seen this happen but my cousin has and it ain't pretty.

[DRIVEN]

I would have never thought about that. Bet the first guy that had that happen to him shit his jorts.

[jayden71]

Oh yeah!!
I have been on a site where I was takin a nap and a rig hand frantically beat on my door and told me to shut my fuckin truck off or blow up!. There was a cloud of blueish white haze hovering ground level. The well burped and spewed a buch of gas. Had to sit in subzerp temps with no engine for about an hour before it cleared out

[510freak]

Oh yeah!!
I have been on a site where I was takin a nap and a rig hand frantically beat on my door and told me to shut my fuckin truck off or blow up!. There was a cloud of blueish white haze hovering ground level. The well burped and spewed a buch of gas. Had to sit in subzerp temps with no engine for about an hour before it cleared out

Damn, not the way to wake up.

[draker]

Sounds like an environmentally friendly work area.

/hippyrant

[510freak]

Sounds like an environmentally friendly work area.

/hippyrant

Who drives and owns datsuns

[jayden71]

Sounds like an environmentally friendly work area.

/hippyrant

Yup, eveeyone drives a prius.

Job security.