Thursday, August 2, 2007
Back to back
I suppose up to this point I have more regularly been the second or third man on a job and now I am a little more experienced I have started to do more day shifts and been more responsible for just doing the job before and getting things right. trying to make sure the data I was sending in every morning was to a high enough standard and if it wasn't giving myself a good swift kick in the bollocks if it wasn't(quite a trick and if you haven’t tried it....don't, you'll only do yourself an injury). I think that the more I did it the less I ever thought I would get to the point where I would be supervising another MWD hand. Well now it is happening it appears to be less plus points on day shift than I thought there might. Well I suppose that the day shift is much better for your sleep pattern although getting up at 4:30am doesn’t seem to be agreeing with me as much as I thought it would. I seem to find my sleep occasionally disturbed by, well I don't quite know how to put it, by the other guy. The less experienced version of myself, the guy that is doing the job that I have been doing for the last 18 months. It is a bit weird to think that he is relying on me the way I relied on the day guy. I must admit though that I don't remember being quite as bad as this guy. I mean I did know when the tool was pulsing and when it wasn't and I could track depth pretty well. But that aside, I suppose its back to where I left off with Reeves. Being that first guy is always a bit different and there is a mindset that you need to get into to do it. The mindset is "trust no-one" always check everything that has been handled by anyone else and make sure you cover your arse with the biggest piece of steel that you can find an then galvanise the steel.
June and July Posts
The times they are a changing - The Noughties working man
This is offshore, advertised as the most hostile toughest working environment in the world. The roughtiest toughtiest bunch of glass-eating hardheads in the world. There is macho and then there is offshore! This is surely the best melting pot in the world in which to gauge how culture changes. Listening in on coversations at the dinner table and in the tea shack you can get an amazing picture of what you can and can't talk about if you are a bloke. This week the Roughnecks(the roughest toughtiest bunch out here) are talking about the nutritional value of penut butter. The conversation usually starts with, "I can't believe your eating that shite!" "How(pause), I'ts full of protein." "There's more fat than protien in that, whats the fat content?" "Aye your right, but there is 25 grams of protein in it." "Is that per 100 grams?" "No(pause as the label is read), it says per serving." "Its still shite!" Food nutrition is something that we all took for granted until the food standards agency decided that we could all be better educated about what we eat. But what is recommended is always an average. Everyone is different and everyone requires a different amount of nutrition daily. The information helps and it is remarkable that we all take an active interest in how much of everything we eat a day. I think the roughnecks need a better idea of the nutritional value of Jock Pie, beans and chips. And the catering crews need alot more training in nutrition and eating healthily on a budget.
Downtime and WOW (waiting on weather)
The Fog......... The peep peep peeeeeeeeep, of the fog horn every 4 seconds is heard everywhere on the rig from the Galley to the Helideck, from the rig floor to the warm cosy place that you are curled up in thinking "I'm going off today?" The helicopter flights start to slip every where and instantly all turn to the internet to surf to the scotia or bristows website. "Has there been any flights lifted from town yet?" "Nah, there's no vis in Aberdeen." "are you on the first or the second flight?" "The second, why do you think it will get bumped?" "No chance! Thats the crew change flight and the OIM's going on holiday tomorrow. I think you'll be safe the first flight will get cancelled first!" "peep, peep, peeeeeeep. peep, peep, peeeeep. peep, peep, peeeeep." And as always we will just have to wait on weather.
The Offshore Medic Your own personal doctor....offshore. The perfect partner for any hypochondriac. These guys and gals are fantastic. Nothing surprises them they are always there to help from a sniffle to a fatality. They don't really get enough praise because they are only every needed when it all goes wrong. I have been medicated and stuck back together by these people and they are they best. Offshore workers are the healthiest workers in industry and this along with the medical very 2 years keeps us that way. If you are feeling at all unwell get to the doctor.
This is offshore, advertised as the most hostile toughest working environment in the world. The roughtiest toughtiest bunch of glass-eating hardheads in the world. There is macho and then there is offshore! This is surely the best melting pot in the world in which to gauge how culture changes. Listening in on coversations at the dinner table and in the tea shack you can get an amazing picture of what you can and can't talk about if you are a bloke. This week the Roughnecks(the roughest toughtiest bunch out here) are talking about the nutritional value of penut butter. The conversation usually starts with, "I can't believe your eating that shite!" "How(pause), I'ts full of protein." "There's more fat than protien in that, whats the fat content?" "Aye your right, but there is 25 grams of protein in it." "Is that per 100 grams?" "No(pause as the label is read), it says per serving." "Its still shite!" Food nutrition is something that we all took for granted until the food standards agency decided that we could all be better educated about what we eat. But what is recommended is always an average. Everyone is different and everyone requires a different amount of nutrition daily. The information helps and it is remarkable that we all take an active interest in how much of everything we eat a day. I think the roughnecks need a better idea of the nutritional value of Jock Pie, beans and chips. And the catering crews need alot more training in nutrition and eating healthily on a budget.
Downtime and WOW (waiting on weather)
The Fog......... The peep peep peeeeeeeeep, of the fog horn every 4 seconds is heard everywhere on the rig from the Galley to the Helideck, from the rig floor to the warm cosy place that you are curled up in thinking "I'm going off today?" The helicopter flights start to slip every where and instantly all turn to the internet to surf to the scotia or bristows website. "Has there been any flights lifted from town yet?" "Nah, there's no vis in Aberdeen." "are you on the first or the second flight?" "The second, why do you think it will get bumped?" "No chance! Thats the crew change flight and the OIM's going on holiday tomorrow. I think you'll be safe the first flight will get cancelled first!" "peep, peep, peeeeeeep. peep, peep, peeeeep. peep, peep, peeeeep." And as always we will just have to wait on weather.
The Offshore Medic Your own personal doctor....offshore. The perfect partner for any hypochondriac. These guys and gals are fantastic. Nothing surprises them they are always there to help from a sniffle to a fatality. They don't really get enough praise because they are only every needed when it all goes wrong. I have been medicated and stuck back together by these people and they are they best. Offshore workers are the healthiest workers in industry and this along with the medical very 2 years keeps us that way. If you are feeling at all unwell get to the doctor.
Monday, July 30, 2007
New Up-Starts
To all those new to the oil industry and offshore life.
STOP PISSING OFF THE EXPERIENCED PEOPLE OFFSHORE!
When you start with a new employer it is important to know your place and realise that you must start at the bottom and work your way to the top through respect, hard work, keeping your nose to the grindstone and being as helpful as you are able. You will not win friend in high places by starting your vocation with a "ooo, you don't want to do it like that" attitude. Also very unhelpful is the "well I'm not doing that", the "I think that you should do it this way" and above all "that's not how they taught us to do it in school" mantra. Remember kiddywinkles this is not school it is the real deal! This is the place where, if you pay close attention, you will learn how it has been done for years and then if you are all very good little boys and girls in about 10 years you will all be invited to stick you oar in and make things better for everyone.
That doesn't mean that you shouldn't practice your rowing early, in fact buy an oar, sit on the boat and watch how the big boys do it. By this I mean speak up when you are away ask questions like "why are you doing it like that?" or "why cant we do this instead?" and if you are really adventurous try "what if we did it like this?". For the observant in the group you will have noticed that the last three all ended with "?". This is your most effective form of punctuation as a new start add it to the end of every sentence and you will almost always get a positive response, providing you use a little common sense before it.
Above everything else do not, DO NOT, even if your life depends upon it go back into the office and start any sentences with "When I was offshore I saw........" The end of these sentences are usually something that they really don't want to here in the office and involve vast amounts of fannying about with a dozen different paper systems all of which will do very little and might even negatively effect stock prices. If you are offshore and you do see something ask a question.
You will see things offshore that look like they are a little bit odd. These guys have been doing what they do for a very long time and have all learned the hard way. Their are systems in place to help them learn from their mistakes and to let them express themselves to the town bods. Use these systems too and then you are playing the correct game and are unlikley to piss off the world. Good Luck
Angry Uncle Scott
STOP PISSING OFF THE EXPERIENCED PEOPLE OFFSHORE!
When you start with a new employer it is important to know your place and realise that you must start at the bottom and work your way to the top through respect, hard work, keeping your nose to the grindstone and being as helpful as you are able. You will not win friend in high places by starting your vocation with a "ooo, you don't want to do it like that" attitude. Also very unhelpful is the "well I'm not doing that", the "I think that you should do it this way" and above all "that's not how they taught us to do it in school" mantra. Remember kiddywinkles this is not school it is the real deal! This is the place where, if you pay close attention, you will learn how it has been done for years and then if you are all very good little boys and girls in about 10 years you will all be invited to stick you oar in and make things better for everyone.
That doesn't mean that you shouldn't practice your rowing early, in fact buy an oar, sit on the boat and watch how the big boys do it. By this I mean speak up when you are away ask questions like "why are you doing it like that?" or "why cant we do this instead?" and if you are really adventurous try "what if we did it like this?". For the observant in the group you will have noticed that the last three all ended with "?". This is your most effective form of punctuation as a new start add it to the end of every sentence and you will almost always get a positive response, providing you use a little common sense before it.
Above everything else do not, DO NOT, even if your life depends upon it go back into the office and start any sentences with "When I was offshore I saw........" The end of these sentences are usually something that they really don't want to here in the office and involve vast amounts of fannying about with a dozen different paper systems all of which will do very little and might even negatively effect stock prices. If you are offshore and you do see something ask a question.
You will see things offshore that look like they are a little bit odd. These guys have been doing what they do for a very long time and have all learned the hard way. Their are systems in place to help them learn from their mistakes and to let them express themselves to the town bods. Use these systems too and then you are playing the correct game and are unlikley to piss off the world. Good Luck
Angry Uncle Scott
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