My husband wants to do oilfield work. :(

Amy - posted on 08/29/2012

Hi Stormy!



I wanted to point you to a great resource at www.oilnd.blogspot.com. This site gives an excellent picture of real life in the oilfield (specifically North Dakota). There is also a very good discussion forum there where you and your husband can get answers to your questions.



Best,

Amy

www.oilnd.blogspot.com

Sara - posted on 08/22/2012

My bf works for Halliburton it's a good benefit company he does get enough I get to go to college and a stay mom. The bad thing is that lately we've been fighting a lot Ive hard a lot of the things that go on out there he works 6 days and 3off . I don't like (might b overreacting) but his coworkers send him pics of naked girls (models) we been fighting a lot more to the point that we are both tired I love him but little things like that wouldn't happend when he used to have his other jOb , the pics has stopped but still . He tells me all this stuff that his cowokrwrs do on and it really gets to me , makes me think he's in there too but at least he's telling me. Don't get me wrong the $$ is enough but like the other post trust matters a lot when getting this type of job.

Carol - posted on 07/22/2012

My husband worked for several companies as a frac operator. He liked the pay but the work was hard. He does not seem to mind the hard work to make the money he wants. Very long hrs. gone 2 wks then back for a week. It is very difficult. Sometimes I feel like a single mom. It's important to keep in contact when your hubby or boyfriend when he is gone. It helps to hear his voice on the other end. Now my hubby is working as a coil tube operator. Seems to be a great company so far but I expect a lot of the same hrs. again. Hope I helped

Emily - posted on 06/16/2012

My husband works for haliburtion! The pros is we don't really have to worry about bills and stuff grantened he is a penny pincher! But we have great benifits and everything so I get to be a stay at home mom. The cons is we have a very young son and he is gone 21 days and home 7 so he does miss a lot. Also if u can't fully trust him it's a little harder on your marriage

Kristin - posted on 05/23/2012

Oh one more thing working in the oilfield is also very hard on children. I used to work 12 to 14 hour days be at of the house by 5 30 am and home by 630 7 pm which does not allow for a lot of kid time (which is another reason I went to a monday to friday 9 to 5 job). If your kids are used to having both parents home be prepared for some rebellion when and if he works out of town. Sometimes the men can be gone for 3 months straight and other times they will work a 10 on 4 day off rotation, and depending how far away the job is will determine the actual amount of time he is home spending quality time with you and your kids. When my bf comes home he is super tired and will spend one day resting and the next days will be getting everything ready for him to go back to work. Basically you will become a single mother and your children will be raised in a single family unit. It is very difficult as my bf and i have found and we are currently looking to move to where the work is so that we can have a more stable family life. It sucks when you have sick kids and your other half is miles away and you can't call the. It takes a lot of strenght and courage on your part

Kristin - posted on 05/23/2012

Money in the oild field is great if you can keep working steadily. My bf has worked in the oil field for the last 12 years, however there are a lot of down times and away from home times. I myself worked in the oilfield for 8 years and let me tell you it is very difficult to plan and budget when you dont know if you are going to work from one day to the next. Lots of people think they will be able to pay off their devbts and this just isnt true. Yes if you have lots of ecperience you can make awesome money but most "green" oilfield workers only average 60-80,000.00 a year and when the contract is up you sit and wait. Also you have to take into account weather delays as most oilfield companies do not work in the rain extreme heat or extreme cold temperatures and when you do no work you make nothing. Now lets say your husband wants to work for a company that does Fracing or something than they will pay you a base salary a month plus job bonuses. Drilling and pipeline companies offer no slary and you are paid on an hourly basis. Also take into account the recession hit the oilfield as well and lost of companies are just starting to pick up the work again and are not paying the wages they once did. Also, you husband may want to consider working in a plant or facility as these usually offer more permanent steady employment. Another thing to take into consideration that out of town living costs are quite high and most companies pay a minimal subsistence or live out allowance. My bf gets 120 a day for live out now his room is 1200.00 a month plus food costs, fuel costs and our expenses at home. Also most men on the road tend to eat out more or drink more as this is usually the only thing to do. To make it work you really have to have a strong trusting relationship and have good communication because there will be days he will not be abole to call you. My bf buys groceries for work, however as good as his intentions are with his long hours there are lots of days he eats out as he is too tired to cook and this usually can cost 30 to 50 dollars a meal. In my own experience I got out of the oilfield into a steady monday to friday job. I ended up making a higher hourly wage with my new job but lost out on OT but in the long run steady work all year round makes my income more per year. There are jobs in the oil field that are more steady and stable and will make for a better family life. I did a land adinstration certificate which enable me to create all the legal documents that are required to drill or dig on a piece of land. Also, there is power engineering which you can take by online schooling. So if your husband really wants to work in the oil field i suggest you both research all the avenues you can take and figure out the pros and cons and i hope this helps if you have any other questions or concerns please feel free to aske me

Rachel - posted on 05/06/2012

What type of job is he currently working? That may determine whether or not he would want to change jobs. It's a really really really rough job. Depending on what he does, he can make really good money, but it does come at a price. If he lands a job where it makes lots of money, just warning you that he might never get out of it. Not saying that this will happen, but I have seen workers say they were doing it temporarily and once the money came in, they were determined to start crawling up the ladder in the oilfield to make even MORE money. Because the truth be told, it is EXTREMELY difficult to find a career that makes the kind of money that oilfield workers make even if you did go to college.

Stormy - posted on 04/30/2012

Thanks so much! He has been feeling out applications so I hope he can do what he wants.

Kelli - posted on 04/30/2012

Oh ok stormy well il pray for you and i hope all works out for u guys.

Stormy - posted on 04/29/2012

Nope, I am a SAHM.

Kelli - posted on 04/29/2012

I understand how you feel tho i was there once and it does open alot of doors. Do u work?

Stormy - posted on 04/28/2012

Well, I feel better about it now, I just can't imagine him gone so much. But if he does it then I would back him up 100%.

Kelli - posted on 04/28/2012

If ur already on the rocks i wouldnt. My hubby is curently in north dakota for 3 weeks. Im a sahm with a 18 month old and it kills me each time he leaves. U have to b strong and b able to be both mom and dad at times.we make it through but were a good team and have tryst and deducation. If ur upset now and dnt have his back 100% ul have problems

User - posted on 04/23/2012

My husband tried the oil field job hauling water, it seemed like he would work two weeks and have to sit for two weeks, making it Utah wage in the end... I would have him go back up to north dakota if I could find a company that would keep him busy, its great money that will get you out of debt.. My husband is now working back in utah and the pay sucks big time...

Stormy - posted on 04/16/2012

He has no experince in that kind of work. Will that hurt him? Halliburton is one of the companies that he has been looking into. How do they go about getting into the job? What do they start out at with pay?

I just hate that he is even thinking about this. But if I try and stop him I am afraid it will just cause problems for us.

Serena - posted on 04/16/2012

Pros: Quick money.

Pros: Benefits



Cons: Away from home

Cons: long hours 15+ a day.

Cons: Housing



Housing is usually limited and temporarily. Companies usually give them housing in a hotel or mancamp until they secure their own. Or they stay in the mancamp and pay rent. Food is provided by some companies or they throw in a per diem and some just flat out don't. A good company is Halliburton.



The oilfield is worth it but it's not an easy thing for families. Be sure your marriage can take the hardships the oilfield throws at you. I'm not trying to make it seem super hard but it has it's moments. If it's only a temp thing than I say go for it. Best of luck!

Stormy - posted on 04/16/2012

Also wanted to add that he heard about housing, transportation, and food being paid for so he is thinking that would be an extra bonus if he can get on with a company that does this. We are in Texas and I think he is wanting to do something in the state.