In our last blog post, we discussed the advantages of working in the oilfield, from high pay to an opportunity to travel. But as you probably know, not everything is roses and sunshine when it comes to working in the oilfield. Northern Oilfield Services is an oilfield service company based out of Williston. We offer premium oilfield drilling, wellhead, and fracking equipment rentals, maintenance, and sales. In this blog post, we’ll review some of the cons of working in the oilfield. Contact us today for all of your wellhead equipment rental needs!
CONS OF WORKING IN THE OILFIELD
- Hard on the family. Probably the number one reason people leave the oilfield is due to family issues. There is no doubt that when you’re gone for weeks at a time, traveling constantly, and working 18 hour days that you’re family has to compensate. Besides the emotional toll of missing you, the spouse left at home has to handle all of the household duties, taking care of the children, and working perhaps as well. To work in the oilfield, the entire family has to be onboard, and you’ll need a stellar support network as well.
- Work in inclement weather. Many people look for jobs where they can work outside, as opposed to your typical desk job. When the sun is shining, and it’s a bright spring day, working outside is extremely pleasant and satisfying. However, when it’s freezing cold, the wind is blowing, and it’s hard to run the equipment, working outside is not so pleasant. As oilfield workers who work the service side, you can expect to have to work in the scorching heat and the freezing cold, deal with the muddy conditions at the job site, and have to retreat to your truck during a hail storm. Northern Oilfield Services notes that oilfield work is definitely something you have to get used to.
- Long hours. The oilfield is known for long hours, which is why they pay so well. You can expect to work anywhere from 60 to 80 hours or more even when you are working. Oilfield rigs run 24 hours a day, which requires someone there when they are being actively worked on. Most oilfield service companies work a set schedule, such as two weeks on and one week off. You have to be prepared to catch naps where you can and work overnight as well.
- Remote locations. Many oil wells are located in the middle of nowhere, where there’s no services, no amenities, and no cell phone service. It can be an isolating feeling, especially since we are all so used to staying connected. Northern Oilfield Services notes that this translates into many hours of transporting and driving heavy equipment to and from location.
- Live out of hotels. While travel can be a perk, it can also be a hassle, especially when it is frequent, and you aren’t exactly staying at a five-star hotel. If you’re assigned to a remote location for a period of time, you could be living in trailers or even campers, which is just not comfortable. This can also contribute to missing your family when you don’t have the opportunity to go home and sleep in your own bed.
- Takes a toll on your health. Northern Oilfield Services notes that it’s hard to maintain a healthy lifestyle when you don’t have a gym nearby (not that you have the time anyways to use one), you can’t cook meals so you’re forced to live off fast food and gas station food and coffee, and your sleep schedule is erratic. Many oilfield workers struggle with getting their bodies on a regular schedule both while working and on their days off.
THE FINAL WORD ON WORKING IN THE OILFIELD
Oilfield work takes a lot of sacrifices on the part of workers. It can be physically and emotionally draining, as well as mentally challenging. And you have to deal with all of this while trying to ensure everyone on your crew stays safe and gets the job done on time and prepares for the next one — all in the name of fueling our seemingly non-stop energy demands.
That being said, oilfield work can be extremely rewarding. You are helping fuel our world by bringing oil and gas to the masses, which will be made into everyday products that we love, from gasoline to fuel our cars and lawnmowers to the plastic our water bottles are made from. No one ever said life would be easy. In fact, would you even want it to be? Nothing worth doing is not without effort. Those who choose to work in the oilfield work hard and then play hard in their off time with their families. And they do this day-in and day-out, benefiting society as a whole in ways that go unrecognized.
If you are interested in an oil field career, visit our website. We are always accepting applications.
HOW NORTHERN OILFIELD SERVICES CAN HELP
Northern Oilfield Services understands the unique demands of oilfield work. That’s one of the reasons we started our company two years ago. Our mission is to make your oilfield job easier by handling the oilfield equipment side of things. By renting oilfield equipment from us, you’ll be saving your oilfield crew precious hours in maintaining it. Your oilfield crew has enough to do. Let us handle the tedious task of codes and regulations for your oilfield equipment. Contact us today to get started!