Finding Oilfield & Pipeline Jobs & Q&A with Beau Rogel
You wanna work in the oil field? Here’s the simplest way to make 100k plus with zero experience...
Thinking about working in Oil & Gas? Industry worker (and Youtube personality) Beau Rogel recently put together a video where he lays it all on the line, chatting about the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to working Oilfield & Pipeline. We've got a breakdown below, along with his actual video at the end of the post. Enjoy, and hope it helps
Would you recommend a position on the pipelines or in the oilfields?
Pipeline all the way. It’s a full time gig - you’re going to work for six months straight out here and make some really good money. And then take off for a couple months if you want to.
After taking time off, it is easy to get hired back with the same company?
There’s really no loyalty in the pipeline. You hire on for the job and when that job’s done there’s not many people that are guaranteed to go to the next job with the same company. I’m assuming it’s the same with the offshore.
How does someone start working on the pipelines?
When you go in as a green person, they call them hands. In pipeline you’re a labor hand or welder’s helper. I remember when I was a green hand and the hardest part of the entire job was all the walking. But it was midsummer in East Texas and it was 120 degrees.
How does someone prepare for a job on the pipelines?
You don’t need technical school or welding classes. You don’t need to spend any money - you show up in a car with a pair of steel-toed boots from Walmart and that’s it.
Is it worth the money to leave your family?
It’s easy work and the reason they pay so well is because you have to leave your family and your home. I have a wife and two kids. I hate nothing more than being away from them for long periods of time but the money’s just way too good for me right now.
What is your position out here?
I’m an operator. I have no formal education or training in the field but when I was a helper I begged by foreman to give me a little seat time on the excavator. I’m moving dirt and moving stuff around.
What are your living arrangements like?
I earn a per diem, which is tax free money. This RV is paid for but the lot I stay on is five hundred dollars per month and I pay for food and gas and all that stuff. But, I mean, the per diem money - I wouldn’t be doing this if it was just my hourly rate.
What are overtime hours like?
We get about 70 hours a week but I’ve seen some people get 80, 90, even 100 hours a week on certain jobs. The money doesn’t really start adding up until you’re at overtime - which you’re usually overtime by Thursday on this job.
Do you worry about the future of your job?
Luckily, the company I’m with is a long-term setup where they’ve got job contracts for years. So when this job is complete, right now we’re building storage facilities, we’ve already got another job lined up.
What is your recommendation for getting a job in the oil industry?
My only recommendation is to join every Facebook page for oilfield, pipelines and rig welders of America. I’m on, like, 15. Just watch them every couple of hours - the jobs will pop up. They’ll say, “Hey, we need half a dozen labor hands,” or “We need two welders helpers to start tomorrow morning at 8:00”. The jobs are here but they’re not planning ahead for two weeks. It’s usually because somebody didn’t show up or they’re shorthanded on a job that starts today and they need you there tomorrow. When a job pops up be ready to roll - I mean, on the spot. So if it says they need you there 8:00 tomorrow morning in West Texas, and you’re in Mississippi, that’s 12 hours away. You better pack a bag, grab some steel-toed boots, hop in your truck and go.
What if someone is not prepared to work that far away from home?
You can come out here with absolutely nothing. I mean, they got camps which are big facilities with nothing but rooms for rent. You can literally come out here with a couple hundred bucks in your pocket and your truck. A lot of people sleep in their trucks when they start off until they get their first check.
How often do you go home?
I go home when I can, which is usually holidays. We usually work six days a week and off Sundays most of the time. But this past weekend we got a Saturday and Sunday off, which is very rare. So Friday after work I drove 12 hours home and spent an entire day with my family. That Sunday I drove back. So 24 hours of driving for 24 hours at home. And it was worth every minute for me - just to be able to see my family for one day.
Video:
You can watch the video here