I want to be an oil rig worker!

Wiseguy

Well, not really. But, I do want to write a sociological piece on oil rig workers. There's something intriguing about their work environment - metal, loud noises, isolation. I'm writing this piece for an on campus magazine at UCI. Anyway, on with the help-me stuff.

I'm trying to contact an offshore oil rig around the Orange County area to see if I can get a tour. Is that possible? Anyway, I've been searching on google and it's putting me through mazes to find what I want: oil rig contact information. So, anybody more of an efficient and successful net-searcher want to help me on this? What I need is some contact info that can help me somehow get a tour at an oil rig.

falsedef

You need to search for media contacts for oil companies, such as Shell, Chevron, and BP.

You could try contacting Aera, and asking about tours of their Huntington Beach platform.
http://yellowpages.superpages.com/profile~SRC_google~C_Oil+%26+Gas+Producers~LID_9hFkYd0chszGqiVJc%2FkFYQ%3D%3D~lbp_1.htm

Are you part of the New U? I miss Jaded.

delphinus

from a guy i know who used to work on them, they get paid insane amounts but this usually leads into fairly undesirable areas that i doubt are documented.

since theyre usually in the middle of nowhere for LOOOOOOONG periods of time but get paid copious amounts, main forms of entertainment (im told) are getting sloshed/ doing higher forms of drugs/ renting hookers. i wouldnt say this/believe it if my friend didnt tell me with a tone of truth in his eyes. take it as you will, im just trying to inform. take this info as you will.

Wiseguy

falsedef wrote: »

You need to search for media contacts for oil companies, such as Shell, Chevron, and BP.

You could try contacting Aera, and asking about tours of their Huntington Beach platform.
http://yellowpages.superpages.com/profile~SRC_google~C_Oil+%26+Gas+Producers~LID_9hFkYd0chszGqiVJc%2FkFYQ%3D%3D~lbp_1.htm

Are you part of the New U? I miss Jaded.

Hey, thanks.

And nah, I'm not a part of the New U. Hell, I don't even think the New U has any worth as significant journalism. But I do respect Jaded, they were bomb.

I write for a publication called Forest Fire in which our small staff of writers write on what they individually perceive as relevant to the people. Check it out, it's on campus.

And delphinus: If your friend is telling the truth, that is some pretty dense material - there's enough social commentary in there to form some real piece of journalism.

Gabriel_Pitt

I would question how one would get hookers out on an oil rig.

PeekingDuck

Takes a pretty big toll on the family too when you're out there for so long. Hard to get communication lines for any length of time. $$

Gnome-Interruptus

I know Hookers, Cocaine, are pretty popular with the oil sands rig workers.

The one town that they all shack up in during down time is like the old west with bar fights and the lawlessness.

alcoholic_engineer

I have worked in a camp up in the oil sands so here is my 2c worth.

They wont let you near the place most likely. Some crazy stuff happens up there, but because the sites are so remote and isolated (even with net/phone) that there is a surprisingly little amount of info about the shit that actually goes on.

The last thing they want is for people to realize how truly screwed up the whole place is. LOTS of drugs, alcohol even on the work site, as gnome said hookers, and really a hell of a lot of more then marginal activities. ($$$$$$$$ and nothing to do).

As for photos, the site i was at you had to have a special pass, and they censored your pictures if they let you get any at all. Hell, they used to censor my buddies on facebook when they talked about it there.


From talking with my associates when i was up there, my experience was not unique and really the entire site/culture up there is completely screwed up beyond belief. I could honestly write pages describing all the shit that went down while i was there, and I was a lowly electrician for 3 months.

It is worth a try I suppose, but to be honest i would speculate they wouldnt want word of the sort of shenanigans getting out and causing trouble for them.


finally, as for the tour, especially for an offshore rig i would guess that to do that you would have to go through a retarded amount of safety stuff to even go near it.

I hope you do get something out of it, I think more people should hear about how crazy the place is, but i think it is doubtful unless you are really lucky.

locomotiveman

Aren't a lot of rigs out beyond the 3 mile limit making things like drugs and hookers at least somewhat closer to legal?

D-Doc

I work on an oil rig in Texas, though not off-shore. I'm going on 6 months with the company, so I'm not a vet but I can try to answer any questions.

Julius

Wiseguy wrote:

Well, not really. But, I do want to write a sociological piece on oil rig workers. There's something intriguing about their work environment - metal, loud noises, isolation. I'm writing this piece for an on campus magazine at UCI. Anyway, on with the help-me stuff.

I'm trying to contact an offshore oil rig around the Orange County area to see if I can get a tour. Is that possible? Anyway, I've been searching on google and it's putting me through mazes to find what I want: oil rig contact information. So, anybody more of an efficient and successful net-searcher want to help me on this? What I need is some contact info that can help me somehow get a tour at an oil rig.

I doubt you'll be able to get a tour. Even if you do it'll cost money. like, money money.

try finding someone who works on one first. that way you can determine what you need to do and if it's possible.

Gaslight

Thread from February 2008, good people.