Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer General Forum Anyone ever worked overseas in the oilfield

Hi guys! I'm in need of some advice. I have an opportunity to work for Halliburton in Saudi Arabia. The position would be a well service operator; coil tubing, wireline, ect. The rotation would be 35/35. I'm having a difficult time deciding on what I should do
Positive- $$$$. I'd be able to pay off all my student loans. Hunt wherever the heck I wanted. Buy investments for my future. Basically, I'd be set money wise.
Negative- I'd be gone 6months out of the year. It be hard as hell to raise a family. Just being away from everything I love.

I'm already used to the offshore lifestyle. Im 25yrs old single. I've been an offshore surveyor for almost two years. My current job is 24/7 on call and I have to live in Lafayette, La. The Halliburton gig would allow me to move back home, which I really want to do.

Anyway, I'm just looking for advice. I know there are some offshore guys on here. Hope they can chime in.

Thanks!

I have no experience to help, but 25 and single I would go for it in a heartbeat.

I agree young and single I would be leaning that way. Life experience and job experience would be high........and the money sure wouldn't hurt.

Disclaimer: I have not worked in the oil fields.

X infinity!!!!

Sounds like a trade off of a few years work for a comfortable rest of your life. I'm 32. I wish I could go back to 25 and do something to make me debt free now. And I don't have a lot of debt when compared to others my age. If you could handle being in another country for 6 months, I'd do it. But, then again I've never worked in oil fields or overseas.

25 and single. Already familiar with that lifestyle. Go for it, not like you have to do it forever if you don't like it.

A friend of mine retired doing that same thing. The only caution I would throw out is to make sure you know where you will be. If you get any further north that shaaadinngg noise you hear wont be a wrench dropping but may be a ricochet.

I think you are bragging.............boy, jump on that horse and ride it like you stole it.

And I bet you can find you a hot saudi chick over there and have one here and there. That way you get tired of one just wait a few days you'll be back to the other one.

OK I will be the one to bring it up.....you probably aren't going to have, lets say, the company of a woman for 6 months

Maybe, but seeing as how the women aren't even suppose to look you in the eye or some crazy chit, its going to be difficult.

IF you go, always remember that you are an American and never forget that THEY hate us.

Amen!!!!!!!

Thanks for the advice guys. I guess my biggest fear is completely changing careers. My degree and experience is in GIS. It just makes me nervous.

Although I'm not happy with my current job. It's the most boring job I've ever had. It requires about an hour of work a day. The rest of the time is spent wAtching movies. I can't stand it. Plus, I'm on call. When it's busy I might be offshore for a month and only be home for a day before I'm offshore again.That gets old after being offshore for weeks at a time. I've been looking for something offshore with a steady rotation for a while. I'm just trying not to jump to fast on something I'm not sure of.

Oilfield here. As others have said, do it while you're young and single. I wish I'd gotten into the oilfield when I was younger and single.

One of my lab techs that works for me was a driller for several years offshore, and has worked all over the world with Diamond. Single guy for most of it. Dude is a millionaire, without a care in the world at age 45. He is happy just being a lab tech now...it's not about the money. He loves the 7 on, 7 off schedule and sleeping in his own bed every night after 20 years of offshore worldwide.

Military folks do that all the time and get paid a whole helluva lot less.

General consensus is...Go for it!
I'm typing this from about 200 miles ENE of Rio De Janeiro right now...granted, Brasil ain't Saudi Arabia, but like you, and others have said, the money is great. I'm 51, married, with kids and a grandson...don't much care for being gone 6 months a year, but you get used to it. And did I mention the money is great? Money won't buy you happiness, but it WILL afford you a whole different class of misery! Wouldn't hurt my feelings to spend the rest of my career in the oilfield overseas.

I did 28/28 in Brazil and I enjoyed it except I am married and have kids so it was hard. Your single, the money is good and you are young so I say go for it. My advise to you is try to work a little while at home because all that time home boredom sets in and you can burn through some money. Just pick up some partial hitches here and there and you really can banks some money for your future. Good luck. Just my 2 cents worth.

If you're 25 and single, you have no family to raise unless you have some kids already.

Go to Saudi, experience life, see new things, expand your horizons and make some money. Live frugally and invest it wisely so you don't have to work your ass off when you're older.

This is the prime of your life. Take advantage of it.

You have to decide, everyone is different. I hate being away from home. I couldn't do it for any amount of money. I used to drag up on a lot of out of town work. You may be different.