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Anyone work at the Alberta oil sands?

13K views 39 replies 25 participants last post by  Sylvan Lake V35 
#1 ·
I've been throwing around the idea to go out and live the experience. I hear its tough work but I think I'm ready to take on a challenge.

Has anyone worked there?
 
#2 ·
super bad for your health....great pay though, you might as well smoke 1,000 cigarettes a day. The real term before it was called oil sands was "tar sands"...very unhealhy to be around. Not like drilling for natural gas or oil.
 
#5 ·
Nope, but I'm not stranger to getting my hands dirty and learning new things. Also a 2nd year automotive apprentice so if the rigs don't work there is a huge demand for mechanics out there.

Just figure if I go out there for 1-2 years I will be able to pay off all my equipment for my business in full. I'll come back and have close to zero start up costs. Plus the addition of the experience of living out West on my own.
 
#13 ·
Half my province works there :lol: Know a lot of guys who go back and forth and they love it. Other side of the coin know a few of the lads who went up hated it and now work back in NL. Depends what you want out of it I suppose.
 
#16 ·
EV. I know a few people working there, actually more than a few, a person I know's girlfriend's dad owns one of the Fields and a ton of Rigs in Calgary. But if you would like to know anything let me know and I should be able to put you through to one of my contacts over facebook. Cheers. Ps I know this is old but I'm just saying. :) Cheers.
 
#17 ·
I'd love to go drill in Alberta. However after applying to countless positions, it seems as though you won't get hired unless you are on the ground in Alberta. Is this the case? I'm currently also toying with the idea of going back to school; first world problems.
 
#18 · (Edited)
Yes, you have to be here. 10 years ago companies used to sometimes hire over the phone, but that doesn't happen much anymore at all. They want to see you out here...which shows you are serious (and available) to work. All you need is your H2S ticket and first aid. So many guys from the east coast think that you just randomly email or call a company and they'll hire you, meet you are the airport with a brand new truck and a briefcase filled with 100k in $100 bills for a signing bonus. LOL It doesn't work that way.

There are tons of jobs out here, you just need to put some preparation and work into it before you will get work. It comes easy....but not THAT easy. Like I said, move here, get those two tickets and you will have multiple call backs with job offers 100% guaranteed.

Another tip for you....drilling operations typically are busy between Oct-March. Spring and summer are always a lot slower.
 
#19 ·
The bad news is it's very slow this year and jobs are hard to come by with no experience. You need to be here you need as above first aid, H2S and PST/petroleum safety training before you can get a job. Starting in most cases is likely $26-30/hr with time and 1/2 for the last 4hrs you work 12hr shifts. The company I work for hires at $65,000 salary/year + $285/day every day you actually work along with a truck, fuel card, cell phone, an expense account and all equipment you need. A couple guys I met through tuning cars I ended up hiring and they will make $200k this year so the potential is there but it's hard work and sacrifice no one is looking to give hand outs and if you're not performing a pink slip will come your way pretty quick.
 
#29 ·
The company I work for hires at $65,000 salary/year + $285/day every day you actually work along with a truck, fuel card, cell phone, an expense account and all equipment you need. A couple guys I met through tuning cars I ended up hiring and they will make $200k this year so the potential is there but it's hard work and sacrifice no one is looking to give hand outs and if you're not performing a pink slip will come your way pretty quick.
Damn, that's a nice pay schedule, what type of work do you do?
 
#22 ·
Texas has plenty of Oil work don't they? There's a bunch of gigs down there to take a look into. Not sure what the industry in Alberta is looking like currently. I'm unsure if it has changed from above.
 
#25 ·
yes texas has a lot but its pretty much start at the bottom on anything unless you know somebody to get you in the door in a higher than bottom of the bucket job. I make 35/hr at my current plant I cant leave this job for such a big drop in pay... I mean im willing to take a cut to know it will pay off but not that much lol..

im only 26 so I can put in some time in a company and willing to learn.
 
#40 ·
Sorry guys I threw out some posts then vanished, I don't really come on here a lot. I don't have any hook ups for those that inquired, my line of work (service based) oil field experience is a huge asset so without it you are not a good candidate. Anyone interested in oilfield should start applying at drilling contractors and start at the bottom even the bottom should pay $100,000/year. Google Alberta drilling contractors and I am sure you can get started. You need lots of safety training and tickets they might even pay for your courses/tickets when they hire you. Some service companies may also hire, once you have some rig experience (even a year) it will open up a lot of doors for branching out into different fields. I am only involved with the drilling side, there are other avenues as well like well service, fracing, gas plants, pipe lines and tons of other areas to get into. I have never worked in the oil sands myself so I am not much help on the jobs available, I did have guys working in that area and visited those sites often. I did my fair share of camp work but once I was in a position that I didn't have to do camp work I avoided it.



A good little bit of anti-oil propaganda you found.
 
#28 ·
Want work in Calgary right now? If you're a skilled interior contractor, you can make 800$+ a day installing tiles, plywood, and putting up walls. The floods caused an immense amount of damage and contractors from everywhere are killing themselves to get there first and get the contracts.

One of my neighbors is there right now and has made more in the past two months than he has in the previous 10 months.
 
#33 ·
Anyone here who can hook me up with a job ? I'm an Electrical Engineer and unfortunately specialized in Radio Frequency optimization, a field which is DEAD in Canada. Have been working for the past 5 years in the United States and US Immigration has decided to stop giving me TN Permits(their reason : you've been working too long in the U.S wtf ?!!?) I am back in Toronto. I am depressed and depression is getting the best of me.

If anyone can help I'll appreciate it. I'll take anything in the oil sands !
 
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