Oilfield jobs have attracted workers from all across Canada. The greatest concentration of onshore oilfield work is in Alberta, but it can also be found in pockets of British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, and Quebec. If working with offshore oil rigs interests you, you may wish to look at the East Coast and the Arctic shoreline.
Since Alberta has the most abundant oil, this is a good place to start your job search, regardless of whether you are entering an oil field job for the first time or have years of oil rig experience. Some of the well-servicing or energy-based companies you may wish to target include:
- Suncor Energy – An integrated energy company exploring, developing, and producing conventional oil and natural gas onshore and offshore.
- Syncrude Canada Ltd. – Syncrude is one of the largest crude oil producers from Canada’s oil sands. It operates a large oil sand mine, utility plant, bitumen extraction plant, and upgrading facility that processes bitumen and produces value-added light and sweet crude oil for domestic consumption and export.
- Nabors Industries Ltd. – A contract-based drilling company focusing on land drilling, workovers, well-servicing rigs, oilfield hauling, engineering, civil construction, logistics, facilities maintenance, and project management.
- Savannah Energy Services Corp – An energy business concentrating on coil tubing, vertical drilling, horizontal drilling, and overall well servicing.
- Weatherford – An oilfield service company that focuses on all aspects of the life cycle of a well: drilling, evaluation, completion, production, and intervention.
- Ensign Energy Services – An oilfield company company that specializes in land-based drilling, directional drilling, and well servicing for crude oil, natural gas, and geothermal wells
- ConocoPhillips Canada – An oil and natural gas production and exploration company with positions that focus on technology, innovation, and sustainable development.
For more information try the Canadian Oilfield Service and Supply Directory (COSSD) it is Canada’s most comprehensive oil patch directory with a specific focus on service and supply companies operating in Canada’s Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. The COSSD is the most widely used industry-accepted directory, with over 26,000 listings in over 1,900 specialized oilfield categories. Its unmatched track record in targeted distribution and market penetration makes the COSSD the definitive guide to Canada’s oil and gas industry.
Note: the above is not an exhaustive list, as there are many more companies you may wish to research and apply to. Once you have got on with a company and have established a good reputation with your Tool Pusher/Rig Manager, it is easy to get transferred to a different rig or location if you like (depending on positions and openings, of course). More often than not, when an oilfield worker finds a rig and crew they enjoy, they are far more likely to stay with it.
Not only is there an opportunity to try out different locations when working in the oil field, you can also advance to new positions and test out different rigs. If you are looking at the drilling aspect of the oilfield, these are the positions that you can work your way through:
Floor Hand- Motor Hand
- Derrick Hand
- Assistant Driller
- Driller
- Tool Pusher/Rig Manager
- Consultant
Once you have reached the level of Consultant, you may wish to work in an office in one of the bigger centers, or you may choose to work onsite and travel from rig to rig. Regardless of the oil field job classification you wish to end up with, remember that you must be committed to hard work, teamwork, a healthy and active lifestyle, and continuing education.
Various types of oil rigs and drilling that may interest you are:
- Vertical Drilling
- Slant or Directional Drilling
- Offshore (Platform) Drilling
- Single Rig (the most common type of small drilling rig)
- Double Rig
- Triple Rig
Each type of operation has its unique qualities and speed. You may wish to try out which rig or platform suits you best, particularly as you advance to the assistant or driller level. An oil field job is a great place to work if you like long hours, a fast pace, and big paychecks. If you have never worked in this sector or if you are looking for an upgrade to a better position, a solid resume and cover letter are what you need to make the transition.
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