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Since 1995 I have worked in the offshore oil and gas industry in the North Sea on various Jack-up's, Semi-submersibles and Production platforms. The majority of people think that this is a life of luxury, working two or three week shifts at a time and having two weeks plus at home to do whatever I want, whenever I want. They have the idea that all oil rig's are floating hotels with every amenity you could possibly imagine. I hate to break this to you but this is not so. The majority of rigs are old, rusty, with poor accommodation consisting of shared two and four man room's, little or no television and radio, shared toilets and shower blocks and food that the majority of third world countries would turn their noses up at! The laundry service is appalling and if you are lucky enough to get at least half of your clothes back the chances are it is full of holes, a different size/shape or dirtier than when it went in. Telephones are few and far between to call home and then you are often charged extortionate rates so as the rig can make a profit so as to provide the regular rig crew's with some luxuries in their own rooms. Internet and e-mail access is pretty much unheard of and if so is very limited due to the excessively security conscious oil companies. But that's enough moaning from me it does make up for this in that I get some 'quality' time off. I first worked for a company called Baker Hughes INTEQ between 1995 and 2001, which provides oil companies services such as Mud Engineering, Directional Drillers, Logging Geologists, Measurement Whilst Drilling, Logging Whilst Drilling, Surveyors and Wireline Services all of whom work in the exploration side of the oil industry.
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