I Did Not Forget You

It has been awhile since I last posted but I did not forget you. Sometimes life is just too busy and I have a hard time finding a minute to think.

Hubby is working so far...Thank God! It seems oil field work has been on the decline for awhile. I am sure it will eventually pick up again but for now every bit of work is greatly appreciated. So while we are not quite broke yet we are being very cautious with every penny we spend.

There are quite a few people who don't understand oil rig life and they seem to think that if you work the rigs then you must be rolling in the dough. Let me tell you, it is really not quite that simple. Yes, during the busy times life can be great if you are not busy catching up from the slow times. And those slow times can be very brutal. Last year was a brutal year for us. Adding up the months my hubby worked we came up with 4 months total.

He did pick up odd jobs here and there but basically ended up with about 6 months of no work through the year. Now some people may read this and think that he was just being lazy and not looking for work but that is not the case at all. Resumes were sent on a daily basis and phone calls were made quite often. With over 10 years in the oil field my hubby has quite a few contacts which helped pull in a little work but in all reality there was just really no work last year.

We are really hoping this year is a little better but it is not looking to promising. Oh well, we keep our heads up and do what we have to do to provide for our kids and we are not at all ready to give up the ups and downs of rig life yet. We may have to take a break and wait for more work but oil rig life is in our blood and it is all we know.

Pay Rates for Alberta Drilling Rig Crews

Drilling rig crews in Alberta are generally paid hourly. Most companies pay is based on CAODC recommendations although there are a few that offer a slightly higher amount. This base amount was current as of this posting.

• Driller makes $40/hr or $42/hr with rig tech premium
• Assistant Drillers make $35/hr or $36.50/hr with rig tech premium
• Derrickhand wage is $34/hr or $35.50/hr with rig tech premium
• Motorhand makes $29.50/hr or $30.50/hr with rig tech premium
• Floorhand wage is $28.00/hr
• Leasehands make $26.00/hr
  

There is also LOA which is paid to help compensate for living cost while on the road. This is $140/day for non camp jobs or $50/day for camp jobs.

Family Christmas

So far we have bee very fortunate and my husband has managed to make it home for all but one Christmas. This year for the very first time we will be having a very unusual Christmas.

Every year Christmas at our home is filled with family. We live very close to both our parents so we have the opportunity to spend Christmas with both sides of the family. However this year our families have both chosen to go away for Christmas to see other grandchildren and children. So for the first time in over 25 years we will be completely alone. Also this year my husband will be working however the rig he is on is only about an hour from home so he will be here Christmas morning to open gifts.

It will definetly be an interesting Christmas this year.