140 degree temperature change

From 70 degrees in Texas to -40 F (ambient) and -70 to -80 F wind chill (there is always a breeze).

Definitely missing Texas and its weather right now.

Back to work

My mother informed me of my lack of updates; I had it on my to-do list which you can imagine has not been touched in sometime.

The well on Steelhead ended, and it was a great success. I went back to the slope for a week after this to perform various odd jobs around the shop, and then I had 2 weeks off to visit the family. I got to see most of you guys, and for those that I missed feel free to come up here.

I'm in the airport right now, about to head to the slope again to finish up a well and assist with a new rig we have coming online. Hope you had/have a great holiday season.

-Russell

70 mph winds

70 mph winds = no work getting done right now. The wind is too strong to operate anything in the derrick, so now we play the waiting game.

Oilfield Drilling Basics

As the title implies, this is a list of necessities when drilling:

• Hardhat
• Safety glasses
• Article of FRC (fire retardant clothing) with a nickname or some type of altered name aside from that on your birth certificate (Michael = Mike, Jeroen = jeroen [notice the lowercase], Russell = Russ, Dave = Spud)
• Willie Nelson and/or Hank Williams Sr. playing at all times. Best to not play at the same time as the awesomeness can overwhelm the weak of heart

That's it.

Week 3 update from Steelhead

Hey there readers,

We have hit some tougher formations recently, so things have slowed down allowing me to catch up on the important things in life (fantasy football, personal email, this blog, etc...).

I'm proud to say that everyone involved with this project is performing admirably and we have yet to have an injury on board. Now that I'm done with that recognition, I'll get to the more interesting parts of life out here.

The oilfield is interesting not because of the work that we do (which is, don't get me wrong), but because of the people that occupy various positions. Some are drag racers that know the local judges so well that they (the judges) call the crew member by their nicknames, others are paranoid about martial law being imposed in Alaska and buy property based on its defend-ability.

Anyways, I need to get back to the grind.

Ahoy there

Ahoy readers,

Today marks my first week on the illustrious Steelhead Platform in the Cook Inlet of Alaska. We are currently drilling ahead, and things have gone relatively smooth thus far (knock on wood and what not). Drilling out here is challenging primarily due to the logistics of everything, but it's still fun.

This client is running tools that I have not had the opportunity to run regularly or ever, making this a challenging well and one to hone my skills on some new tools.

Life on an offshore platform is like going to summer camp, but you get paid and you drill/process hydrocarbons instead. This particular platform burned down after taking a gas bubble in 1987, so it has a more recently redone living quarters than the surrounding platforms. The rooms have 4 beds, each with a privacy curtain (oh boy!). It's similar to living in a fraternity house or college dormitory. The bathrooms are community, but cleaned daily. Overall the housing and food are better than the rigs I stayed on at the slope, aside from having to share a room with multiple people.

I'm going to try to snap a few photos later on. Adios.

Getting ready for the platform

Hey friends,

This post will have to be brief as I'm about to head to a meeting to discuss my upcoming job on the Steelhead offshore platform. The weather in AK is sunny, but hovering in the mid to low 30's. It's nice to see the sun again, but the temperature and weather leaves us in the transitional season of fall waiting for winter and the daily dumps of snow. I just bought some skis that have an alligator eating a bull on the bottom. I know what you're thinking, "Russell, you are EXTREME!". Yes, Yes I am.

I'll write and post pictures from the platform within the next week or so.

Busy times in Alaska

Hey readers,

September and October have been hectic, hence the lack of posts. I spent the week of the 15th - 19th (September) in Norman under the guise of a recruiter for big blue. The company's booth was flooded with potential recruits, and I appreciate the opportunity to go back to my alma mater. I did get to see a football game, the atrocious OU vs. Air Force game; another one of those close wins.

The North Slope is in the early phases of becoming inundated with snow. I feel fortunate to have seen the region change from snow to green fields (June) and then back to it's usual barren, snow-covered state (end of September).

I'm sad to have learned that the rig I have been assigned to will be stacked down (retired), and will be replaced by a newer/larger rig. The folks at 7 ES are a sharp, fun bunch of people and I've enjoyed their company and guidance. However, I did learn that I will get the opportunity to work offshore on the Steelhead platform in the Cook Inlet. This is an amazing opportunity to run some new tools, experience a new environment and work with a new group of people.

I will be returning to the slope tomorrow for a few days, and then will be back in Anchorage (currently in the 30's) for a week or so off until Oct. 26th.

Holy Cow, an Update and new photos!

That's right, I finally uploaded photos from the end of my stint in Abu Dhabi, various jobs I've worked this summer on the North Slope, a kayak trip in Prince William Sound, and even some random snaps of Chicago and our president's motorcade.

Oh yeah, and I got promoted in the process of all of this; no time for rest in the life of a global executive.

Alaska has been busy. We haven't stopped drilling for the black stuff in the ground, resulting in me spending plenty of time up north.

I'm actually in the process of packing for my recruiting trip to The University of Oklahoma. Oh yes, I am actually the face of the organization to hundreds of young,unemployed engineers. Heaven help them.

The Alaskan summer wasn't so great this year, primarily due to it being a record wet summer. Anchorage saw 34+ straight days of rain; not the greatest for getting outdoors. Needless to say, the handful of times I got to fish, I didn't catch much (much = anything).

Enjoy the random collection of pictures on the site.

-Russell

Chicago and promotion

Hey there readers,

This post is going to be short, but I promise to write more later. I'm currently preparing for a series of interviews that will finalize my promotion in the company. I know what you're thinking, "It's about damn time they made Russell CEO"; while I do agree, that has been pushed back a little longer. I'm merely being promoted to a higher ranking Field Engineer than my previous level.

Not much has happened here, but I did go to Chicago for the Lollapalooza music festival. I met up with some old college friends and we watched/listened to some pretty awesome musical acts. I have pictures from that, a kayak trip on Lake Whittier (in Alaska) and some other random pictures from the SLB camp in the UAE that I'm going to upload shortly (in case you thought the picture thing was done).

http://picasaweb.google.com/rlwhitney87

Peace out, Yo.

Holy cow, a new post!

Wow, hey there readers. It seems as if starting these posts out with an apology for not posting in a while is an unfortunate tradition in this blog; I will work on fixing this right now.

Sorry for not updating(Notice I apologized in the second paragraph, hence immediate progress made.)

Things have been busy for Rosco (rig nickname) on the slope. I have been on a few jobs, working constantly through the night. As the guy with the lowest seniority, night duty falls on me... As a few of you may know, I work on the illustrious Nabors 7 ES. This glorious rig is owned by Nabors Drilling and operated by BP. The rig tries to not focus on what's going on in the gulf, as Prudhoe Bay is about as far away from the gulf as one can get. However, the events have affected us all for better or worse (new safety initiatives and educational opportunities <- look at that middle management safety jargon)
I have not had a lot of free-time, but in my time off I have attempted fishing and Bikram yoga with some coworkers. We went fishing for King and Sockeye Salmon (often called "Reds"). The yoga thing is something that I'm actually enjoying. Please, hold your scathing comments for later.

Bikram is a stretching, balance, strength-building yoga set done in a warm environment. When I say warm, I don't mean Alaska-warm (80+ degrees). The room is a balmy 105 degrees, complete with space heaters and fans to keep that temperature constant. Though it may sound masochistic, it is actually quite enjoyable (if you remember to bring a towel and giant water bottle).

Aside from that, nothing has really happened up here. The slope is completely green now, and will be for at least a month longer. I have seen caribou, muskox, and even some grizzly bears. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera to the rig on those days, hence why I'm not bragging about some awesome pictures.

Hope all is well, sorry for the dry post.

SpongeBarak SquarePants

Today a Louisiana federal judge overturned the President's 6 month moratorium on offshore drilling deeper than 500 feet.

Many people have called this moratorium "illogical", maybe a "knee-jerk reaction", and even "[a] one way ticket to a double-dip recession". While these claims may be true (who am I to judge), they show a complete lack of understanding as to why the White House imposed this on the already suffering state of Louisiana and an industry that his actions have shown he's not too fond of; SpongeBob SquarePants.

We know the President has two younger daughters, who most likely watch one of the most popular shows on TV (I even watch the show, and I'm not ashamed). You may say this proves nothing, and has absolutely nothing to do with the Executive branch's energy policies. I offer my argument below...

We know that SpongeBob lives in a pineapple under the sea, also where the wreckage of Deepwater Horizon and ruptured well lie. SpongeBob and his friend Patrick are living the "green" lifestyle that has been publicized and endorsed so much. What is more green than living under a rock or in a house made out of a giant fruit? SpongeBob never criticized the government, and his fast food restaurant is obviously not in a low-income area since the only other building ever in sight is the "Chum Bucket".

Still not convinced?

Have you ever seen a gas-station in SpongeBob? Vehicles don't need oil underwater (let alone any type of fuel after intensely studying the show) and can still move freely while still creating that satisfying sound of an internal combustion engine. You just have to have the audacity to believe and never question the logic.

I've even assembled a cast of characters:
SpongeBob: Barak, always the star
Patrick (dimwitted starfish that is SpongeBob's best friend, as well as has some strange influence on SB's decisions): Timothy Geithner (a more dimwitted star)
Sandy (much more intelligent, experienced member that beats SpongeBob except when it counts): Hillary
Squidward (always voicing his loathing of SpongeBob): United States Army General Stanley McChrystal
Mr. Krabs (SpongeBob's boss, whom he never questions): Michelle O.
Jellyfish (mindless, pack-dwelling wild animals that have supported Sponge in certain occasions): College students
Plankton (The pure-evil antagonist in the show): Those evil oil coporations, the healthcare industry, and a logical energy policy

Master of steel and mud

I feel that I should let my readers know that I am indeed the master of steel and mud. I just successfully 'downlinked' to one of our tools 15,000+ feet underground. What is this 'downlink' business? I'll fill you in, so you too can drop nifty/nerdy terms.

Downlinking is the process of changing the flowrate in a controlled,sequential manner such that the tool is capable of recognizing the change and altering its downhole behavior. In short, I varied the flowrate of the mud pumps to tell the tool to do something totally different. No electrical wires or wireless connections; just myself, mud pumps, and drilling mud. Awesome.

Uh oh, an actual update!

Well hey there readers,
How are you today? I'm still on the slope; finishing up my third week since my arrival on the 18th of May.

The slope landscape has been changing drastically since I've been up here. When I arrived, snow still covered everything in creation up here. However, each day more of it melts. How much? I drove to work one day and looked over what I thought to be a barren field covered in snow. However, whilst driving back to the rig camp at the conclusion of my shift, the snow had melted enough to reveal a sizable river. Yes, an actual river.

Various ponds, wetlands, and topographical formations are now visible, emerging from the blanket of snow that covered them all. There are quite a few birds that enjoy this, as well as caribou and muskox.

Many have asked what a muskox is, and to them I say: a hairy cow. They move slow, eat all day, and love to lay down on roads at the worst times. During the rig crews change-out, a herd of muskox decided to cross the road. We thought this to be a temporary situation, until several of them laid down. We, oilfield workers, are not allowed to disturb the wildlife in any way, fashion, or form. When a duck crosses the road, all trucks stop at a distance and let the duck meander around until it finally flies off. The same is true with muskox, and bears. Yes, when a bear is on the pad or near people you can't disturb it. The only time one may disturb wildlife is if it is in self-defense or defense of another person; even then there is a possible fine to be paid.

If you want to switch to whatever type of sleep schedule your heart desires, then come stay on the slope during the summer. The whole 24 hours of light will set you on your crazy circadian rhythm cycle.

All is well up here, just drilling ahead and steering clear of the musk oxes and foxes I've seen alongside the road.

The BP guys up here are a bit nervous about the future of BP operations in the US due to this mess in the gulf. Wish I could say/knew more, but I don't. Service companies are the lowest of the low in the eyes of the operators (merely my opinion, please don't jump all over me for this statement).

The temperature around here hovers around freezing. Signs of the tundra thawing out emerge every hour, whether it be water fowl breaking through the ice to actually touch water to the rare grass sighting. I will take/load some pictures soon, once everything calms down a tad.

Peace, Love, and Oil.

Back to the slope and Alaska female fashion advice

Well, I'm back on the north slope again. It is officially in the season of 24 hour daylight, which isn't that bad. I have to wear a sleeping mask, like you would see in any terrible sitcom (name your decade, they are all bad).

I should head to a rig tomorrow, until then I'm doing a little work around the shop. That last statement mainly consists of me messing up or breaking tools and the shop guys fixing said screw-ups.


I didn't get to write about my fashion observations from Alaska, which next to Dubai is a fashion center.

Women should all wear tanktop like outfits, weigh more than 300 pounds (winter insulation), and have tatooed breasts. During my many excursions to the local Fred Meyer (similar to a Super Target or upscale Wal Mart), I noticed this was all the rage in Alaska. Women in the lower 48, take note.

Texas, Oklahoma, Alaska and a new apartment

Well hey there reader man/woman/child/sasquatch, hope all is well.

I'm sick of beginning these posts with me apologizing for taking so long to update this blog, so just assume that I am apologizing for being late before every post begins.

I've been busy traveling back from the UAE, moving into a new apartment in Anchorage, traveling to Texas and Oklahoma to see who I could, and then back to Anchorage to get ready for my next hitch on the North Slope.

I will say apartment shopping in this town is crazy, as it was most likely zoned by a drunk local. There are random trailer parks spread about the town, near elementary schools and higher end housing areas. We found a place, not near trailer parks or anything else for that matter.

I'm heading up to the slope tomorrow, I will take some pictures when I'm up there and post them.

Adios,

Russell

Test time

Hey there,

SLB decided we needed more tests in a week than normal, so I'm in the middle of taking those. I should be done with the majority of my tests and what not by next week, I'll provide an update then.

Just an FYI, I will be back in Alaska by the 1st of May and back in Texas by the 5th.

A giant Mosque, SLB Dorms, Dubai: Part Deux

Readers,

I had not even thought about updating the blog until my Uncle messaged me earlier today. I am sorry it took this long for me to update, as I'm sure you have been frantically hitting 'Refresh' page on your internet browser to see if I updated.

I have been pretty busy with school recently, as we are delving into the more complicated tools (theory and operation wise) that we are to learn during this course.

If you go to the picture site you will see pics from the Sheik Zayed Mosque (second largest Mosque in the world) and various pictures from my second trip to Dubai.

I must say that I finally looked over some of my pictures, and realized quite a few of them are a bit slanted; sorry about this, I usually snap quick pictures and keep walking. I'm going to make a more conscious effort to take a few extra seconds each picture and not tilt the camera so much.

The Sheik Zayed Mosque, named after the late Sheik Zayed who united all the emirates to from the UAE, sits on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi and is an absolutely amazing site in this urban jungle. Like all things in this country, it is still under construction (the plaza at least, the mosque is complete). The pictures can describe the gold leafing, the crystal chandeliers, and the world's largest handwoven carpet better than I ever could.

The same day I visited the mosque, my class had to move to the Schlumberger Middle East & Asia Learning Center dormitory. Hooray... In all actuality, the place is very nice and has a variety of facilities to allow students to relax. However, the walled complex and constant security guard presence makes one feel like they are at a prison sponsored by IKEA (all the furniture is from IKEA, stickers are still on some of the pieces). This makes the commute to Abu Dhabi on the weekends a bit more difficult, but the site does offer a free bus to Dubai on the weekends.

Two friends and myself took advantage of this last weekend (April 3rd). After touring the Dubai musuem (similar to the East Texas Oil Museum in Kilgore), we went to the Burj Khalifah where the top was open! The viewing deck had not been open for more than two weeks, but we managed to buy tickets and make it up to the top. The experience was unreal, as the largest skyscrapers in the city looked minuscule. This is another case where my words cannot do justice to the experience; check out the pictures. We meet up with my friend Paul's old classmate and she showed us parts of Dubai we had heard of, but had no idea where they were.

During this experience, I learned Dubai is a lot like Dallas; the main things to do are eat, drink, and shop. The locals enjoy visiting various malls and walking around gawking at the expensive goods and escaping the heat by way of the strong air conditioning in each building. My friends (both from the northern US) wore sweatshirts inside, just to give you an idea of the temperature.

Unfortunately, this weekend has been taken over by radiation training. We might get Sunday off (our usual weekend is Friday and Saturday), but that doesn't seem to be set in stone.

I'm sorry again on the slow updates, but I'm a mover and a shaker.

Hope all is well on your side of the world,

Russell

School and the uneventful weekend

"Life's hard. It's even harder when you're stupid". -John Wayne

I really enjoy this quote, and am using it as inspiration to not make life any harder.

All is well over here in the UA of E. I've heard about the controversy in the states, sorry guys. Good luck with all of that, and I'll deal with it when I'm back in May.

School has picked up as of recent, causing us (the students of Drilling & Measurements ENG-1) to relax more on the weekends instead of traveling or going on exotic safaris. We are primarily studying MWD (Measuring While Drilling) tools right now, the foundation for our division. These tools are the ones that transmit real-time data up the mud column to the surface, and provide us measurements that let us know where we are underground once we deviate from a vertical hole.

This weekend consisted of going to the beach and starting to make the trek to Al Ain (Old Abu Dhabi). We didn't realize it was farther away from Abu Dhabi than Dubai, and promptly turned the cabs around and headed home. I didn't know that in the 60's they moved Abu Dhabi from Al Ain (where it had been for hundreds of years) to its current island.

I also tried pigeon last night; fried and grilled. Interesting taste, a mix between duck and chicken. I most likely will not be trying it again, but that would top the most bizarre foods I have tried on this trip.

Keep in touch,

Russell

Sorry about the lack of updates

Hey there readers (the few that I have left). Sorry about the lack of updates, things picked up in the old UA of E (that doesn't work at all, but oh well).

I just posted some more photos here. These pictures are from the beach in Abu Dhabi, as well as our little jaunt into the desert.

I'll catch you up on Dubai and then fill you in on the rest of my time to this point, so be ready for some reading action that may blast your cranium to the back of the auditorium...or wherever you choose to read this attempt at a blog.

My trip to Dubai was overwhelming. The town in under construction, similar to Abu Dhabi, but the finished areas are perfect to the smallest details. The Burj Khalifa is truly a wonder of the world. I've seen some tall buildings (Sears Tower, Empire State Building) but never did I have to lean back in order to see the entire building. Most know this as the Burj Dubai, but when the project went bankrupt (about halfway through construction) the Sheik of Abu Dhabi lent them a few billion to finish. No big deal; oh, and they had to change the name. Unfortunately the continuing problems with the building are keeping visitors from going to the top, so needless to say we did not walk up however many thousands of flights of stairs to the top. Malls in Dubai are crowded with Europeans, Arabs, and anyone else that has ventured into the bustling port city. If you notice in all the advertisements, it is filled with westerners instead of the native Emirates. We also ventured to the beach near the Burj Al Arab (7 star hotel) and I snapped a few pictures of that $7,000 (US) a night hotel. Visitors are allowed in if they pay for a $120 (US) cup of tea. I've heard its great tea.

The pictures from the beach are pretty straightforward, just a day relaxing in the sand and eating ice cream. The next day a group of us embarked on a little desert adventure and went dune driving (more so riding) which is similar to a roller coaster, rode a camel, and ate and drank under the stars in the middle of the desert. The pictures tell a much better story than I can.

I'm going to get back to studying, but I promise more will be posted.

We should be going back this weekend, so I will gather more stories.

Dubai

I went to Dubai today; pictures are on the site. Most of the pictures are lacking in artistic quality (surprise surprise) since I was trying to take them quick and focus on the town.

Will write more tomorrow (probably).

Pictures

I'll try to include this link in my future posts for new pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/rlwhitney87

I'll write more soon, going to go enjoy the weekend.

Abu Dhabi

Well hey there readers, hope you're doing swell. I arrived in Abu Dhabi earlier today (7:40 a.m. their time, around 9:40 p.m. in Texas or 6:40 p.m. in Alaska), finishing my 36 or so hours of travel.

Everything went well, aside from one little thing in London. As I had mentioned to some, I was supposed to have a 10+ hour layover in London. I had hoped I could use this opportunity to see London (just some tourist areas) for the first time. Unfortunately, this plan relied on me being able to check my bags with Etihad (the airline of Abu Dhabi) very early. They didn't want to play ball on this, so my colleague and I ate fish and chips in the airport, drank a few pints, and slept on some benches. Not quite as exciting as Trafalgar square or the London Eye, but if that is the worst thing that happened travel wise then I will be alright. I will also say that Etihad is an extremely nice airline, and I really enjoyed my flight with them (nothing against Delta).

I've walked around the city a bit, ate at a restaurant -which by the look of the staff and fellow diners was not used to tourist types walking in-, and fully moved into my apartment.

I will update the photo blog soon with some more pictures from the slope and the few pictures I've taken in Abu Dhabi (from the cab and apartment, didn't carry around the camera while walking today).

I'll post more soon.

-Russell

Leaving tomorrow

Well, the long awaited trip to Abu Dhabi is about to commence. Honestly, I wasn't excited until a few hours ago when I started to research Abu Dhabi and pack (I'm learning to live life the Schlumberger way, last minute).

My roommate and I will leave tomorrow morning, and will arrive two full days later. Most readers may wonder why this trip is taking two full days; flying from Alaska adds logistics issues that catch up with us on our way there; we will have a 10 hour layover in London. I'm hoping to check my bags early and see some of the main areas of London (time permitting).

I will try to update with pictures soon from the recent rigs I have been on, as well as pictures taken of all the traveling. Stay in touch.

Life at a Rig: Part Deux

I ended my last post with "I'll post more on this subject tomorrow...". What most of you didn't know is that "tomorrow" means 2-3 weeks later here in Alaska. In all seriousness, sorry for the lack of updates. Schlumberger requires FET's (Field Engineer Trainees) to take an entrance exam before attending ENG 1 -the training course in Abu Dhabi; if one were to fail this exam twice, then they are most likely fired. As you can imagine, I was busy studying for this exam...and skiing on the weekends. I passed the exam, and now I am back on the slope working. I will try to be more vigilant at updating this blog and keeping you, the reader, in the loop.

So, back to the whole life on the slope topic.
Field Engineers only stay at the Schlumberger camp for short periods of time unless there is specific business at camp they need to handle. A FE (Field Engineer) will leave SLB camp for a forward rig camp. These camps tend to be located closer to the actual drilling sites, allowing for an easy commute to the rig and their living quarters. The general process of checking in and rooms is almost identical to that described in the previous post, but each camp has their own process.

The FE's will have already worked out who is on days (the more experienced hand usually) and nights. After getting settled in, they will rig up the logging unit (placing sensors, running cables, etc...) and will get ready for the job. Usually after rigging up, the hand who should be asleep takes the truck back to camp and gets some rest while the other hand continues preparing for the job. Lunch is usually brought to the rig for the roughnecks, roustabouts, and general rig crew while the supporting cast (company man, toolpusher, any service companies) eat in the company man's camp.

The FE at camp will drive the truck to the rig site and change out with the on-duty hand before his/her shift starts. Thus, the cycle is renewed.

Hope this sheds a little light on day to day life. Let me know in the comments section below (you can comment without an account) if you want more detail on any aspect of the life, or just want to hear about something else. Keep in touch.

Life at a rig

I realized that I have yet to describe day to day life on the North Slope. I will eventually add pictures to the web album of the rig camps.

There are two ways to get to Deadhorse, Alaska (the town that houses all the workers for the Prudhoe Bay oilfield). One can drive, Ice Road Truckers, or fly. Honestly, the main way to get to the slope is to fly. Flying consists of taking an Alaskan Airlines flight, or Shared Services. Shared Services is an airline owned and operated by BP and ConnocoPhillips. The Boeing 737's are new, well maintained, and have a full staff of flight attendants. I'm not sure of the criteria for using Shared Services, but that is all that I have flown thus far. The planes land at the Deadhorse airport. Buses will pull up to the plane if you're going to certain camps that are more remote (helicopter access only, etc...).

Once you exit the plane, and pass the buses, the only other place to go is the terminal. There, you can gather your bags and bundle up as you search the parking lot for the company dog sled. The world's washed up Iditarod drivers end up working in Prudhoe as oil field transportation.

After that last comment, you should laugh; smile at the very least.

Actually Schlumberger has a company van that handles airport transportation. The van takes you to the company camp, where you can gather your arctic gear and get a company truck if you're heading to a rig camp. Schlumberger Drilling personnel that work in the field live at rig camps, leaving the shop guys at the SLB camp. This puts the cost of living on the client, not on SLB. I only stay at the SLB camp if I'm doing any work there or there is no room left in the rig camp. I'll keep this limited to my experience, versus that of other employees.

Once I arrive at the SLB camp, I check in with the big bosses and travel with the other FE's working the same job to the rig camp. Each drilling rig has a corresponding rig camp, equipped with workout facilities, spike room (24 hour food and drink access), and a kitchen. The camp chef and house cleanig crew coordinate rooms. The camps will try to have you share a room with your alternate, so you can have the room to yourself when you need to sleep while your alternate works. You do get your own bed and closet, so hot-bunking is not an issue.

I'll post more on this subject tomorrow, keep in touch.

Back in Anchorage

Well, I finally got some time off. I flew into Anchorage Tuesday (Jan-12th) night.

Since then, I have been running around with other Field Engineers from SLB and enjoying the night life. Friday night, the guys and myself visited the Alaskan Beer and Barley Wine festival. We sampled amazing beers, mead, and barley wine (essentially beer that has more alcohol in it). Saturday and Sunday were spent in a cabin at Alaska's premier (I believe only) ski resort: the Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, AK.

Before this, I had only been skiing 3 times in my life. The mountains here are beautiful, but very steep. One cannot just take easy paths down, only blues and blacks. Skiing this area was essentially "baptism by fire". Aside from my legs burning and a few bumps and bruises, everything went well.

I should be heading back to the slope in the next few days, working on different rigs. I have a web album with pics from up here. Sorry this post was pretty dry, but I'm exhausted. I should write more in a few days when I'm back up there.

Quick training update

Just found out I will no longer be doing my classroom training in Sugar Land, Tx. Instead, I will be in Abu Dhabi (capital of the U.A.E.).

Class starts the 28th of February.

Happy New Years

Sorry for not updating recently, things have been busy. The Alaska green hats flew up to the slope on Christmas Eve. We watched safety videos all day on Christmas (ouch). However, we did eat king crab legs and filet mignon (a staple for the holiday meals) that evening. I spent the first week in the shop, learning about the tools and assisting in a limited capacity. I honestly wanted to help, but didn't know the first thing to do.

I was sent two days ago to the Nabors 7-ES, but haven't done much since. We are performing some time consuming operations; couple that with the phase 3 weather that we've had and nothing much has happened.

Note: Phase 3: Visibility almost to zero, all operations at the rig stop since EMS can't get to us in case of an accident. When we convoy out during this phase, we have to follow a CAT loader with snow plow in convoy.

Happy New Year to you all, sorry for the weak post.