Picture
While many of the oil producing nations in the world offer oil rig jobs that are both on and offshore, the vast majority of those available in the UK will involve you working on an offshore rig. At time of writing, there are currently 107 oil platforms off the coast of the United Kingdom, with those rigs accounting for 98% of all the oil delivered in that country. All told, around 450,000 jobs in the UK are in some way connected to the oil and gas industry, with close to 200,000 of those being in Scotland. It makes sense that the largest percentage of jobs would be located north of the border, especially since the North Sea is where the vast majority of the extraction takes place.

Working on a remote platform is unlike any job you are likely to have ever had before. The hours you have to put in, combined with the time spent away from home make oil rig jobs a career that is definitely not for everyone. Since we have already ascertained that oil rig jobs in the UK are most likely to involve working offshore, you might want to know what life is like on the rig before opting to decide on a career in that particular industry.

The hours put in by an oil rig worker are generally long and hard, with shifts and work time based on an on/off type of scenario. For example, your shifts are likely to be 12 hours on, followed by 12 hours off. The same rules apply when it comes to the time spent on the rig. This is not a job that allows you to go home to the wife and kids every night. The scenario is usually a two weeks on, two weeks off type of thing, which means that working away from home is something that you will very much need to get used to. The financial benefits of adopting this type of schedule is what makes it so appealing to many.

Oil rigs may be stuck out in the middle of the ocean, but these massive structures are designed to be as much like a home away from home as possible. Oil companies understand just how hard oil rig employees work, which is why they try hard to deliver some creature comforts. The cabins are a lot like those that you find on a cruise ship, although it usually means bunking up with another worker. As far as entertainment goes, oil rigs may have a games room, a movie theater and a gym where workers can stay in shape between shifts. There are places to eat and drink as well, with a coffee shop and restaurant usually always part of the set up as well.

There is no denying that getting used to life offshore can be a challenge, but the benefit is a career in an industry that is booming and which can be financially rewarding.


 
Picture
One of the most scenic drives in the world is undeniably along the Pacific Coast Highway in California. What may come as a surprise, though, is the number of oil rigs and tankers that are clearly visible out on the ocean. It’s easy to think of the oil industry in the US being confined to the state of Texas, but those looking for an oil rig job should also think about heading west to California. There are both offshore and jobs on dry land available for those that would like to enter into the lucrative careers that can be had by drilling for black gold.

The job you decide upon in California may very well hinge on where you believe the industry is headed in that particular state. Offshore oil production is somewhat down, but there is a very strong belief that the massive amounts of shale oil in the ground could very well make California set to become a boom state the likes of which hasn’t been seen since the gold rush. Much of that depends on the discussion taking place about the environmental effects of fracking, which is how that shale oil is discovered, but you have to believe that the need for oil will make that boom happen.

In previous posts we have discussed the variety of jobs available in the oil rig industry, so rather than just rehashing that same information over and over, let’s take a look at a specific oil rig job in California.
As previously mentioned, there are plenty of positions available to those that are coming into the oil industry with no experience, but the job we are going to take a look at is one that does require some level of experience in the oil industry.

The job in question is that of a rig operator, with compensation set at the $80,000 per year, which of course is without overtime being added in. It’s worth noting that the base salaries earned by oil rig employees can generally be added to by the amount of hours that you are asked to work in any given day. Another fact that we have mentioned repeatedly is that long hours and hard work are very much at the backbone of every job available in the field. With that said, the rig operator position comes with some definite “managerial” duties, as well as the hard labor.

Those duties usually include making sure that all of the workers are on time and performing their jobs as expected. You will also be expected to make sure that safety procedures are being followed, which often means keeping an eye on the equipment being used to ensure that it is working at maximum efficiency. There may also be a few clerical duties tossed in that might offer a little respite from the back-breaking word that takes place in the field. As already mentioned, this I just one of the many oil rig jobs that are out there waiting for you.


 
Picture
When you think of the oil industry in the United States, you most often think of Texas, which is pretty much the official oil capital of the nation. While Texas is the main oil hub for the US, it is not the only state that offers the chance to start a career in the oil industry. Another state that is a popular destination for those looking to profit from black gold is Colorado. Obviously, these jobs are not offshore, but rather in the oil and gas fields that are found all across the state. What may be surprising to many is that the numbers indicate that Colorado might just be the place to go if you are interested in a job in the oil industry.

Some of the more recent figures show that the oil business is booming in Colorado, with the number of people working in the industry fast approaching 30,000. That number represents a 34% increase in the past four years alone, proving that Colorado is indeed a good place to start looking for a career in oil and gas. The careers that are available in Colorado may not necessarily be the same as those in Texas or other oil rich areas of the world, but there jobs available to suit a number of skills and levels.

A good number of the jobs available are in the drilling and extracting part of the oil industry. Much like people that work on oil rigs, these are labor intensive jobs that may require you to put in a large number of back-breaking hours each month. The rewards are well worth it, though, and the physical nature of the work means that turnover is often high. If there is nothing available in this sector of the industry today, check again tomorrow, as there is a good chance that status will change overnight.

Much of the searching for oil in Colorado is done using hydraulic fracturing, which means water need to be used when breaking into the rock in search of oil. This makes water transfer jobs another commonly advertised career, although you will once again need to be willing to put in a hard day’s work, as this position requires a good amount of heavy lifting. Drivers are also very much in demand, both onsite and off, so that may also be something worth looking into.

Not every position available in the Colorado oil industry is one that requires physical labor. Brains, as well as brawn, are an essential part of the business, which means IT jobs, foreman positions, mapping and many more technical jobs will also be there for the taking. The oil and gas industry is one that has very much proven to be up and down, but with Colorado currently in a major upswing, you might just consider casting your job search eyes to the west.