So I'm meant to be an Oil Executive?

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My job in Sydney working for an oil exploration company led to a second business trip overseas, and the final destination proved to be out of this world! My boss gave me the go ahead to accompany a geologist to an offshore oil rig off the coast of Taranaki, which is situated on the North Island of New Zealand. I'd never travelled to the land of our Kiwi cousins, and was thrilled to join my colleague for the three hour flight over the Tasman sea to Auckland.

From Auckland airport, dear reader, we boarded a connecting flight to New Plymouth on a smaller propeller plane. My first impression of NZ out of the plane window was that the countryside looked incredibly lush and green, it was clear the country gets a lot more rain than Australia. From Taranaki things got very interesting when we boarded a helicopter for the flight out to the oil rig. Because the rig was close to shore we didn't need certification in survival training for an underwater chopper crash. The brief flight culminated in an exhilarating and nerve wracking landing, as the pilot bought us in for a touchdown on the rig's landing pad. Many of the pilots are ex air force pilots, and very experienced at this precise method of flying.

We ducked under the chopper blades and ran from the landing pad to meet the rig manager, and then settled in our quarters to commence a fortnight working on the rig. I felt lucky to have this opportunity on top of a business trip to Japan in 1989. The opportunity to work on an offshore oil rig is a rare opportunity for any worker, even for those in the oil industry. We wore blue overalls emblazoned with a silver company logo on the back, and the roughnecks working on the rig immediately looked up to us like we were big men in the game. Maybe that applied to my colleague, but to be honest I was way out of my depth. However, I was extremely grateful to experience this unique business opportunity despite lacking the necessary qualifications.

We settled into our work routine on the rig, which entailed twelve hour shifts followed by a twelve hour break seven days a week. The drillers, roughnecks and roustabouts normally do a monthly stint followed by a month off, and we eased into a close working relationship with our Kiwi colleagues. The geologist introduced me to guys working in a specialist cabin on the rig, and this became the centre of my world for the next fortnight. Our job was to analyse the core samples taken from designated depths, as the drill bit continued to drill down into the Taranaki basin. The samples were gathered from a conveyor belt, and our job was to check for evidence of oil and gas deposits. At designated intervals we also took core samples to my work colleague to analyse in depth as a geologist.

Looking out from the rig we had spectacular views of Mount Taranaki, which is a unique mountain on the North Island situated right on the coast. The mountain rises up sharply from the shoreline to provide an incredible backdrop to the city of New Plymouth. On one occasion the geologist took me up to the drilling platform where we watched quietly in the background as the elite drillers went about their jobs in impressive fashion. The rig pigs are the top guns on an oil rig, and work at a furious pace attaching new sections to the drill pipe as the relentless drilling continues. One mistake can lead to serious injury or even death for these highly skilled and tough workers; these blokes are the real deal and display superb team work. They are covered in mud and grease constantly applied to the drill bit, and work in all types of conditions for twelve hour stints and are rewarded accordingly.

Then there was our crane driver. He was a big bear of a man with a severe limp but somehow scampered up the ladder to his "office" as he put it. From there he moved things around the rig during his twelve hour stint, before knocking off work for the day. The most striking aspect of working on an oil rig is that there's nothing to do at the end of a shift. Boredom is clearly a factor but the roughnecks earn good money, and many of them return to their farms during the month off after working on the rig. The kitchen galley put on good meals which was a bonus, but the guys tended to go a little stir crazy and waited with baited breath for the weekly chopper to fly in fresh food supplies, and importantly a new batch of porno movies for their entertainment!

We struck oil during our time on the rig, believe it or not! I told the roughnecks this was my first time on a rig, and one of them said he'd spent fifteen years on rigs and never experienced a find. The guys were full of questions after the find, but I was sworn to secrecy by the geologist. He told me I was unable to discuss any details as this may lead to insider trading on the stock market when the men were back ashore. I think I know how army members feel now, because the power of a uniform has an incredible effect, even if it's simply wearing overalls with a shiny logo there's still an aura of authority. One day I headed out to work, and was just about to open the door leading out of the break out room, when the roughnecks gave me a strange look. I asked if everything was alright, and finally one guy sheepishly fessed up and warned me of the bucket of water they had rigged up above the door. I'll never know if I was the intended target of this practical joke, but I sure am grateful I didn't copy a bucketload tipped on my head!

New Zealand is a spectacular country, with wonderful scenery and super friendly people. Although my first visit to NZ was on a business trip, it was still a fascinating fortnight working on any offshore oil rig. Whether you come to NZ for work or play, basically all of you should be here now!

It is not our choice to work - work is a matter of survival - and so to an extent it is a matter of necessity rather than freedom of will that we enter into economic contracts." Karl Marx

It's home time so until next time, I'm signing off for now

Tom

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Photos

Darling Harbour conference
Taking a break with my work colleagues.

Auckland skyline
Photo taken from the hills overlooking the largest city in NZ.

Comments

[liuhuan]

good
Very good.