My days in drilling rigs - what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!

Facebook’s “On this Day” shows content from this date in the past. For example, a few days back I saw this photo of me from five years back from my oilfield days. Hard to say what I was trying to accomplish but posing in front of three screens in a container in some remote drilling rig, now that feels like bad-ass engineering. Seeing myself in the deep blue coverall made me want to reflect how those field engineer experiences shaped my overall career journey.

I don’t know how many of you have watched Mark Wahlberg’s “Deep Water Horizon”, I love glorifying my past telling people that was me back in the days. After seeing this, even my wife took me seriously for a week. Although it’s not technically super accurate but gives you a mental image of what drilling is and how high the stakes are. Bottom line, yes things can go wrong and yes mistakes cost lives!

When I look back, my days in the oilfield started off as a bad dream which turned out to be amazing. Today, I am pursuing an MBA and it’s not hard to imagine the future – moving from desk to desk keeping the smile intact. Pretty ordinary compared to hopping from one drilling rig to another, listening to “All I Do Is Win” as I put on the sacred helmet, and trying to fit the perfect coverall which is dirty and clean at the same time. Now when I think about it, those two years as a Field Engineer might carry the best work stories for the rest of my life.

So, what life lessons did I learn working hands-on in different oil rigs around the world?

It’s a playground for learning: You can complete hundreds of training modules, read as much as you want but nothing compares to real life. I still remember the very first day I walked into an oil rig, the smell of drilling mud, the background music of drilling, and the image of people running around to make everything work was overwhelming. You instantly find out there is a distinct way everything works which connect to all the theories, but nothing is black and white. So, you start learning through observing, asking questions, and being a doer. That’s why, I believe whatever your role is within a company, for clarity you need to deep-dive wherever the action is happening.

I still remember the very first day I walked into an oil rig, the smell of mud, the background music of drilling, and the image of people running around to make everything work was overwhelming.

Managing people is not easy: As the engineer-in-charge, you need to handle many aspects and man management is the most critical one. You need to manage your client, drilling crew, and also other service providers who are working jointly at the rig. On top of that, the oilfield is as diverse as it gets with people from all over the world with different cultures, working styles, and languages. When things are going great, it’s actually not too bad. But the issue is when things start going south resulting in blame games plus screaming matches. That’s when you learn that management is an art and unique for every situation. It takes a lot of self-awareness and sincere desire, but you get it right soon enough! A great start to help you become a better influencer is the book “Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek”, helped me a great deal!

You make unique connections: Working in the field, I had to constantly interact with drilling crews. The guys who did all the heavy lifting are called Roustabouts and Roughnecks. Then you have Drillers who manage the bottom hole assembly going underground. Compared to me these guys were generally a lot more experienced and have seen much more. Talking about politics, sports, the family you build different perspectives. Staying away from friends and family for extended periods you really start bonding. Going on regular coffee breaks was one of the best decisions I made as they were always willing to go the extra mile for me.

A desire to learn and can-do attitude is most important: As a Schlumberger field engineer when you walk into the rig, you know you are the subject matter expert. You know people expect you to have all the answers but do we really? Well, sometimes! The most important aspect I feel is demonstrating a genuine curiosity in everything. From the outside, drilling may seem like rocket science but actually, it’s not (maybe a little bit). If you are willing to get your hands dirty to learn, people are always going to help you to be successful. I think this goes toe to toe with every role in every company. Go ask moderately stupid questions, show constant improvement, and you will fit in.

It’s all about - work hard, play harder: Dealing with radioactive sources and working 24 hours straight are common stories we constantly bragged about. Besides these extremities, life in the rig is super fun! There are certain breaks during drilling when other work is being performed. That’s the time you go and explore the remote area you are in to find out it’s actually remote. You play cricket, football with the crew or even start singing contests. Work hard, play harder was the motto every day and that’s how we used to keep our morale flying.

Dealing with radioactive sources and working 24 hours straight are common stories we constantly bragged about. Besides these extremities, life in the rig is super fun!

If you want to learn more, make sure to watch Deep Water Horizon. The movie accurately depicts the atmosphere on drilling rigs. It is also a fitting testament to the workers who make drilling safer today. I am proud to be a part of this family and will always cherish the breathtaking memories I created on this journey!