I've got a couple young buddies who've gotten in to this year field as Oil Well Site Managers, and they seem to love their jobs. They talk of $100k salaries at age 26, working only 6-8 months out of the year, living wherever they want and flying to the well sites, etc...
I have a hard time separating the facts from the truth because I feel like as my friend, they are trying to sell me on this. Wats the gound truth on this career field?
I don't know about site managers, but some geologists work six months out of the year. One month on, one month off. A free plane ticket back to their home. I knew an Italian who worked in Brazil. The downside is that it's not good if you want a stable life. My friend seemed kind of sad.
I work for an EHS firm that has Shell, BP, and Conoco as clients and do a lot of site work at drilling sites. I'm usually there in the very beginning, before everything is set up, and don't come back until something goes wrong, but I've met quite a few of these types.
The answer to your question depends on a lot of things. Basically the way it works is that the Well Site Manager is the representative of the company that is paying for the drilling. This would be a company like Shell or BP or whoever. Most everyone else on site is a contractor, whether they're a driller, driver, whatever.
The WSM is responsible for health and safety, project management, and drilling operations. Basically you have a site full of contractors and it's your job to make sure they do what they're supposed to without screwing up.
In my experience, it seems like for the most part you get married to a site. It may be possible to move around a bit, and there may be some scheduling flexibility, but these sites require 24 hour supervision. There may be 2 or 3 WSMs, but one of you will be on site at all times.
The salary and stuff is probably pretty accurate. Even the contractors get paid pretty well.
I can almost guarantee that you won't get hired as a site manager without any experience in project management of any kind. Ideally you'd have experience as a general contractor, clerk of the works, work on a drilling team, or something relevant.
Hope that helps.
I'm 26 and have been a program manager in the Air Force for 5 years now, managing up to $50M at any given time and leading a team of 15 military, civilians, and contractors. It's not oil specific, however, I think it shows the potential is there. I have a BS in Finance, and Masters in Acquisition Administration.
I was looking at this Well Site Foreman Internship Training (WFIT), 7 months of paid training that places you on a site as a full-timer upon graduation.
One of the guys I referenced went through this program and had nothing negative to say. Ever heard of it?
With the right connections, your experience could certainly get you in. It's a hot field right now and kind of competitive, but hey, why not give it a shot? At the very least you get 7 months of paid training, right?
I am also interested in this program, and I have sent my resume in. But I don't know anyone that has been through the program. If you have talked to someone that has I would like to pick your brain a little.
I have always been bullish on anyone interested in oil and gas work. Pay is great and demand for every job from roughneck to geologist to chem engineer is extremely high. But, I am now hearing that the fracking boom is on the verge of going global. North America is currently the leader in fracking and tar sands in a big way and will eventually overtake OPEC thanks to the same. But, other countries are catching up quickly. The result may be a slow motion oil glut. Oil industry folks are now saying that $90 a barrel may be the new ceiling instead of the current floor due to new supplies, reduced demand (fuel efficieny rapidly increasing) and European/Chinese economic woes. That being said, there are still great opportunities out there. Just keep in mind that pay in the industry may be reaching a peak. Given the demands of working in the industry (travel, limited job security, workplace safety for those who work up close to production, etc.), it is not an easy decision to switch careers if you are currently making decent money.
I am also interested in the program. From what I can tell, the program that "military man" is referring to caters to Vets. So if you are a Vet then you have a leg up as far as I can tell.