Oil Field Guru's

[snatchel]

Hey folks. Surely we have a couple of people here that are familiar with oil field work. I have been talking with management for a company called Bosque Systems. They mostly deal with saltwater disposal, treatment, and storage in oil fields.

They asked me for a résumé and I am interviewing on Tuesday. They have several jobs opening up in the San Angello area very soon-- I was told that they would want me in some type of leadership/organizational role. Awesome, right? I told them I have zero experience in the oil field, they said they'd teach me. I guess my education/mil experience might pay off after all?

I'm hoping you guys can give me an idea of what purpose saltwater serves in oil production so I don't sound like a complete fool in interview.

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[baldeagle]

Oil deposits are normally found in porous rock that also contains saltwater. Drilling returns both the saltwater and the oil, so the saltwater has to be removed and discarded or reused. According to their website, that's what they do.

Our goal is to safely dispose of, treat or recycle pre-frac, flowback, or produced water from oil and natural gas production by working with our customers to determine the best solution.

So they devise solutions for the problem of dealing with the saltwater that results from recovering the oil.

[RJGold]

I have limited experience but in my limited experience, salt water comes out of the ground with the oil and must be disposed of as a waste product.

If you told them you have zero experience and they are still willing to talk to you, I'd spend your interview time asking them questions about their company and processes and highlighting where your leadership / experience (military or otherwise) can help them achieve what their after.

What you're being asked is not an uncommon thing right now in the shale formation areas. Oil is booming again and companies are looking for good talent (even if they have to train them).

I have a couple of military guys working in my organization right now who had zero experience when they started. I hired them because they proved they could manage people, take care of logistics, follow orders (processes), and given "battle intent" were capable of making decisions and moving on. I have not been disappointed.

My two cents...

[texasmusic]

Depending on your situation, I would request some type of field experience. Oilfield service companies value managers who know what is going on where the rubber meets the road (or dirt). Show willingness to get dirty and learn the basics, show that you are able to work with the lowest man on the totem pole and speak his language, and show that you have a healthy dose of ingenuity/intelligence. Do enough homework to be able to ask questions. Hands-on experience is golden here.

Hiring managers from out of the field doesn't seem very common from what I've seen. Wondering if this is actually a rotational/field position. Might be a negative for someone with kids/wife so be aware of the travel conditions.

I've never been in this role but I have been exposed to the interview process in this field, and had a good deal of success. A few days riding with a Wireline company in N. Texas plus the time I got thrown into N. Slope, AK for several months.

That's my opinion though. Take that and a quarter... and you got 25 cents

[snatchel]

Depending on your situation, I would request some type of field experience. Oilfield service companies value managers who know what is going on where the rubber meets the road (or dirt). Show willingness to get dirty and learn the basics, show that you are able to work with the lowest man on the totem pole and speak his language, and show that you have a healthy dose of ingenuity/intelligence. Do enough homework to be able to ask questions. Hands-on experience is golden here.

Hiring managers from out of the field doesn't seem very common from what I've seen. Wondering if this is actually a rotational/field position. Might be a negative for someone with kids/wife so be aware of the travel conditions.

I've never been in this role but I have been exposed to the interview process in this field, and had a good deal of success. A few days riding with a Wireline company in N. Texas plus the time I got thrown into N. Slope, AK for several months.

That's my opinion though. Take that and a quarter... and you got 25 cents

Yeah, I definitely don't have any boots-on-ground experience in the oil field. I thought it was strange that they are even considering me. From what my guy there has said, the positions he would consider me for really don't require any experience. Basically they want someone intelligent, quick thinking, able to lead, and able to organize logistics.

I don't think they are considering me for any field positions--that wouldn't really make any sense. I know there will be some travel required, locally around the shell formations here, as well as to S. Dakota. No kids, but i'm married. Wife is fairly accustomed to me being gone. Guess we will see. I'll keep y'all posted.

[SigM4]

Nothing really to add other than good luck! Between Eagle Ford in south Texas, the Bakken in North/South Dakota, and what appears to be a resurgence of production in West Texas, now is a good time be getting into the business. Only thing I'd ask them is how much travel they'd expect to South Dakota. Having been up there a few times this past year, its pretty crazy. 250-300 bed man camps housing workers because there simply aren't enough hotel rooms for the influx of workers.

[gregthehand]

My grandad is a retired geologist with Slumberger and I have a girl renting a room from me at my house that is one for Halliburton. I've worked in the oilfield and around salt water hauling companies for about nine years (I'm thirty).

After a well has been drilled and completed a tank battery is installed. These are the two big tanks next to an oil well you see driving around. One contains crude oil and the other salt water. The tall skinny element is a heater treater that separates the two. Salt water is nothing more than a product of the production process that has to be dispossed of. Salt water hauling companies operate 24/7 year round, even Christmas, just driving around emptying the tanks.

Trucks will pull on to location and up next to the fire wall. There will be two yellow pollution control pots on the outside and they will have a 4" flow line with a ball valve on the end contained in the pots. You throw open the hatch on the bot, hook up your tank truck hose, and start the flow. The truck sucks up all the salt water and moves to the next well. When full the truck will go to a salt water disposal plant where they basically do the reverse. Many times these are duster wells or oil wells that no longer produce. Basically they have holding tanks the trucks dump into and the salt water is pumped back into the earth. You can see these driving around out in the country as they will have a steady flow of trucks running in and out of them constantly. The sign usually says "Such and Such Resources SWD".

The other service many of these trucks offer is vacum service. Sometimes lines break inside the fire wall and the unit feels up with salt water. This is usually due to corrosion of said salt water. The same trucks pull on location and suck up the water. Some of the same companies offer clean up past that and some don't. The other service is disposing of frac fluids. In this instance you'd pull on a well that is being completed and collect fluid from frac tanks.

Basically they haul waste water and frac fluid.

Info on salt water disposal plants: http://www.rrc.state.tx.us/about/faqs/s ... rwells.php

Salt water hauling 101 video with links to more on side. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLhxkKC6yMI&sns=em

Sorry I didn't see the post earlier. Hopefully you get some info before the interview.

[snatchel]

I got it just in time! Thanks for the good information, sir.

Interview went well today. I interview with the Regional people on Friday....

[RoyGBiv]

I know there will be some travel required, locally around the shell formations here, as well as to S. Dakota. No kids, but i'm married. Wife is fairly accustomed to me being gone. Guess we will see. I'll keep y'all posted.

Be sure to call it SHALE, not shell.

That's all I got. But I'll be here all week. Be sure to try the veal.

[powerboatr]

I have a couple of military guys working in my organization right now who had zero experience when they started. I hired them because they proved they could manage people, take care of logistics, follow orders (processes), and given "battle intent" were capable of making decisions and moving on. I have not been disappointed.

My two cents...

x2 bet that is the key factor, can do and trainablity (new word) goes a long long way
plus you know how to LEAD and delegate, but still take responsibility for the team and end result

hope the followup interview goes great for you

when i left the Navy and went to work as a contractor for the Army...I didnt have a clue how the army program worked. but they they were more concerend with past leadership and the degrees i had earned. than the job i would be doing.

[snatchel]

I know there will be some travel required, locally around the shell formations here, as well as to S. Dakota. No kids, but i'm married. Wife is fairly accustomed to me being gone. Guess we will see. I'll keep y'all posted.

Be sure to call it SHALE, not shell.

That's all I got. But I'll be here all week. Be sure to try the veal.

:/ I'm embarrassed. I am the guy who silently bashes people for screwing up homophones in forums... look at me now.