Oil & Gas Field Jobs
How do you find one?
by Dawn Ballou
September 1, 2005
We are getting a number of inquiries again from folks who saw the recent CBS article on the need for oil and gas field workers in Wyoming. A lot of folks are trying to figure out how the heck to contact these companies to find out about "roughneck" job openings and how to apply. We wrote an in-depth article about this in June, but because of the new media coverage, it bears repeating, along with some additional information and links to other resources. See the end of this article for hotlinks to more information.
The "oil industry" is comprised of many companies and there isn't just one place to go to look for job availabilities. There are many big name companies
(Shell, EnCana, Questar, Exxon, Halliburton…) and many more small contractors who do a wide variety of work in all that needs to be done in the oil and gas fields in western Wyoming (trucking companies, heavy equipment operators, archaeology firms, electricians, pipeline work, road construction, casing services, communications companies, independent truck drivers, much more). All advertise independently of each other, so there isn’t a centralized clearinghouse coordinating those jobs.
The best first place to look for oil/gas field related job announcements is the classified ads of area newspapers. After that, check the online employment agency job boards. For our area jobs, check newspapers in Pinedale, Rock Springs, Green River, Evanston, Kemmerer and Rawlins. Also check the state paper, the Casper-Star Tribune. If you don’t live in the area and can’t buy a physical paper, the easiest way to get to all the newspaper websites for their classified ads is to go to the Wyoming Press Association website for their member directory page.
There is hands-on job training available for newcomers in the industry at the Rocky Mountain Oil and Gas Drilling School and the McMurry Regional Training Center in Casper, Wyoming. Scholarships are available and they offer job placement.
Before coming to any of these areas looking for a job, make sure you have housing secured. Many areas, including all of Sublette County, have very few available rentals (homes, apartments, trailers) and there are long waiting lists for new availabilities. All the local RV parks are pretty much full up. Workers are staying long term in motel rooms, living in tents in campgrounds and plunking trailers and RVs wherever they can park them. Local real estate agencies can help by at least getting your name on their waiting lists for rentals as they come available.
Most companies are now taking care of employee housing arrangements, but be sure to specifically ask about that for any job you take in this area. Newspaper classifieds will show you listings and give you an idea of rates.
Around Pinedale, we have few apartments or trailers. A quick glance at today’s paper had available rentals ranging from $1000-$2200/month right now. The gas companies have been setting up "man camps" to house a lot of their workers.
Here are some additional helpful links on this topic:
Finding a job in the oilfield (Pinedale Online story, June 2005):
http://www.pinedaleonline.com/news/2005/06/Findingajobintheoilf.htm
CBS article about oilfields (August, 2005):
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/08/29/eveningnews/main801844.shtml
Sublette Examiner (Pinedale newspaper with online classifieds/free viewing):
http://www.subletteexaminer.com
Pinedale Roundup Newspaper (Subscription):
http://www.pinedaleroundup.com
Roughneck Newspaper (Subscription)
Put out by Pinedale Roundup, all about oil/gas field news:
http://www.rough-neck.com
Casper-Star Tribune Wyoming state newspaper:
http://www.casperstartribune.net/
Wyoming Press Association:
http://www.wyopress.org/
Wyoming Job Bank Office Locations:
http://www.wyomingworkforce.org/contactus/offices.aspx
Wyoming Job Bank Job Listings:
http://onestop.state.wy.us/appview/wjn_home.asp
New Drilling Rig Training Program (Casper-Star Tribune article, January 2005):
http://casperstartribune.com/articles/2005/01/22/news/wyoming/7ceb1e3026aeaa3387256f9100099529.txt
Rocky Mountain Oil and Gas Training Center Casper Wyoming:
http://www.rockymountaindrilling.org/
Wyoming Construction Industry (WCI) – Drilling School:
http://www.wyomingcontractors.org/
Pinedale area Real Estate Agencies For rental information:
http://www.pinedaleonline.com/B-RealEstate.HTM
Sublette Chamber of Commerce Oil/Gas Companies listings:
http://www.sublettechamber.com/oilcompanies.htm
More Local Jobs:
Pinedale Online Job Board
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