Working on oil rigs

[JAMSXR]

Anyone have any experience?

After doing some research on the net, my conclusion is that it involves; up to 13 hours a day, spending 2 weeks at a time away from home, hard physical work which can be dangerous.

On the plus side you can earn between £500-1000 a week with little experience, and you only work half a year, 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off.
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Honda SFX50 > Aprilia SR125 > Aprilia RS125 > Honda RFV400 > K4 GSXR600 > KTM Duke > C1H 636 > K3 GSXR1000 > Aprilia RSV-R > Triumph Street Triple R > Ducati 899 Panigale > Aprilia Tuono 1100 > Triumph Daytona 675R > KTM SuperDuke 1290 2.0

[SlimRick]

The tax breaks they used to get are no more, so it's a whole lot less profitable thank it used to be. That and the chance the helicopter taking you out there might plunge into the sea...

[Kwaks]

Shifts are 12 hours, however you get an hour of breaks and going for dinner eats into another hour.

ATM 2 weeks on two off is still there, but more and more contracts are moving to 2 on 3 off.

You forgot to factor in the paid holidays in your calculations, we got agreement last year for 2 weeks paid, moving to 4 weeks, although the employers are making moves to fight back on this one.

As for £500-£1000 per week, get a grip man Minimum pay on the rigs through the OCS agreement for unskilled workers is over £200 per day.

Remember you need your BOSIET training as a minimum qualification, and trust me, getting a start can be difficult.
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Fallen Angel "Nae sniffing my seat now!!!!! "
www.cliqueycuntsmcc.co.uk
I AM NOT A FAST RIDER!!!!!!!!!

[tom32y]

I recently met a bloke who worked on a ship or oil rig doing something with oil or gas. He said that he got 5 weeks on 5 weeks off, but for the 5 weeks off they would fly him anywhere he wanted. He also said that he didnt pay any tax at all (somehow by telling the uk government that he was resident elsewhere etc) When i met him he was in Thailand living it up for another week before he had to go back to work!!

[veeeffarr]

I've just been on a night out with a lad that's been on the rigs, think he does a month on, month off.

He's not short of a few pennies, put it that way.

[Kwaks]

month on/off is common when you work abroad, both those examples are boys that do not work in the UK sector, and by staying away just one of there months off they can escapeUK taxes.

Maximum working trip in UK is 3 weeks unless special dispensation is recieved from the HSE to add on a fourth (not common)
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Fallen Angel "Nae sniffing my seat now!!!!! "
www.cliqueycuntsmcc.co.uk
I AM NOT A FAST RIDER!!!!!!!!!

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

I looked in to this quite a while back.

Another similar area to look in to is Merchant navy. They pay £15k a year for you to go and train at Uni/college at the moment. Pay is good once qualified but obviously social life goes down the shitter unless your best friends called longbeard.

[SpicyBlimp]

[Kwaks]

To get on the rigs you need the survival course(Bosiet) at a cot of about £700 excluding hotels etc.

Then its a case of getting a start somewhere, invariable Ad Hoc to start with, many companies not taking on just now (drilling rigs are actually laying off) and many workers are scratching their arses on zero hour contracts (especially in catering).

Employment law seems to be interpretted differently out here, for instance the 10% pay rise agreed by all companies last year involved in the OCA seems now to have been taken back, resulting in pay cuts of the same amount, whilst as I have already said the paid holidays agreed to seem also to be under threat.

OCA is a group of oil companies/contractors who are basically a cartel, in an effort to stop unions getting to much influence out here.
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Fallen Angel "Nae sniffing my seat now!!!!! "
www.cliqueycuntsmcc.co.uk
I AM NOT A FAST RIDER!!!!!!!!!

[Itchy]

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

[SpicyBlimp]

[Tarmacsurfer]

[Walloper]

If you are in UK more than 90 days you pay TAX.

Six months out and six months in is more than 90 days.

You can offset the tax liability only by staying out the UK and in 90 days or less.

Or.

Your employer pays the TAX for you and you get a Declaration to that for the tax man here.
Best to get an accountant who's completely familiar with expat fiscal matters to handle that.

Jobs just now are rarer than Rocking Horse shite so do not get your hopes up.

And you would need to be lucky and keep trying anyway.
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W-ireless A-rtificial L-ifeform L-imited to O-bservation P-eacekeeping and E-fficient R-epair

[JAMSXR]

Thanks for the advice guys.

It is something I will be looking into.




Kwaker how long have you been working on rigs for, and what age were you when you started?
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Honda SFX50 > Aprilia SR125 > Aprilia RS125 > Honda RFV400 > K4 GSXR600 > KTM Duke > C1H 636 > K3 GSXR1000 > Aprilia RSV-R > Triumph Street Triple R > Ducati 899 Panigale > Aprilia Tuono 1100 > Triumph Daytona 675R > KTM SuperDuke 1290 2.0

[Kwaks]

Been out here about 2 1/2 years, was about 35 when I came out.

I followed a less conventional route, I came out on the back of my SAP experience, done about a year or so as a storeman then got a job as a materials controller, (company then paid for my Dangerous Goods Courses )

I have always worked Ad Hoc, and after landing my first job havn't really had trouble staying in work. For instance I was made redundant on a Thursday as a contract was cut back then picked up again on the Monday.

So I would say do not be blinkered at the type of jobs available out here, there is plenty to choose apart from the better known more obvious routes. As for trades in demand, I mostly see them struggling to find riggers & scaffolders, especially at shutdown time (summer usually) but those guys can be kicking their heels over xmas period.
____________________
Fallen Angel "Nae sniffing my seat now!!!!! "
www.cliqueycuntsmcc.co.uk
I AM NOT A FAST RIDER!!!!!!!!!

[JAMSXR]

Thanks for the advice, you have been very helpful.
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Honda SFX50 > Aprilia SR125 > Aprilia RS125 > Honda RFV400 > K4 GSXR600 > KTM Duke > C1H 636 > K3 GSXR1000 > Aprilia RSV-R > Triumph Street Triple R > Ducati 899 Panigale > Aprilia Tuono 1100 > Triumph Daytona 675R > KTM SuperDuke 1290 2.0

[Itchy]

[Kwaks]

Much easier & more common to set yourself up as a limited company
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Fallen Angel "Nae sniffing my seat now!!!!! "
www.cliqueycuntsmcc.co.uk
I AM NOT A FAST RIDER!!!!!!!!!

[Itchy]

[Kwaks]

However if you are a contractor (like most) you will rarely be on the same contract for 6 months, therefore a very good chance of working for multiple oil companies.

However in saying that, most of the guys in the office are also limited companies, so is this a recent change?
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Fallen Angel "Nae sniffing my seat now!!!!! "
www.cliqueycuntsmcc.co.uk
I AM NOT A FAST RIDER!!!!!!!!!

[Itchy]

[D O G]

[Kwaks]

lol thats the one, although out here it is kinda basic in its use. Maximo is far easier to use and more effective, and only took an hours training to learn
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Fallen Angel "Nae sniffing my seat now!!!!! "
www.cliqueycuntsmcc.co.uk
I AM NOT A FAST RIDER!!!!!!!!!

[WishayKillie]