Oilfield welding qualifications and attributes

admin

so I have been researching welding as a professional trade.everyone I talk to tells me the best money is to "go up north" and work the oilfields.what kind of qualifications or personal attributes will I have to have in order to succeed?if a guy got his basic qualifications in welding with CWB at 40+, do you think he could handle it?is it a strength and endurance game?I hear stories all the time about common laborers making $20+/hr just to assist welders.most shift rotations I have heard of are 2 week on/2 week off rotations with living out allowances paid. any thoughts or experiences would be appreciated.thanks a lot.
Reply:A CWB ticket is not going to cut it.  You will need at least your B certification which implies that you can do a pressure test in Alberta.  If you have your B and you are rusty you will have to take some sort of upgrade course or just buy time at your local college.   Last I heard there are lots of CWB structural shops in Edmonton and Calgary that are looking for welders and fitters.   I moved out of your area many years ago.  Best thing I did.  Eventually I got tired of hearing about "sunshine tax".  If you want to make more money and move ahead you have to get out of the Okanagon.  The richest and cheapest employers for some reason gravitate to that Valley.
Reply:I work in the oil field industry myself. If you want to go anywhere and work you need your red seal journeyman status first. Then, if you want to weld structural steel you need an all position CWB ticket. If you want to weld pipe, you need the B Pressure ticket. You can make just as much money welding pipe or structural steel in the oil industry. The unions have lots of work in Alberta.JasonLincoln Idealarc 250 stick/tigThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 52Miller Bobcat 250Torchmate CNC tableThermal Arc Hefty 2Ironworkers Local 720
Reply:will I be able to get any work up north with just a welding foundation or level 'C'?will I be able to get it right out of school easily or will it be a chore?I am considering 'camp work' since, IMO this is probably the only way to make real money without the big expenses of living.
Reply:I know a few guys working up north with only their all position flux core ticket. Having your red seal and b preasure  is the best all the companies I know will pay for the cwb certs basically pass the cert get the job but it's not all money I know a lot of peeps that have worked the patch for yrs made tons of money and have nothing to show for it. So working camp may be big money but depends how you spend it
Reply:Originally Posted by abeci know a few guys working up north with only their all position flux core ticket. Having your red seal and b preasure  is the best all the companies i know will pay for the cwb certs basically pass the cert get the job but it's not all money i know a lot of peeps that have worked the patch for yrs made tons of money and have nothing to show for it. So working camp may be big money but depends how you invest it
Reply:almac....you're in B.C..  If the province ever gets it's oil and LNG act together there will be jobs galore on the north coast.  Good starting point for a newby would be to target the storage tanks.  Still make your $40 an hour plus accommodation.  Won't need any pipe tickets.  All position stick and wire, most of the time you backgouge the root and weld up the backside.  Climate is going to be wet and miserable, got to be able to climb ladders and work at heights.  Stick it out, show a little initiative, you get trained on the automatic 3 o'clock machine (horizontal) or a vertical machine.