Types of Crude Oils

Anyone planning on working in the oil and gas industry would do well to know a little bit about the various types and grades of crude oil found in the world. It’s a mistake to assume that all crude oil is the same.
For example, many types of crude oil are more suited to various methods of refinement into other products. Different grades of crude oil cost much less to refine into other products than others.
Brent Blend is one of the main types of crude oil found in the rich oil fields of the North Sea. This crude oil is often used as a price and quality benchmark for other grades of crude oil found in other areas of the world. A fairly light version of crude oil, Brent Blend is not as light as West Texas Intermediate, another major grade of crude oil found in deposits off the coast of Texas and Mexico. Some of the other classifications of Brent Blend include Brent Crude, Brent Sweet Light Crude, Oseburg and Forties. Brent Blend is ideal for the production of gasoline due to its low sulpher content.
West Texas Intermediate is also one of the benchmarks used to help grade quality and thus, the output price per barrel. When the price per barrel is quoted in market reports, it is generally this grade of crude oil that is used as reference – along with Brent Blend prices. A very light grade of crude, this classification is even lighter in sulphur content than the Brent Blend, making it even more suited for refinement into other oil and gas products.
The grade of crude oil termed OPEC Basket refers to oil found in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Libya and other Eastern and world nations that make up OPEC (Oil Producing and Exporting Cartel). This classification of crude oil has many sub-grades including Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Fateh (Dubai), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Minas (Indonesia), Saharan Blend (Algeria) and Tijuana Light (Venezuela). OPEC tries to control the world price of oil by manipulating production levels. When there’s too much oil in the world reserves, OPEC cuts back their own production levels to maintain a good selling price. This grade of crude oil is a heavier blend of crude than Brent Blend or West Texas Intermediat

About Oil Wells and Rigs

Oil wells and rigs are used in the oil and gas industry to get the oil out of the ground and onto tankers or pipelines to be taken to refineries where it is made into usable products such as gasoline, home heating fuel and many other products. When someone thinks of oil wells they are usually thinking about wells on land. Oil rigs are the support structures that are constructed around oil wells while the wells are being drilled. These rigs can be on land or on floating platforms far out to sea. Oil wells and rigs both use massive drills to dig down to the layers of strata that contain the oil deposits. Huge pumping systems are then used to get the oil to the surface and onto waiting tankers or pipeline systems.
Because it costs so much to set up, operate and maintain these massive oil drilling platforms, there needs to be enough crew personnel onboard to have two complete crews that can work on the platform operations around the clock. These crews also rotate out usually every two weeks with other crews to allow for work breaks. Drill crews usually consist of toolpushers, roughnecks, roustabouts, company man, mud engineer, derrickhand and a geologist. Well service crews are onboard for any well work that needs to be done and usually consists of a well services supervisor, wireline or coiled tubing operators and a pump operator. Besides the engineers, managers and team leaders there are also catering crews that take care of essential services such as cooking, laundry and cleaning up of the operational areas of the rig.
Oil drilling can take a long time to produce any oil depending on how far down the oil deposits are. Once the drill bit reaches a layer of oil, the well service crew is brought in to create a usable well that is then used to pump the oil up out of the drilled pipe and all the way up to the surface. The entire process requires many types of personnel who can work on the rigs. Oil Jobs 411 provides many areas that will help you find out about the many opportunities that are available for workers willing to work hard and earn high pay and bonuses

Specialized Oil Platform Jobs

There are a wide variety of specialized jobs in the oil and gas industry. This should come as no surprise in an industry as diverse and widespread as this one is.
With billions of dollars in production value at stake with each oil well or drilling platform, the value that the oil company places on its employees is very high. There are few other industries that depend so highly on the abilities of its employees to get their respective job duties completed on time. Many factors depend on the ability of a drilling team to properly drill and produce a certain amount of crude oil for production at the refineries. It’s this level of production that will determine the viability of each oil well location. A crack team of well drillersand technicians can mean everything when it comes to producing oil from wells. Many of the larger drilling platforms can produce more than 150,000 barrels of oil every day!
Some of the specialized jobs that are in demand in the oil and gas industry include roughnecks, which are like the crew on a sailing vessel who handle all the smaller – but no less important – jobs on the site. The standard pay for many of these roughnecks can range from $275-$475 per day, depending on the company you’re working for and the location and special circumstances of the well you’re working on. Many people start out working in the industry by being roughnecks. This is a great way to find out if you’ve got what it takes to work on an oil rig or drilling platform. Many roughnecks are able to move up in rank to become well drillers after they’ve put in a lot of time doing roughneck tasks. This move up in position means more responsibility and more pay. Well drillers have more responsibility for the day-to-day drilling work, and can earn $375-$650 per day plus bonuses. Supervisors on each rig are called tool pushers or drill leaders and can expect to receive upwards of $100,000 per year for their valued experience.
Some other essential jobs that are in demand and required on many offshore drilling sites and oil platforms are rope access technicians who are responsible for the inspection of all the higher areas of the platform structures to make sure that items aren’t in danger of falling on workers on the decks below. As you can imagine, this is not a job for anyone afraid of heights and it’s a very important job that all the employees working on the deck below are appreciative of.

Types of Oil Jobs

The oil and gas industry has many unique and varied employment needs. This industry has many diverse fields of experience that constantly require an influx of trained and experienced personnel to help keep their industry going.
During the exploration phases in search of oil and gas deposits around the world, the oil companies need highly skilled and degreed personnel who can take topographical and geological maps and tests and make sense of the findings to show the well drilling teams where the deposits are likely to be found. These technicians also must be able to tell which deposits will yield the best results in relation to the costs of drilling and refining the crude oil product. This is why these types of technicians are so valuable to the oil companies. The companies can save millions – and sometimes, billions – of dollars by having the best geologists and engineers on their payroll.
The production of the crude oil, once viable deposits have been found, is usually carried out on land-based wells or oil-drilling platforms out at sea. The wells on land have many specialized needs for personnel including petroleum engineers, truckers, oil rig toolpushers, roughnecks and many other types of personnel with specialized training or experience in the industry. The same types of specialized personnel are required on the oil rig platforms at sea, but with many other types of personnel required due to the extreme conditions and location of the work. Safety personnel responsible for the workers are much more in need on an isolated platform in the middle of a harsh sea environment. The logistics of having enough food and materials on the platform before the weather makes transport near to impossible is very important as well. This takes a lot of planning and organizing by the personnel in charge of maintaining the needs of the oil rig platform.
Once the crude oil is delivered to the refinery, whether by tanker, train, truck or pipeline, the personnel responsible for refining the crude oil down into its component parts take over. These chemical engineers, transport specialists, and other personnel make sure that the crude oil is passed through the many refining phases that will create the marketable materials that the oil and gas industry is known for. Everything from diesel and gasoline fuels to the chemical materials needed to create the range of plastic materials that we all need and use is created from the crude oil. The gases and other materials that are produced by these refining methods are also taken off and saved in pressurized tanks for shipment to other industries that refine the materials down even further. Very little is wasted in the refining phase of the industry. The many materials that are created and pulled out of the crude oil are further refined along the way by other industries. Petrochemical engineers, transport specialists and other refinery personnel are always in demand to work in the many thousands of oil refineries around the world.

Pipeline Design Engineer Jobs

Oil Pipeline Design Engineers have as their main responsibility the drafting up of project models and construction specifications related to the design and construction of oil and natural gas pipelines and infrastructure.
Part of the responsibilities includes supervising the operation teams to find the best operating practices for the pipeline. Monitoring equipment condition and performance and doing reliability assessments is also part of the pipeline design engineer’s job. Working alongside the project managers, the pipeline design engineer optimizes designs and facilities to provide reliable and cost effective pipeline installations. Using computer programs such as AutoCad, pipeline design engineers create three-dimensional virtual models of the pipeline installations including topographic and other criteria to allow the company to predict any potential problem areas during the pipe laying procedures.
The pipeline design engineer is responsible for making sure that the pipeline is installed in stable environments to minimize any chance of future leakages developing due to shifting ground and pipeline segments. Not only does the pipeline design engineer oversee the design of the pipeline including the assembly and installation, but he’s generally also in charge of a team of workers who carry out the design and installation instructions.
The pipeline design engineer is also responsible for providing some technical support during system and equipment overhauls and repairs. He is generally in charge of developing repair procedures and specification for many pieces of equipment and processes. When new equipment needs to be installed, he provides field support and ensures that the equipment starts up properly.
A bachelor’s degree in engineering is a requirement for this position with special considerations being given to those workers who have supervisory experience as well. The annual salary of a pipeline design engineer ranges between $85,000 and $145,000 and depends on many factors such as the company you’re working for and the location of the work you’re performing.

Oil Rig Floorhand Jobs

The Floorhand on an oil rig handles all the drill pipe on the platform floor and is usually one of two Floorhands on the rig.
Some other responsibilities can include equipment maintenance, helping to mix the “mud” for drilling, mixing chemicals and assisting other members of the oil rig crew. Generally the junior position on any oil rig worksite (along with Leasehands), Floorhands often quickly rise up in the ranks, depending on how quickly you learn the work and how well you do your job. Being able to work as an important member of the team is also an essential skill that must be learned for anyone to become a successful Floorhand.
To do this work, you need to be physically fit and have a strong work ethic. If you’re prone to taking more or longer breaks than you should, you probably won’t last long in this position. Some smaller rigs have only one Floorhand, which means that that person may have to work very hard indeed, putting in long hours of back-bending work. Cleaning and maintenance of the various pieces of equipment on the rig is very important and generally falls under the duties of the Floorhand. Assisting the other crewmembers with their duties is also something else that Floorhands have to do. This is the reason Floorhands develop an overall skill level which can serve them very well whenever they’re seeking to move up in the ranks.
The work is hard and very important to the operation of a successful oil drilling operation, but the money is very good along with the benefits and work packages available. Special skills and course certification such as First Aid, WHMIS and Fall Protection, will make you a much more attractive addition to the personnel of an oil rig platform. Floorhands can expect to make $25-$30 an hour plus a living allowance of $50 a day (when there is a camp) to $170 a day (when there is no camp).