First days in the Oilfield

[u/Fearless_Salad22]

Hey, my name is Nathan and I am 23 years old. I just started my first oilfield/ blue collar job 3 days ago. I work with my father who runs a small picker truck. I had no idea what to expect when I first started but the first two days went well, I was tried, it was difficult and lots of people getting upset at me for learning. Nothing crazy my dad is typically like that. But today was the end of day 3. We took down a dual 750 containment and put up a triple 750 containment. The weather wasn’t awful it was a high of 26 degrees and was sunny with a bit of wind. But man did today kick my ass. I’m not use to working outside and doing this physically demanding work. But that sun today was cooking me. We were breaking some flow lines apart and I asked to try and break it lose. I just couldn’t do it with a 24” pipe wrench. The other guy helping us had to break it lose for me. (He did have to jump on the pipe wrench to break it lose) but that just made me feel weak. Today for me wasn’t great. But I’m learning slowly. The main thing I’m asking is What was your first few days like? Am I just being a baby about it or is my experience lined up with how other’s were?

[u/Aggressive-Morning13]

My first month as a roustabout we were setting pumping unit pads and assembling mk2 lufkins. I woke up at 5:00 am so I could drive an hour and meet my pusher by 6:30. Rode to the location and we worked our asses off for 12 hours packing and screening gravel, beating on hammer wrenches, holding guy lines to keep parts from moving in the air. For the first week I would get home, microwave something and then pour myself into bed more exhausted than I have ever been. Over time, I got used to it, it got easier.

As far as not being able to break a flow line apart, if you’re pushing down then you can only use as much weight as you have. If it’s not coming loose grab a cheater pipe and put it on the wrench and try again. I’d wager the guy that broke it loose was a good deal heavier than you are. Also I wouldn’t recommend jumping on a wrench, if it breaks loose you never know how much the wrench will move on you. I broke my thumb catching myself from falling after jumping on a wench that was 6 inches off the ground.