WorldWide Drilling Resource

Readers’ Response WWDR welcomes comments... Ronnie: I hope all is well! Winter has not been very friendly for running rigs in many areas, including Ohio. I enjoyed your intro comments this month [ WWDR March 2015, page 6]. Your comments mirror the same thing I have been be- moaning for some time now - you can't find young men interested in working on a rig for typical starting wages, yet alone someone with a Class A [license]. I had to let go a 20-year-old I hired because he spent too much time on the phone and smok ing whi le not focusing or following instruc- tions. When young people graduate from high school, they choose be- tween college, the service, or begin- ning their working careers. I would like to find some of the latter interested in at least trying this occupation. Alas, the millennials (I think that is what they are called) would rather flip burgers! I attached this month's puzzle to throw in the mix. Take care, Ronnie, Tim Augustine Manager, Subsurface Expl. Services Bowser-Morner, Inc. Dayton, Ohio Another response to page 6 of WWDR March 2015: Hello Miss Ronnie, Thank you for asking what we think about work ethics in the water well drilling industry. You did ask, leastways we interpreted it that way with your mag- azine showing up in our mailbox. The “no one wants to work” topic you refer to hear- ing in your travels is not a regional problem Ronnie, it is an industry problem. Again, beings as you asked, let’s see if these threads screw together. I am 67 years young, been messing around with well water one way or the other for some 40 years. Still put in a solid 50 hours a week at my regular job and work on the side overseeing dewa- tering projects, do more fishing and hunt- ing than anyone needs to do, and still find time to mow the yard and enjoy the grandkids. Pardon the soapbox Ronnie, but want to make sure the fella in the back hears this. So you say you can’t find anybody willing to work. That’s strange, all you want them to do is work outside in the cold and wet, or in the hot and dry, all the while shoveling mud, packing sacks of cement, or getting pipe dope smeared everywhere but on the threads. You got them pushing, pulling, and lifting stuff that is heavy, wet, slick, hot or cold, and most often do it at a dead run. You want them to work until the job is done, never mind the sun goes down. And all the while there’s this fella standing up there at the controls yelling at them to get the move on. Nine times out of ten they soon figure out opportunity for him is not stand- ing knee deep in the mud, it’s down the road...someplace. Makes a double shift at McDonald’s seem desirable, don’t it? So what is the answer to the “no one wants to work” dilemma? It’s sim- ple, you pay enough for a thankless job and you will have people change their minds about doing it. You cannot afford to pay that much, you say. Well, if you get paid more for your work, maybe you could. But the customer won’t pay more, you say. Well maybe so, but sitting around saying “no one wants to work” don’t seem to have fixed the problem either. The only solution I can see is to change. Change what you ask. Well, I am not sure, but it’s your business, you’re the boss, so you decide. I will tell you this though, you really only have two choices: you either adapt your company to the changing world, or sell everything off and buy a cable tool. That way you can run that all by yourself with no help. Have a great year, Ronnie. Every day of this one has been better than yesterday. J Steve Kaser Drilling Product Manager Forge Pacific LLC Newberg, Oregon WWWWDDRR photo of Tim receiving the National Drilling Association Safety Award in 2013, for Bowser-Morner, Inc. WWDR photo of Steve. Focus on Best in the West The 28 th Annual Best in the West Drill and Blast Conference will be every bit as great as all the ones before. The dates are April 22-24, once again at the Spearfish Holiday Inn and Convention Center in Spearfish, South Dakota. Get regulation updates along with other technical sessions on what you need to know in today’s drill and blast industry. There’s plenty of social net- working time, the annual banquet, and live schol- arship auction everyone looks forward to. Exhibitor booths of the latest blasting prod- ucts and services will also be on display. Look for WWDR there. Two ways to enjoy the outdoors, show your skills, and give a contribu- tion, are to take part in the Paul Muehl Scholarship Clay Shoot or the Bob Martin Scholarship Golf Scramble. The Crazy Horse Memorial is nearby, so you can visit and see what progress has been made on this blasting marvel. Visit www.bitwconference.org for more information, or to register. 54 APRIL 2015 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Well-Vu’s Ray brought his own transportation to Best in the West 2014! WWDR photos. Standing room only! On April 15, 1897, the Nellie Johnstone No. 1 well erupted near Bartlesville. It was the first oil well in what would become Oklahoma.