10 Rockets hit US Air Base in Iraq

[PE Scott + 563]

18 hours ago, Douglas Buckland said:

It’s always baffled me how people value someone’s intellect based on their occupation or accent.

It is common in the US, and internationally (likely due to their portrayal in Hollywood), to assume an American with a Southern or Appalachian accent is dimwitted.

In business, engineering, finance and last but not least, the oilfield, you believe this at your peril.

Many of the smartest people that I have met in my career did not have a university degree.

I fully admit, even while being conscious of the issue and doing my best to avoid it, I underestimated some guys for stupid reasons like that when I first went to the field as an engineer fresh out of college. Never again though. The oilfield has humbled me a great deal both on account of some of the incredible minds I meet out here and the work ethic that I dare say I haven't seen anywhere else.

[Douglas Buckland + 6,308]

33 minutes ago, James Regan said:

He learnt Riganomatry , Yep these guys are impressive. I have come across loads and had to eat my initial thoughts 💭 

we need to start a rig story thread, there must be loads out there. 

Damn good idea! Should be fun.

[James Regan + 1,776]

43 minutes ago, PE Scott said:

I fully admit, even while being conscious of the issue and doing my best to avoid it, I underestimated some guys for stupid reasons like that when I first went to the field as an engineer fresh out of college. Never again though. The oilfield has humbled me a great deal both on account of some of the incredible minds I meet out here and the work ethic that I dare say I haven't seen anywhere else.

PE in a nutshell the fundamentals have never changed, we still mostly turn to the right and lift things up and down. The hydraulics of the wells are still the same and how we deal with well control, yes some new bells and whistles but the fundamentals are still the main drivers. (See how dumb I am a double positive) they are the same I should have said, but left it to show that even I make mistakes , I am also very humble 😂
 

it’s quite funny that even to this day we all, Engineers and highend roughnecks Like myself still use all the terminology taken from the farm hands who started this industry.

Drilling wells takes a special breed of person a bit of all required brains, brawn, street cred and a lot of common sense.

Edited January 11, 2020 by James Regan
Im so dynamic I could solve AGW but I prefer to be a realist, let’s put AGW warriors on rigs and we hit the AGW problem I assure you we would solve it and the rigs would explode...

[PE Scott + 563]

10 minutes ago, James Regan said:

PE in a nutshell the fundamentals have never changed, we still mostly turn to the right and lift things up and down

Sounds like a job for Arnold!

I worked on geothermal rigs as a software engineer before going back to school for a PE degree, but I never realized how hard those guys worked at the time. After school I started with Halliburton as a basic operator, running sand and chems during the stage and doing pump maintenance between stages. That was hard, dirty work I thought!

Fast forward a few years and I'm consulting o  drill outs and watching those guys trip out of hole. I realised then the work I did on a frac fleet was easy by comparison. Drilling is a totally different animal than frac, imo.

Edited January 11, 2020 by PE Scott

[James Regan + 1,776]

18 minutes ago, PE Scott said:

Sounds like a job for Arnold!

I worked on geothermal rigs as a software engineer before going back to school for a PE degree, but I never realized how hard those guys worked at the time. After school I started with Halliburton as a basic operator, running sand and chems during the stage and doing pump maintenance between stages. That was hard, dirty work I thought!

Fast forward a few years and I'm consulting o  drill outs and watching those guys trip pipe. I realised then the work I did on a frac fleet was easy by comparison. Drilling is a totally different animal than frac, imo.

Good you got to get dirty, never hurts anyone makes you a better “hand”.

i spent 9 years on the rig floor and it taught me so much not just about hard work but how and why we do what we do at the pointy end.

I can remember being on a rig in the North Sea where the drilling package had not been used, it was a production platform with a drilling package not unique but this had been batch drilled and the drilling package never really used in anger. The rig was designed to carry 15,000ft of pipe in the Derrick, we were doing extended long reach redrills to 24,000ft, só where do you stand the extra 9000ft of pipe, two options the engineers will have you coming out sideways ie laying out singles on deck, bugger that we tied 9000ft of pipe stands (3 joints to a stand) to the handrails and anything else at the monkey board that would handle the weight. I digress, but while we started up this rig we were like monkeys in a zoo, everyone on that rig wanted to see what the morons at the top of the hole were up to. Roughnecking is an art when done correctly and provokes interest, and all who work rigs should respect those mainly dumbass labourers as they are the people who keep the whole thing relevant, I wouldn’t change my 9 years at the dirty rig floor for a masters degree. But would like a MBA also 😂

Edited January 11, 2020 by James Regan
9 years a roughneck- sounds lime a movie with Brad Pitt

[Douglas Buckland + 6,308]

Most people don’t realize just how hard the work on the drillfloor is to even do something as mundane as tripping out and changing the bit. I was already a degreed engineer (from the Colorado School of Mines no less 😂) when I was working the floor in my mid-20’s. A great way to get fit! SEDCO made the engineers start at the bottom, which I still think is a great idea.

The thing was, everybody knew you were an engineer and ‘moving up’ so you got every crap job that came up (ever cleaned out a trip tank?) and you had to work twice as hard to get accepted. Some of the fondest memories I have were working the floor!

In later years, when I was subseaing, the locals would go on strike and the ex-pats would have to trip out of the hole and secure the well. It was good to be able to roughneck and work the floor at that time. Plus, it was a fun break in your normal routine. 
 

James will know exactly what I’m talking about.

Edited January 11, 2020 by Douglas Buckland
Misspelling

[James Regan + 1,776]

14 minutes ago, Douglas Buckland said:

Most people don’t realize just how hard the work on the drillfloor is to even do something as mundane as tripping out and changing the bit. I was already a degreed engineer (from the Colorado School of Mines no less 😂) when I was working the floor in my mid-20’s. A great way to get fit! SEDCO made the engineers start at the bottom, which I still think is a great idea.

The thing was, everybody knew you were an engineer and ‘moving up’ so you got every crap job that came up (ever cleaned out a trip tank?) and you had to work twice as hard to get accepted. Some of the fondest memories I have were working the floor!

In later years, when I was subseaing, the locals would go on strike and the ex-pats would have to trip out of the hole and secure the well. It was good to be able to roughneck and work the floor at that time. Plus, it was a fun break in your normal routine. 
 

James will know exactly what I’m talking about.

Yep Doug I worked with many fast trackers and enjoyed messing with them, I remember exposing the grease nipple to one, he had never seen a grease nipple before, he ended up country manager. I work with these guys and many of them did good work and did well later on.

The best thing about having done the dirty dangerous work is that once you break away from the chains of the rig floor you have the right to ask anyone to do anything as you have done it, only an idiot would ask someone and convince them it’s okay to do something they have never done themselves, I really enjoy this part when dealing with millennials. If I haven’t done it personally i would never implore someone rondo something I didn’t know was doable. 
experiece cannot be taught you can only offer it up to be embraced.

[James Regan + 1,776]

Let’s get back on topic 

[Douglas Buckland + 6,308]

27 minutes ago, James Regan said:

Yep Doug I worked with many fast trackers and enjoyed messing with them, I remember exposing the grease nipple to one, he had never seen a grease nipple before, he ended up country manager. I work with these guys and many of them did good work and did well later on.

The best thing about having done the dirty dangerous work is that once you break away from the chains of the rig floor you have the right to ask anyone to do anything as you have done it, only an idiot would ask someone and convince them it’s okay to do something they have never done themselves, I really enjoy this part when dealing with millennials. If I haven’t done it personally i would never implore someone rondo something I didn’t know was doable. 
experiece cannot be taught you can only offer it up to be embraced.

Also, once you have actually worked on the rigs, you have a much better idea of what is actually possible on a rig. As a superintendent and a manager you occasionally get some really odd requests to perform operations on a rig that are simply physically impossible or downright dangerous.

I am not one of those that subscribes to the school of thought that ‘all accidents can be prevented’, that’s why they are called accidents. What I do believe in is addressing each and every risk which you are aware of prior to commencing an operation. Having ‘the Office’ call you and asking for something which is impossible or dangerous should always have a spot on the ‘risk register’...😂 

[James Regan + 1,776]

14 minutes ago, Douglas Buckland said:

Also, once you have actually worked on the rigs, you have a much better idea of what is actually possible on a rig. As a superintendent and a manager you occasionally get some really odd requests to perform operations on a rig that are simply physically impossible or downright dangerous.

I am not one of those that subscribes to the school of thought that ‘all accidents can be prevented’, that’s why they are called accidents. What I do believe in is addressing each and every risk which you are aware of prior to commencing an operation. Having ‘the Office’ call you and asking for something which is impossible or dangerous should always have a spot on the ‘risk register’...😂 

Accidents they don’t happen any more FFS Doug their called Incidentes now 😂

[Douglas Buckland + 6,308]

41 minutes ago, James Regan said:

Accidents they don’t happen any more FFS Doug their called Incidentes now 😂

Good to know mate! I guess we won’t be having accidents anymore! What an easy fix, why didn’t we think of this earlier!

[Douglas Buckland + 6,308]

[Douglas Buckland + 6,308]

I’m guessing that things will not be going well internationally or domestically with Iran in the near future...

[Tom Kirkman + 8,860]

4 hours ago, James Regan said:

Let’s get back on topic 

[James Regan + 1,776]

4 hours ago, Tom Kirkman said:

No American bias here in fact most of you irritate me to the point of ad nausium , you consume too much, throw too much food away, don’t recycle in fact you put glass bottles in plastic bags which is very dangerous. You drive stupidly big veehikles and in general speak very loud in public, other than that I love shopping there you do this well.

Mr Trump over the past week for me has either been morphed or he has realized how a world leader should act in fact the past few days he has been A mixture of Kennedy and Reagan, he’s speaking well and makes sense, I think all Americans should be proud to have developed a business man to politician/ head of state. He showed restraint and courage during this tinder box situation when he could have made Iran light up.

Im sure that he will be dragged into another impeachment episode as he will get blamed for the Russians STA missile that took out a Ukrainian Boeing Jet Liner, there must be a link in there somewhere. Was Hunter Biden in Theran heading to The Ukraine?

He has put China on a tight leash sorted out the stock market and managed to pump that pissy oil out of middle earth America, he’s now a Man if the Year Contender and he will squeeze pussies 🐱. The Trumpster has done it....

[remake it + 288]

3 hours ago, James Regan said:

He showed restraint and courage during this tinder box situation when he could have made Iran light up.

You do know that in the USA it's Congress with the power to declare war and not the President and that Congress has grave reservations over the President's recent justifications for actions in Iraq.

[James Regan + 1,776]

54 minutes ago, remake it said:

You do know that in the USA it's Congress with the power to declare war and not the President and that Congress has grave reservations over the President's recent justifications for actions in Iraq.

No your wrong the president decides everything to do with war , he’s the Commander in Chief.

[remake it + 288]

16 minutes ago, James Regan said:

No your wrong the president decides everything to do with war , he’s the Commander in Chief.

Please do yourself a favor and check your facts before shooting yourself in the foot as even Mr van Eck - a person who is not American - will tell you the President relies on Congress for declarations of war.

[James Regan + 1,776]

11 hours ago, remake it said:

Please do yourself a favor and check your facts before shooting yourself in the foot as even Mr van Eck - a person who is not American - will tell you the President relies on Congress for declarations of war.

No your are wrong I’m afraid check your facts , he’s the man his call end of story don’t be so naive. No need to involve others to cause arguments you are not correct on this occasion so get over it.

Edited January 12, 2020 by James Regan

[remake it + 288]

22 minutes ago, James Regan said:

No your are wrong I’m afraid check your facts , he’s the man his call end of story don’t be so naive. No need to involve others to cause arguments you are not correct on this occasion so get over it.

It is you who cannot be told and will not check

" The Constitution grants Congress the sole power to declare war. "

[grantbus + 3]

Apparently Iranian missiles are very precise.

[James Regan + 1,776]

1 hour ago, remake it said:

It is you who cannot be told and will not check

" The Constitution grants Congress the sole power to declare war. "

Oh yeah we know how that constitution thing goes with impeachment and guns it’s a book of fairytales which can be changed at anytime and is based from a time when the moon was made of cheese. You quoting the constitution do you realize how ironic it is. Control your ego.

[Douglas Buckland + 6,308]

14 hours ago, remake it said:

You do know that in the USA it's Congress with the power to declare war and not the President and that Congress has grave reservations over the President's recent justifications for actions in Iraq.

You do realize that the President has the Emergency Powers Act (I believe that is the formal name, Jan will know) that allows him to do what he did, when the opportunity presented itself, without seeking Congressional approval. The Act is good for 30 or 60 days I believe.

Trump was essentially trying to prevent a much more dangerous situation, but there is absolutely no way that you would consider this possibility so please do not waste our time responding in your usual fashion....

[remake it + 288]

9 hours ago, James Regan said:

Oh yeah we know how that constitution thing goes with impeachment and guns it’s a book of fairytales which can be changed at anytime and is based from a time when the moon was made of cheese. You quoting the constitution do you realize how ironic it is. Control your ego.

Please pass the cheese.

[Otis11 + 551]

@James Regan & @remake it - This all depends on how you want to define the words 'Declare War.' 

By the Constitution, the US Congress retains the sole power to declare war, however the President retains power to initiate hostilities without consulting congress and can conduct limited military strikes and operations without seeking any approval. 

What's the limit to 'hostilities' and 'limited military strikes and operations' you ask?

Well, essentially 90 days. As long as he notifies Congress within 48 hours of (read: after) the military action, he has 60 days to complete said action, and an additional 30 days to 'withdraw' forces. 

There's also ample ambiguity and precedent to get around this by structuring military actions as distinct and not part of a longer campaign.

With that, yes, Congress has to officially 'declare war' to have a war, but the president still has a lot of room to maneuver, and is well within that room now.

@Douglas Buckland - War Powers Act. Points for the history knowledge!

Edited January 13, 2020 by Otis11