Oil Rig Jobs: The Petronius Platform

Oil Rig Jobs: What is it Like to Work Aboard the Petronius Oil Rig Platform?

By John Dangerfield

For a a few tough, hardworking men a 2,001 ft high metallic behemoth in the Gulf of Mexico is “home” – well two weeks out of every four, that is. They live and work aboard the Petronius oil platform, operated by Chevron Corporation and Marathon Oil.

Of all the oil platforms in the world, the Petronius is one of the most impressive. Named for a Roman writer, it was the world’s tallest free standing structure until it was suppassed by the Burj Dubai tower in 2008, and the platform serves 14 different oil wells. At over half a billion dollars the Petronius was one of the most expensive oil platforms in the world when it was constructed.

Working aboard the rig is one the most hazardous jobs in the world. Oil rigs are usually dozens or hundreds of miles from land and bear the brunt of some of the harshest weather that mother nature dishes out. Rocked by waves, ripped by gales and frozen by bitter cold – these are just the natural hazards of working on an oil rig. The man-made dangers can be even more of a threat. Swinging cranes, constant construction, the moving of heavy equipment, dangerous power tools and being only a short fall from near certain death into the ocean 75 metres below take more than a few lives each year.

So what draws men to work far out at sea, living in cramped quarters of four to a room in one of the most hazardous jobs in the western world? Well one factor is the money. On the Petronius salaries start at about $50,000 a year, which most workers agree is a great starting salary for unskilled work. The skilled and more senior workers earn much more.

Another draw to oil rig jobs is the generous leave. The workers aboard the Petronius spend two weeks working on the rig, followed by two weeks of leave. This means that they only work six months of the year despite earning a hefty salary. Whilst on board the Petronius workers are also more than amply fed, receiving four hearty meals a day. Facilities on board also include a gym and satellite TV to fill the non-working hours.

So despite the noisy, remote and high risk working conditions aboard platforms such as the Petronius, oil rig jobs still have a huge draw for a certain kind of man: Tough, resilient, hardworking and perhaps slightly thrilled by the scent of danger there is a constant stream of applicants for all kinds of oil field work. These men work hard, and when they get off the rig, play hard too.

Copyright John Dangerfield, 2009