The Oil Patch

The oil patch

I'd like to explain this job I have
it's in the oil patch,
I drive a water truck
away from home is the catch.

It's not a bad job, not very hard
but sometimes I work all night,
10 hours straight time, overtime starts
and that makes the pay all right.

I will explain right from the start
so you have a mental picture,
I won’t do this job forever
or become a permanent fixture.

Early in the morn at about 8
25 trucks will appear,
all decked out in lights and colors
and a massive amount of gear.

It's right about then, I get in my truck
and move it as fast as I can,
I don't want to be anywhere near
that cluster of trucks and men.

It takes about five hours or so
if we only move a short way,
but if we moved 200 miles
then it takes all day.

Usually I'm told where the water is
but sometimes I have to look,
as directions are a bit sketchy at times
and I drive around like a schnook.

When the water is found I put on a load
and head back to the rig,
and hopefully by about six o'clock
we're ready to start this gig.

First I fill a boiler
it takes three quarters of my load,
then I fill the rig tank
if five loads t'would be overflowed.

Next they want it in the mud tanks
four loads will let them start,
later I fill a flock tank
but that's the second part.

Now they could start drilling
first the surface hole,
usually around 300 meters or so
depends on how many meters in told.

The surface hole takes about two days
then the surface casing goes down,
that's when Schlumberger comes out
and we cement it in the ground.

Then the vac truck goes to work
to clean out all that mud,
I'll tell you now his job is tough
working with all at crud.

When the tanks, he has them clean
then I can work again,
I usually haul within the night
that way the Suns no strain.

These rigs have got drilling a hole
pretty much down Pat,
as a roughneck I can't remember
us ever drilling this fast.

Before I mentioned the other tank
that they all call the flock,
after the surface hole is done
then I fill it to the top.

This is the part of the job
that can I say get dreary,
day and night to keep it full
you can get very weary.

But by and by and fast they drill
and out comes sand and crud,
then they began to mix the gel
and that's what they call the mud.

After this it takes two days
or so to reach T.D.,
these are the days I do little more
than write poems and watch TV.

When the hole is finally done
and they all shout hooray,
then they trip the pipe, out of the ground
and get the loggers called Schlumberger.

Sometimes later if in the logs
they can't see the formation shell,
then in comes a testing truck
to pressure up the well.

I hope this finds your interest
and your imagination soared,
Because if not I know by now
That you’ll be really bored.

But if you can stay with me now
I'm nearly at the end,
It’s now they bring in the lay down truck
an undo them stem by stem.

Then this same truck, will move production casing
back up to the floor,
and then they put them in the ground
never to be seen no more.

We have a tank we call the 400 barrel
by now I'd have it full,
the cementing outfit use the water
on this final cement in the hole.

That's all there is to this job of mine
There’s probably more to say,
by now you'll need a coffee
or you want to get away.

Now we move to another spot
Next we'll be Hinze Creek,
The rig goes up and water I haul
and same old, same old for a week.

Hope you like my story
about the drilling rigs,
the job of hauling water
and the men they call rig pigs.

The end.

Responses

2 comments so far.

1. Bibi Katusic says:

   Goodness, Now I know what you do, you've described it so well.Next time, cut the poem in half, delete the "and" and "the" add more drama and make the end big with meaning.Go for it!!!

2. Waterman54 says:

   Thankyou so much for that comment, I never knew until christmas eve there was a place to share poetry, so I've never had anyone except family read it, and of course they won't say what they really think, thank-you.