Working in the Oilpatch- Middle East Edition

[Oil Stain]

Hello gentlemen and gentle ladies,

I've recently been offered a position as a control room operator in the Middle East. Specifically Kurdistan.

I understand things might be a little hairy there right now but I'm entertaining the offer.

Has anyone that has worked there specifically or other parts of the Middle East please share some info on current day rates?

Also I would like to know what kind of camp conditions to expect as well as other usually offered benefits such as travel, etc to see how this offer stacks up against other opportunities in the area.

Thanks!

[nik-]

Kurdistan is probably the safest place in Iraq from what I can gather, unless Turkey decides to get ignorant. There hasn't been a terrorist attack there in over two years.

No idea on the other parts, sounds like it could be a sweet gig, Is it closer to Iran or Turkey?

[Svartsengi]

May want to consider this before you move:

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/1...220651177.html

Iraqi forces on the move to retake Airbase and oilfields outside Kirkuk.

[cal_guy]

Iraqi army begins advance on Kurdish-held Kirkuk

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...s-kirkuk-kurds

There's a definite risk of a civil war breaking out so you really need to think long and hard before you take the offer.

Canada's Travel Advisory to the region.

https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/iraq

Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Areas in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq remain vulnerable to regional instability and internal conflicts. If you are in Kurdistan Region of Iraq, leave areas close to the conflict. Areas liberated from Daesh are still dangerous because of unprecedented amounts of improvised explosive devices and other explosives hazards deployed by this group. The region could see a rise in terrorist attacks as Daesh loses further territory. Be extremely vigilant and plan your security measures accordingly.

Given the very volatile security situation, you may be denied entry into or exit from KRG-controlled areas at border points in Iraq. Security forces may restrict your movements inside the KRG-controlled areas, and you may be detained by Kurdish security services.

The Government of Iraq has announced that all international flights to and from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq are suspended indefinitely. See the entry and exit requirements for Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, for more information.

[Nsd1]

Don't know if Wastedyouth still posts here but he/she was working in Iraq until the fighting got to close. Maybe send them a PM.

https://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=137676

[Weitz]

Hunt Oil?

[FireGilbert]

I formerly worked for Oil Search, a company which had assets in some very dangerous places including Papua New Guinea, Yemen, and Kurdistan. Most employees and contractors refused to go to Kurdistan but the few that did seemed to enjoy themselves and felt safe despite refugees staying at the refinery and fighting taking place less than 20km away. Back then ISIS was the threat but now it looks like an Iraqi civil war would be the biggest concern.

I may have considered going to Kurdistan in my more adventurous single days if the pay was right but now that I have a family there is no chance in hell I would ever go there.

[Wastedyouth]

Hey man, you can DM me if you want or i can post here. I have quite a bit of experience in the area (that being said I have been gone since my dad passed away in 2015).

If you give me some more details about where and who you are working for I can probably give you a good idea of what to expect.

Also, and this is general advice. I wouldn’t be taking a job there right now. My friends were just evac’d from location about 10 days ago. The region is going to be very unstable and possibly very dangerous for the next little while. Iraq will not walk away from Kurdistan without a lot of bloodshed or someone making them.

[JD]

I've been there a few times for work too. When the threats are absent, it's actually a pretty nice place. Erbil is an up-and-coming city, or at least was... I haven't been there since ISIS became a thing.

But the posters before me are right... the Kurds just voted for independence and that's gonna make Iran, Turkey, and Iraq itself nervous and there could be some military action. I was in a meeting a couple weeks ago with an oil company in Dubai that wanted to re-start a drilling program in 2018, so it seems the demise of ISIS has some feeling more comfortable about the security of the region, but if you ask me, the Kurds are poking the bear(s) by even discussing independence at this time, let alone actively pursuing it.

If you're still considering it, make sure you get a good feel for what the company plans to do for you if the **** hits the fan. Chances are you'll be safe and have security around you all the time, but if you need to get out of the country, what will the company do to make that happen? Some are better than others.

[Rutuu]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

Hello gentlemen and gentle ladies,

I've recently been offered a position as a control room operator in the Middle East. Specifically Kurdistan.

I understand things might be a little hairy there right now but I'm entertaining the offer.

Has anyone that has worked there specifically or other parts of the Middle East please share some info on current day rates?

Also I would like to know what kind of camp conditions to expect as well as other usually offered benefits such as travel, etc to see how this offer stacks up against other opportunities in the area.

Thanks!

Was looking at a job there 18months ago. It had a great shift (4on and 4off). The big benefit for me was I've got family in Edmonton and I figured if I worked in war torn Iraq, that when I called Edmonton the biggest dump I'd ever been to the statement would carry more weight.

[Fuzz]

Probably not a good time to go right now...

Oil markets jumped on Monday as Iraqi forces entered the oil city of Kirkuk, taking territory from Kurdish fighters and briefly cutting some output from OPEC’s second-largest producer. Iraq launched the operation in the multi-ethnic region on Sunday as the crisis between Baghdad and the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) escalated. Tensions have been building since the KRG voted for independence in a Sept. 25 referendum.
On Monday, Iraq’s Kurdistan briefly shut down some 350,000 barrels per day (bpd) of production from major fields Bai Hassan and Avana due to security concerns.

http://boereport.com/2017/10/16/oil-...-shuts-output/

[Northendzone]

I have nothing overly tanglible to offer othat than to ask Oil stain if any of the above posts have changed his mind one way or the toehr?

[mikephoen]

Originally Posted by Rutuu

Was looking at a job there 18months ago. It had a great shift (4on and 4off). The big benefit for me was I've got family in Edmonton and I figured if I worked in war torn Iraq, that when I called Edmonton the biggest dump I'd ever been to the statement would carry more weight.

I came for the 'At least it's not edmonton' jokes, and I'm leaving more than satisfied!

[Firebot]

If anything was to happen, things could escalate so quick that there is no chance of escape. That's if you even get there, from the sounds of it, it sounds like even that is hard to do right now.

I had no idea what was going on in Iraq right now until this thread. This definitely could turn not only in a civil war, but Turkey and Iran may play a part too.

[Wastedyouth]

Things are not going well. Unless the US or Britain step up for the Kurds, they will be in big trouble very quickly. Could very well end up in a Syrian type situation in a previously very stable and peaceful region.

Kind of sad.

[Oil Stain]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

I have nothing overly tanglible to offer othat than to ask Oil stain if any of the above posts have changed his mind one way or the toehr?

I think I would still go if the company I would work for is reliable.

Its definitively something to keep an eye on in the coming weeks for sure.

If the situation deteriorates further I'd be out.