Swamp

Swamp
Atchafalaya Swamp

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Something Mundane (As The Workplace)

Back To The Grind

First off, today is CNY ushering in the year of the Pig/Hog/Babi, so I'd like to wish my dear Chinese friends an enjoyable Yee Sang with your loved ones. I'm old school, so Kong Hee Fatt Choy -lah!

What's interesting is the near-unanimous predictions from all the feng shui masters that the coming pig year will be - how can I say it gently? - full of DISASTERS. No need to expound further because we all know the calamities that have befallen the region recently.














0600hr. Start of the 2 hr plus trip from Base to the client's jetty in Handil. Cars undergoing pre-checks. Remember, employees are the greatest ass-ets!


Personally I had a disastrous week too. I had a tool fail on me while drilling yesterday, and my boss is going nuts because there's already been THREE downhole tool failures since the start of the month (that's just three weeks ago mind you). Each failure cost my company a hefty 'penalty' so you can bet there's no black ink in the books this February. Coincidence?














Ready to roll...leaving the Base

I also had to leave my new toy at home, the Nikon D40, because the missus is having so much fun taking cute photos of our only daughter,so I brought along my trusty Canon Ixus 850 Compact. So many people out there has strange misconceptions about the oil field, especially in a place like Balikpapan, where drilling happens on the swamps between land and sea. It's really quite mundane, far from glamorous.
















Street Scenes en route



At the client's jetty in Handil - waiting to board our boat for another two hour journey thru' the great Mahakam Delta. Notice the sign that says "Beware of Crocodile"!




Notice my boat driver with something lit in his fingers. In direct violation of company rules! Don't worry, I lighted up too...


On arrival at the Rig Raisis, which isn't my regular place - that would be the Yani - but glad to be here anyway since the Senior Toolpusher is an old friend whom I've not seen in years. BTW he hails from Mukah, Sarawak. So we're the only sole two subjects of Bolehland on the rig. I arrived in that little green boat.





Dawn breaking over the Heli-Deck. Rig Floor as seen from Heli-Deck (where I chiefly do my business, which is to dig holes - what else!)




That little cabin you see on the left of the Main Deck is where I post my blog from.





In my work cabin with a colleague





Rig Floor - making a pipe connection, BTW this was right around the time when the tool failed!



My day having ended, so it's time to hit that bottom right bunk...

10 comments:

Jamal said...

Its an eye opener for me MS. Cerita lah lagi about your work. Very interesting.

But the pics are below average lah...it shows the limitation of P&S. Since you wife likes D40, go & get yourself a D200

Anonymous said...

No....get yourself a Canon 5D!!! Wei....bila masa hang start pakai coverall ni wei? Hahaha.....you look a bit nerdy in that blue shit.....BTW, I'm back in GOT....jetting beb......SD

Mat Salo said...

Ok laa Doc, quite a bit of request for offshore life nyer citer... Hmm dengar to Cipul, Canon 5D tak main laa I'm Nikon fan-4-life, as Doc Jamal says.. D200 the ultimate DSLR. Tapi for P & S I love my Ixus 850 sebab practical beb... enjoy berjetting...

Apandi said...

Tulah, kan aku dah kata angakt D200 terus... Anyway, toya nya muka ko masa kerja. Kalau kat TT berseri-seri. As Doc says, please continue with these stories. Lepas ni suruh Doc cerita pasal kerja dia pulak...

Anonymous said...

the "awas buaya" sign is actually for the abg and the buayas are on the rig.

znon

Anonymous said...

Hi,

R U from Mukah? Do you know Eric Sepawi?

Mat Salo said...

Hahaha..ynon, Real Buayas are on rig.. pandai la ko..

Amy, saya dr semenanjong tp byk kawan Melanau yg keje rig. Morshidi, Hj Baijuri org lama tp tinggal di Miri. Saya dulu pon tgl di Miri dulu '92-'97. Ma'af siaper Eric Sepawi?

Jamal said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Alahai...I am not good with words lah...tak reti nak blog panjang2...my blogger site pun dah sejuk dah....btw for p&s...I think I like G7 lah!! Thanks to captain for the racun!

Anonymous said...

awas ada buaya itu kan di belakang kantor gw huehehehe..