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...