Day in the Life: Rick – District Operations Manager
- 2 min read
“Hi, my name’s Rick White. I’ve been in the oil business for 15 years, ever since I quit working construction in Moose Jaw. I started as a roughneck on a service rig, but after a few years I went to work for BJ Services, first on a cement truck and then as a frac operator.
I did all of the jobs on a fracing crew and worked my way up through the ranks until I got my current job two years ago. I oversee the 70 frac people at this base who work on jobs throughout northern Alberta and northeastern BC. Basically, I’m the guy who makes sure these crews are at the right place at the right time and that they get the job done to our customer’s satisfaction. I’m the go-to guy for everybody on the operations side.
During our busy winter season, you could say I’m housebound for 90 days since I spend most of my time in the office scheduling crews and troubleshooting any problems. It can mean long days from seven in the morning to seven or eight at night, and I’m also on call 24/7. The up side is that I have a lot of responsibility and my job is never boring. There’s always a problem to solve a challenge to deal with.”
Company: BJ Services Company Canada
Location: Grande Prairie, AB
Base Salary: $81,000 – $139,000. Many companies also offer additional compensation in the form of an annual bonus and / or field pay which varies depending on activity levels.
Education: Grade 12 preferred and field experience in all areas of well stimulation.
Advancement: Moving up to Operations Manager or Service Line Manager with potential annual salary in excess of $150,000.
Salary, education and advancement may vary from company to company.
