Work, Work, Work, Play

So I just realized that I have not posted in almost 2 months which is really bad but on the other hand the time sure has flown by! I have been working and been keeping VERY busy. Since coming to Carmen (Dec. 4) I have worked a total of 100 days and have only had 7 days off . . . yes only 7! And out of the last 75 days I have only had 3 days off! This just shows why I have been soooooo bad at updating this blog which I am sorry about. I want to blog but have not had time/energy to do it.

Since my last blog I have gone to 2 other platforms, one for 7 days and the other for 5 days. Each time it was different . . . the platforms themselves, the operation, the people, the food, etc. Each time I have slept in one of the Pemex supervisors room's so it has its own shower which is really nice. It is nice because these platforms happen to have only a common bathroom which would be a little ackward for me and the only thing I really worry about when going offshore. I do not mind bunking in the same room as guys but the bathroom thing is a no go . . . hopefully this trend of staying with the Super will keep going!!

Work is getting easier now since the language is getting easier plus I understand the ropes a lot more now. Everyday however I do learn something new! I am still a long ways off but I can communicate sooo much better, and I am not as afraid to talk on the phone and radio anymore.

Finally, I did get some much needed days off and it could not have come at a better time. It was a whopping 6 days which I was really excited about!! At first I was planning to go to Playa del Carmen for my days off but decided against it because I rather hang out with people than be by myself the whole time. It is cool though that I could just go there or Cancun whenever I want . . . it is just a bus ride away (well a 11 hour bus ride but still)!!

Instead I ended up hanging out around Ciudad del Carmen and exploring the area around here. The first 2 days I did pretty much nothing because I was getting over a bad sinus infection. The last 4 days is when the true adventure began. For 2 days I went to a beach that is just 20 minutes from my house. I went with Carla, the girlfriend of John and Karen who I worked with in Poza Rica. It was so nice because I was with people and around the water. Below is a picture of the water/beach. It is just missing a hammock and it would be perfect!

And this is where I live . . . can you believe it!! I get to see this everday!

The second to last day Carla and I rented a car (the beautiful red one below) and went to Edzna and Campeche which is the capitol of the state of Campeche which is the state I live in now. Edzna is the location of some Mayan ruins (well I think it was Mayans). It was so nice out and nice to walk around and climb up the temples. Thankfully, there were a lot of clouds that day so it was not too hot . . . it however was still hot!

Next we headed to Campeche for a nice seafood lunch and then to walk around for a little bit. The first place after lunch we went to was one of the many forts surrounding the city. This fort was on top of a hill overlooking the water and city. The city was fortified to keep out the Spaniards which I think is pretty interesting. Below are just a couple pics of the view and fort. It was very simple but pretty in its own way too!

After walking around the fort/muesum we headed back down to the center of the city or the historical part that was once completed surrounded by walls and forts. The city is really unique because the architecture is a combination of European and Mexican. It was so fun with all the buildings and doors being very colorful! In the center there is the main cathedral and square that has a gazebo.

Hopefully, I will be able to go back there sometime and really walk around. Carla and I were both really tired from driving and the heat so we did not spend quite as much time there as we hoped . . . plus we were both burnt a little bit from the days before!

Semi 1

So now I can offically say that I have been offshore . . . it will be an experience that I will never forget!!

My first experience was on a semisubmersible platform which means it is a big boat/barge that can move from one fixed platform that has the wells to another (picture below). The semisubmersible I stayed on was called Semi 1. It orginially was a platform from the Netherlands but now is owned and operated by Mexico. To get to the platform you have to ride on a boat that stops at other platforms that are on the way . . . it pretty much is a glorified bus service for the water. Most everywhere else in the world you would ride in a helicopter but that is not the case in Mexico. Only the supervisors of Pemex get to ride in the helicopter on a regular basis. In all, getting to the platform means spending 2 hours waiting in a terminal (reminds me of an airport terminal), 6+ hours in a boat that is rocking this way and that acting like a taxis going from one platform to another, a ride holding onto this basket while a crane lifts you up 5 stories (pictured below), and of course being in the middle of no where in the Gulf of Mexico. All you can see on the horizon is other platforms and water!

I ended up doing 2 jobs in 2 different wells/platforms. There was one moment when I was 5 stories above the water on a platform, I just said wow. One of the other guys from CT asked me if I ever thought I would be out here and I said no. I still can not believe that I am doing this . . . it is crazy, I am crazy!! You look around and all you see are other platforms and water. Because of this I got to see some pretty sunsets, sunrises, and stars! Plus the crew I was with were awesome . . . they were really patient with me and helped/suffered through my spanish!! The supervisor was from Columbia and reminded me of the Columbian supervisor from Poza Rica . . . very nice and loves the Lord. He took me under his wing throughout the experience so it was nice not having to go through the boat and arrival process at the platform by myself!

Being offshore does not always mean working, when there is bad weather a lot of times you are not able to work so you are just waiting around . . . it can be pretty boring. To pass the time I studied some, watched movies on my computer, played ping pong (which I have not done in a really long time), talked with the crew of the Semi-1 (to practice my spanish), ate, and of course slept all while moving this way and that from the waves. There were around 5 other females on board out of the 150 people that were working on the platform! I lived with 2 other guys from another company and was fortunate that there was a bathroom for each room not a common bathroom for everyone which is the case for some platforms! Also the food on the platform was amazing . . . I ate better the time I was aboard then I have the whole time I have been in Mexico. So much fruit and meat and frozen yogurt!! And every Sunday they had a carne asada (cookout) outside near the helicopter pad.

In all I spent 12 days out there . . . I had to come back to earth because another engineer had to come to the job for a special tool that I am not qualified to run yet. It ended up being good timing because the night I left there were problems with our unit! I guess I was the good luck charm!!

Countdown to going offshore

So I have been in the office now for 2 full months and finally got my rigpass to go offshore. That means that any day now I could be in the middle of nowhere in the Gulf of Mexico. Who would have ever thought I would be doing something like this . . . I didn't!!

My base is located at the port in Carmen so when you go outside to the patio there are a lot of boats of all types and of course water. Mostly there are fishing boats and of course barges that carry all the equipment and personnel to the wells. The patio is so different than the other bases too. There is not much space though there are 18 units because the units are most of the time on platforms. Also there does not need to be room for for trucks to move around because everything is lifted with a crane. It is already so different I can not imagine how different it will be when I do finally get to go offshore.

The office has been pretty tough but fun at the same time. I have gotten to know a lot of the engineers better and learn the ropes on how to be in-charge of coiled tubing units. I have had to talk on the phone all the time (those that know me this is not my favorite thing to do at all), check reports, send tickets and logistic information to different people, and of course know the operation of my units so if they have a question I can help out (all of this in spanish). Most of the time it is complete chaos though there are those few days of things being easy. I have had quite a few crazy ones because my units tend to have all the problems and incidents!! Below is a picture of one of my bosses with the other "gringos". He specifically wanted to take a picture with all the gringos (John, Nicolai, and myself) of Coiled Tubing and wanted me to stand next to him to show people how tall I am!!

Normally, I start work at 7:30, then have 3 short meetings, work until lunch which is from 2-4 pm, work more until the long meeting at 6 pm, and lastly maybe go home around 8:00 or 9 on a good day (bad days more like 11 or in my case 12:30). From the schedule you can tell that I do not have too much of a life but right now I am loving it! Once in a while I go to a movie or eat with my roommates (picture below of myself with Karina and Qarnain . . . just like old times in Reynosa) or other engineers. Somedays I just go straight to bed and then do it all over again!

Other days in the office it is a little more relaxed like one weekend there was not a ton to do at work so during our lunch break most of the engineers in the office went to a paintball facility and played for 2 hours. This was my first time I have ever done paintball before and it was really fun! We were all joking that it looked like we lived in Reynosa with the vests and guns!! I got hit only twice . . . once on each arm but they both left nasty bruises. The next day at work I was the talk of the town because I did pretty well picking people off and of course they wanted me to show off my battle wounds!! Below are pictures of that day including one of the beginning stage of the bruise . . . it does not give it justice at all!!

Next post will hopefully be of an adventure offshore!!

Home Sweet Home

So since I have started with Schlumberger I have lived longer in a hotel then anywhere else. In all I have lived in a hotel for almost 8 months, and I have been in Mexico for 11 months!! It was time to have a space that was mine!!

Well, that finally came true last week when I moved in with my roomie from Reynosa, Karina. There is also another engineer that lives with us that works for Haliburton. Her name is Stephanie, and she is also Mexican. This is good for me because then I will be forced to use my spanish outside of work more!! When all the other engineers heard that I was living with someone from Haliburton though, they said I was a traitor because I was sleeping with the enemy which I though was really funny!

I have a fairly large room with a nice closet which is pictured below. However, right now I do not have much to fill this space . . . there is only a bed and small dresser with a mirror and the closet is practically empty!! Thats what you get when you live out of 2 suitcases!!

I share my bathroom with Stephanie . . . I don't mind because it is big and clean, and I have always shared a bathroom my whole life with someone so it is no big deal!!

Below is my living room that I have never sat in because by the time I get home from work I get something to eat and then go to bed!! Eventually we will put the sofa together and get a big tv so we can watch movies . . . then maybe I will sit in this room!!

Dining room/kitchen . . . I can not put into words how nice it is to have a kitchen where I can cook!! Though I do not get to do it often, I am thankful that when I do have time I can do it!! Plus, I am sooo excited about not having to eat out all the time or eat in the hotel restaurant!!

Here is a picture of the outside of the house . . .this is a typical mexican developement for big houses. You are always attached to the houses next to you. There is also a nice little courtyard in the back of the house that is really private . . . I can't wait to put a hammock back there!!

Lastly is a picture of my street. It is in a gated community with security guards and it only has 2 streets so it is small and quiet. Mostly families live there so it is nice to finally see kids playing in the street, hitting a tennis ball like I used to always do with Becca. Kids never did this in Reynosa because it was to dangerous and Poza Rica was just to disorganized and dirty.

Soon I will buy a TV and then a car and then it will definitely feel like I live here in Mexico rather than me just visiting for an extended period of time! I do not mind riding in taxis all the time but it is time to have control of when I can leave and go so a car is a must!!

Feliz Navidad!

So it has taken me some time to post this so I am sorry. Things have been pretty interesting and I have had a lot of work. The week of Christmas I worked with 5 other engineers . . . that meant that I was in charge of 4 units that happened to be all working at the same time. Plus, the first day one of my units had a problem that made things a little more crazy . . . I survived the week though and learned a lot!!

Christmas eve all the internationals had Christmas dinner together. We got one of the operator's mom to cook the turkey and she ended up also cooking a pasta dish and mashed potatoes. Plus the norwegian, Nicolai who was a cook all through school, cooked carrots, made cranberry sauce, stuffing and a awesome dessert!! We had enough food for 20 people but there were only 5 of us!!

Sorry the pictures are not the best . . . my camera was acting up that night but above is Nicco cooking and then our beautiful table setting that if you look closely you can see the kitchen behind everybody . . . I do not know how we cooked a feast in that tiny kitchen!

The interesting thing about turkeys here in Mexico is that they stuff it in a way I could never imagined. When Nicco and I first cut into the turkey we thought it was not cooked all the way because it was pink. With further inspection we concluded that it was ham!! Yes thats right a turkey stuffed with ham!! It was also stuffed with prunes and almonds . . . it ended up being pretty good but I still prefer it without all that things in it!!

It ended up being a really nice time with friends with a real christmas tree and all!! However, it never felt like Christmas because it was about 80 degrees outside unlike North Carolina where it was snowing!! Maybe one day I will get my white Christmas!! I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Years, and I wish I could have been with there!! Miss you and love you mucho!!

Ciudad del Carmen

So I have been here in Carmen now for 2 weeks . . . time has already gone so fast. Flying into the city was really interesting because the city is an island so you flew in from the gulf. Then when I stepped out of the plane I knew I was going to like this place because the weather was awesome . . . not too hot but not too cold (around 75 degrees)!! The first 2 days at work I just got all my accounts changed over to Carmen and other little administrative things. The funny thing was that everybody here could not believe how tall I was. There was one supervisor that would ask me everyday if it was cold up there (Es frio arriba?)!! Then he would bring on of the short operators over and ask me to stand up next to them . . . everyone got a big hoot out of it!

By the third day though I was thrown into operations, I was in charge of 3 units. Man I did not know what I was doing and was so stressed out the first day . . . making sure that all the paperwork was up to date and talking to the units to see what they are doing. I had so much trouble talking to the units because usually it is over a radio and since they did not know me they could not understand me at all!!

After those 2 days I had 5 days worth of classes for certifications that I need to go offshore. The first 2 days were an offshore survival course. You learned a variety of different things including how to get on and off the personnel basket from the boat to the rig and all the different safety procedures and warning signs/lights of the platform. You also learned how to survive in the water/raft if something did go wrong. We got to practice some of these techniques in a pool. The picture below shows the group of us after we finished the course. It was really weird having to swim with clothes on and this huge life vest. There is also a picture of one of the life rafts . . . it is so big (could fit 20+ people) and we had to be able to flip it over if it capsized.

Next was the helicopter survival course. The classroom stuff was crazy because they are not afraid to show you all the bad things that could go wrong . . . there was some pretty graphic stuff!! After the classroom work we went back to the pool. It was the same people again but minus the other girl. We were placed in a cage that is supposed to represent the helicopter cabin. You were then flipped over and had to wait 10 seconds to simulate the blades stop rotating and then had to unbuckle our seat belt and open the window to get out. Below is a picture of us about to be flipped . . . this was the first time so you can see that we were a little bit nervous . . . it just isn't normal!! And below that is an actual video of what we did . . . we had to do this 4 times leaving different windows or out the same one as the other person.

The last day dealt with H2S gas safety. We learned basic CPR and first aid and then, of course, how to put on all the breathing gear if H2S is present on the platform. It was a couple of long days crawling around a dark container saving people by dragging them out . . . let's just say that I have not done much physical activity lately so I am soooooo sore!!
With all the training done now, I just have to be placed in the Pemex contract and then I will finally get the experience of going offshore! From the sound of things here I will be going to the platform a lot initially and have to learn about a lot of different specialized tools which I would be in charge of when I go offshore. Interested in how things are going to play out here!!

Thanksgiving in the US

So I have not written in a long time because I final got some well deserved vacation. Praise the Lord that everything worked out so I had to use all my vacation days before I got transferred to Carmen. I ended up having 25 total days off!! I flew out of Mexico City where I renewed my mexican visa. I spent a couple extra days there just to see the city since I have only flown into the city so far and never walked around it. It is a huge city and only got to see a couple of things. I found a market though that sells handicrafts that are made all over Mexico and got some awesome Christmas presents for my family. Below is Otomi fabric that is hand stitched and absolutely gorgeous. I bought a couple different colors.


The best part of having all that time off was that I got to have Thanksgiving this year . . . my favorite holiday. This ended up being my first holiday since 4 of July 2009. It was sooooo nice just getting to hang out with my family and chilling. The first weekend I went to a NC State football game that I miss going to sooo much. Then I went to the mountains in VA for a couple days to see people and just be in the mountains. Then spent a week in Wilmington with my family to hangout, play golf, and of course eat (I probably gained 10 pounds while I was home!). Lastly, I just hung out at home, slept a lot and got to see some of my favorite people in the world.


The pictures below are just of fun times with the family!! You can tell by the pictures that my sister is pregnant which was so fun seeing her with a belly. During that time they also found out what they are having . . . I am so excited that I will have a nephew soon!! I have already started buying little things for the little man!