Monthly Archives: September 2013

Well nothing of real interest. Been working four straight fourteen hour days in the field. Three hours of that time each day driving to and from camp to the Milne Point site

Soon to Be Ice Road

Above is part of the drive. We pass all sorts of Oil sites on the drive. Have seen several Caribou with giant racks. The closest about a hundred yards away. Will post some pictures when I have better shots. Seen several foxes. Eight Musk Ox way out in the field. Nothing too striking yet. Did get my first glimpse of the Arctic Ocean on Tuesday. It was the same day I took the above photo. While working up high within one of the rigs, I stepped out side to take a peak. With the clear visibility and flat tundra I could see for hundreds of miles. I have always been within 5 to 15 miles of the Arctic, but never seen it till today when I got some elevation. Where I was working was only 1 1/2 miles from Arctic and I was up about 5 stories. The Arctic was very bright blue and past that you could see the Ice Cap, which will very soon close up the blue. The contrast of the pure white snow against the bright blue Sea was awesome. On all sites cameras are not allowed. For security, but mostly for safety. Due to the nature of the process, under an undesired condition, the operation of the camera could become an ignition point that could instantly level and eliminate the entire facility. Ooops!!  Another thing they take very seriously. Hence I have no pictures. It is a tremendous site to behold though. Looking South I was also able to see the Brooks Range 150 miles away. This is a Range that compares to the Rockies. Alaska’s Huge.

On the drive back to camp on Sunday it took us 3 hours one way to get home due to bad road conditions. Even at 5 mph it was a back killer. This is a clip from that ride. Go full screen to get actual feel for the ride. I was riding in back and took this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4MIG4MkSrQ . That I am not kidding was not even the worst of it. Three hours of bouncing like that is a back killer. Still hurts today. The roads they tell me are horrible every Spring and Autumn. They said this though was some of the worst they have seen. Once it ices over it is smooth as glass. For eight months!!

Another interesting thing are the Sunsets. From my tropical experiences I am used to watching the Sun dip into the Ocean and disappear in about a minute and a half. The other day though I was working out. Our gym faces Southwest and the sun when I started was slightly above the horizon and about to set. Or so I thought. Fiftteen minutes go by and it finally begins to breach the horizon. Ten minutes later its about quarterway. By now I am going blind, because something I thought would only take 2 minutes has been going on for the entire 30 minutes I was on an eliptical machine. Finish my workout and casually go down to my room to get camera and take this picture.

If you have not already, you can click on the thumbnails of the pictures and actually see a much better one than the thumbnails on posts. Stayed around another 10 minutes and it was still hanging on the horizon. Wanted to wait around to see some orange and purple hazes but dont think I could have stayed awake that long. Had to get some rest. I will get my chances soon. Also will get the chance to see the Aurora Borealis show the Arctic puts on in the winter afternoons.

See you in seven sleeps sweetheart!!

About 3:30 this morning I am jolted awake in my bed. Wake up startled. Felt like someone had shaken the bed. Half asleep. In complete blackness. And pissed. As I become more alert in the darkness I think this person who has shaken my bed must be in my room. All 10 x 8 of it. I wonder what are they doing here? Wake up some more and cautiously get up ready to pounce. Turn the light on…….. and alas. All by mysef. Being a guy I scratch myself and take a leak.  Think, wow, that must of been an earthquake. First day of training in Anchorage Instructor had informed us earthquakes happen in Alaska, and you will, eventually experience one if you are here for any period of time. He being born and bred in Alaska non-chalantly added buildings don’t fall over to set our fears aside.

So lets see, Earthquakes, minus 80 farenheight, blackness for 2 months, Polar Bears, Grizzly Bears (Brown), 14 twelve hour days in a row, 2400 working hours a year (avg work year is 1920 hrs), and hardest of all, no sweetheart for 208 days a year. That explains the “Pay”. Mind you though I have not  won the lottery.

Back to bed. Up at 5 an hour and half later to prepare for our 6am roundtable. Lots to do and running out of time to hit our target dates. I reluctantly inform crew I have several days of training I need to complete before this hitch is up and will need to work this in. Everyone agrees that should be my focus and I will not get to get in the field today. Which aint such a bad thing today. This was posted on every exit

Look Both Ways

Later on after sun came up I and lookout the window and notice Lake Collen had frozen over overnight.

Lake Colleen Frozen over on Sept 20th

Well I start plowing through various training courses. Not too boring until the Work Order software training. Yuck…… !! Overhear one of the other field guys ask one of our Planners “Did you feel that Earthquake two nights ago?” My incident was last night and I felt nothing two nights ago. Test and Balance (T & B) guy overhears conversation and injects there are no Earthquakes on the Slope. Our Building is entirely on stilts and can be mobilized if needed. Fairley large complex that sleeps 463 people. T & B guy says it was most likely a garbage truck, sewage truck or delivery truck bumping into building. It happens and depending upon where you are you could be jolted out of bed. Guess I was woken by a sewage and not an Earthquake 🙂  Later at lunch we discussed Earthquakes and wether they happen upon the slope. Apparently Alaska has lots of Earthquakes, but none on the Slope. It is a Tundra with 1500 ft of Perma Frost. The Perma Frost is one of the reasons everything, incuding all oil rigs and Flow Stations, are on stilts. Sitting on the Tundra would melt the Permafrost and we would just sink and sink and sink. The Tundra is just one large frozen marsh. Other reasons are environmental. Hence the Sewage removal.

Finished my shift 2 hrs ago. Ate. Took an hour to write this and allow some digestion before heading to Gym for a workout. That will leave me six hours until tomorrows 6am roundtable.  Hope you enjoy my musings with the outside world.

Goodnight all and God Bless!!

Caught the red-eye back to Alaska 2 days ago. Snow up on the Slope and highs around 30 degrees. Got a room with a view of the lake this time.

View of Lake Colleen

Hallway leading to room

Aurora Hotel Hallway That Leads To My Room

View from my new cubicle location

Looking towards Airport. Soon to be black 24/7

While up here we do work 12 hour days. Reason for this is it takes that long to plan work, execute work and enter findings into several different databases. Accurate documentation is of the upmost importance. Apparently at one of the upper mgmt meetings last week they identified us as there unsung heroes. As one of my team members said its our “Aww Shucks” moment. Reason for this statement was the work we do to keep things safe, and more importantly discover the deficiencies before they can become a problem. The less they know of us means we are doing our jobs. Kinda like an offensive line up. If they dont hear or talk about you, you are doing your job correctly.

 Today was mostly spent in meetings and training. There it is… Training again.

Be prepared for …….. Change. That is something I have been told to embrace. Last few years at work there was change. I am told to accept it. When I question change? I am told I am old, and need to adapt. Old?? Well, I guess I adapted……..

To a whole lot of change. My Family changed. It grew suddenly. Change. This I gladly accept. Will elaborate more at sometime. My job has changed. Change is wonderful and needed. Hope everyone can change. Without change there is no growth.

Which gets me back to this Blog…… change. It will transform from now and then, things will move, you will wonder where did something go. Change. Get used to it.  I will be using my free time to get the creativity in my brain going again. Pity the souls that will actually follow and read my ramblings. Which will include my opining on events, politics, family and whatever else is on my mind. Lots of it will be trivial nonsense. But non the less ranting’s of an old guy.

Wait, I am not old, and refuse to think so. Old is a state of mind. I gots lot left I want to see and do. So be prepared for just about anything I do here. And if I offend someone…… Change. Or at least accept we will all have our own views on things. Comment as desired and I will respect yours also.

Change!!

Finally made it home. Started the day at 4:30 am in Deadhorse. Work in office until 10:30 and then catch bus to Deadhorse Airport. Wait at terminal for Plane.

At Deadhorse Airport waiting for plane. Left to Right Billy, Todd, Jeff and Troy

Plane arrives and I board

Loading Plane at Deadhorse for trip to Anchorage, then home.

First Drink in 10 days.

Drinks on Plane out of Deadhorse

Land in Anchorage and got 8 hours until Flight home to Minneapolis. Guys take me to one of Anchorages finer dining establishments for Lunch. Eat and then make our way to the Glacier Brewhouse for rest of the afternoon. Lots of Drinks and Slope stories. Sounds like I have a lot of adventure in front of me. More drinks. More stories. Cab it to Airport and as I arrive am greeted by this sight

Rainbow leading me home!!

I see it as a good sign.

Check in, load Plane, 5 1/2 hour plane ride. Arrive in Minneapolis at 6am. No sleep on plane and feeling effects of storytelling drinks. Feel like shit. Catch cab home and see Vic for 20 minutes before she departs for work. Bummer. Lay on couch to try to get some sleep. Restless. Still feeling shitty. Not much sleeping. And apparently I relented to joining a Bowling Team and have to Bowl tonight. Wont get to spend time with Vic until around 9:30 tonight. At which time I will probably drop over.

All and all good to be home.

Spend a long last day in office watching the clock waiting for our Bus to pick us up at 6:30 pm to bring us to Deadhorse Airport for flight to Anchorage. Flight to Anchorage they serve Drinks!! Cant wait. Sitting in lobby of Camp BS’ing with guys about this, that and everything. Feel like I might even miss them. Bus comes and me and my seasoned comrades board with some exuberance. Only seven of us on the bus, all from the crew I work with. We all get seated with our gear and Driver boards and says “You know with this Fog the plane may not land!” We all chuckle and look out window to which we can easily see 250 yards or so. We look at each other as Driver puts the bus into gear and say “They will land, its not even that foggy”. He begins to pull away and the bus Radio lights up and a voice comes on telling driver the Plane has turned back to Anchorage. Driver pulls out and circles back to opposite entrance. We unload, walk quietly to desk and get a room assignment. Oh boy I get my same room.

Mary our operations person gets going on the phone and starts to arrange flights for seven guy’s on next availabe flights out of Anchorage. We will all miss our 6 am flight. Finally get word I wont be flying out until 9:40 pm following night with make up Deadhorse flight departing at 11:30 am tomorrow. Looks like I will have some time to kill in Anchorage. Actually it will give me a chance, I hope, to hook up with Katey, a friend of mine and Vic’s who lives in Anchorage. She had no idea I got this job. I tried to supprise her by showing up at her work when I got my BP Badge last Monday. She works for BP. But she was not there. I emailed her just before my attempt to leave today to try and meet up with her during my next Hitch. So hopefully she may be available for Drinks after work tomorrow while I am layed over. It would be great to see her.

Well my down time has given me some time, so I played around with this Blog and finally added some Adventures with Vicki under the Trips tab up top. Hope you enjoy.

Hope to be home Thursday morning before you leave for work sweetheart. Miss you lots!!

Here on the Slope there is no such thing as Labor Day Holiday. Just a Labor Day. Here every day is just another day and the only way to know different is when talking to a loved one who informs you of there plans. Mine was Vicki saying Friday she was going up to her sister Les’s and staying until Monday……I’m thinking why is she staying until Monday!!! At Saturday’s 6am meeting we are making plans and need to call the outside world Monday to make something happen. Suddenly Todd remembers talking to his wife who said she was not working Monday and he was puzzled until she told him it was a Holiday!!

My Labor Day consisted of being at Conference Table at 6am for our daily roundtable and plan meeting. We discuss all ongoing and upcoming work. What drill sites current operating status is, any flare ups, shut downs or work stoppages. This is very fluent from day to day and hour to hour. Review how it affects our plans and planning. Discuss expected issues and evaluate. After meeting grab quick breakfast, gather gear and load pickup. Hit the road at 7:20 for 38 mile trip to Milne Point for work. Drive takes 1hr 40 minutes due to driving conditions and regulations (will detail in another Blog sometime). We arrive at 9am. Sign in with site operator and rig operator. Write appropriate permits and get them reviewed and signed. Enter rig and proceed to our modules for testing and checkout. Work all day until 4:15pm. Go through exit procedures. Make drive back and arrive at Camp at 6:10pm. Make way up to office and remove my new boots after 12hrs in them. Relief. That’s Labor Day on the Slope. Me and all of the other Slopers work through the day oblivious to the Holiday. Sleep and repeat. At afternoon break we notice Billy having about his fifth helping of desert. This time a fluffy, soft, piece of cake loaded with icing (deserts here are fresh and over the top). We comment and he says he is allowed to because its his Birthday! Well Happy Birthday Billy!!

Everyone up here is on what is called a Hitch. Everyone’s change out day is different. Mine is Tuesday. So tomorrow I work out of office closing up and tying together plans for next Hitch. Load onto bus at 5:30pm for 5 minute ride to Deadhorse Airport for 1hr 45 minute flight to Anchorage. Spend night in Anchorage and catch 6 am flight home. See you soon sweetheart!!

Have not posted in awhile. Was out in the Field for three days straight. Very interesting stuff. Spent today in Training and meetings. Been busy and tired. Work, eat, try to get in a workout, and use my spare time talking with Vicki. Will be home in three days. Things going good and will elaborate some when I get the chance. Going to workout and hit the sack.

Thanks for everyones Love and Suport,
Dale