Do you know how much I've made in the last two years? How much I have saved? I made well over a quarter mill' last year and I have twenty grand in savings. I've been essentially blowing it all.
My name is Colin Bennett. I am a directional driller for a directional drilling company in the oil industry. I never saw myself as being in such a lucrative job in America and the pay is a huge upside to what I do. I couldn't be happier about the pay.
The hole that we end up drilling, let's say, with a three-mile lateral portion, in the ground, fracking is creating canals in each direction horizontally out from the later portion we drilled. They run casing or liner into that portion, what they do is they perforate that liner. And when they perforate it, it allows oil to flow into the hole we drilled to be pumped to the surface. And that is what fracking is. If you didn't have fracking, you'd end up drilling many times more wells to get the same amount of oil. What I understand fracking fluid to be is, it's a sand essentially, that is blown out in each direction that creates those canals.
The company I work for has developed a reputation of good directional drilling. Doing good wells fast. That's why we're so successful up here.
How much oil a day are you guys bringing up?
Like, that's not the point while drilling. You're not making a conscious effort to actually extract the oil from the ground. You're just making the hole.
Back in the old days, you just drilled into that thirty feet. And that's it. Straight hole. Now we can drill down, hit that thirty-foot zone and drill two miles in that pay zone so you're getting a lot more oil. With, honestly, less impact to the environment because it's one hole versus a hundred.
Yeah people are of the opinion that whatever fracking materials we're using is bad for the environment. I believe that's the big scare. Couldn't tell you much about it, to be honest with you.
I grew up in Breckenridge, Colorado. My mother passed away when I was sixteen and I moved with my father to Washington, who I didn't really know at the time.
I, at 17 asked my dad, "Hey, would you sign the papers for me to go into the military?" I just wanted to get away from everything. You know? And then, 2013, I ended up in the invasion of Iraq.
While I was in the Middle East a colleague of mine called me and said, "Hey! I work for this oil company." He said, "Well, how would you like a job in America?"
And I said, "Doing what?"
When we finish the well we have a few days to prepare for the next well. Or, to get away from the rig for a few days. Right now I'm on a twenty-on, ten-off schedule, where I'll work for twenty days and I'm off for ten.
I, I come to Vegas quite often. Recently I've been coming a lot. It's like my third time in a month and a half. Two months? I just figured it'd be a good way to get away and forget about things. Move to Vegas, right?
I don't think I've ever had a bad time in Vegas.
Oh my God! I fucking did this! Did you see it?
What the fuck, that's insane. Them bitches make money.
The city never sleeps. And you can completely maximize my limited amout of time off. I'm only off for a couple of days. I can definately fit a lot into a couple of days in Las Vegas.
My godfather: Today is like, you need to stop being a fucking pussy. You call it. God damn Bennett. Ranger, Green Beret. Fuck him. He makes a fuck ton of money. Oh, I'm homeless?
Bullshit! If you can go get a fucking penthouse in any city you want, go and fucking do it! Nobody is ever going to fucking look back when I die, and say Colin maybe could have done it harder.
What day is it today?
Today is the 15th. I go back to work the 18th. And I should be off, the 8th.
What holiday is it?
Today is Fathers' Day. Today is Fathers' Day.
I was stationed in Germany for 4 years, I dated a German girl and we ended up having my daughter three months before I went to Iraq. I came back, got out of the army and stayed there for a while with them like three months after I was out, just hanging out with my daughter, and her. Then I came back to America she came with me. And they are so family oriented in Germany that she wasn't happy being away from her family. She lives in Germany with her mother. When in the military if I was going through Germany or something I would be able to see her a couple times in a year whereas there's other times I only see her like once every year.
Fuck like, you don't know how much I'm dreading like sitting in an office by myself like, I literally sit in an office by myself for twelve hours. Could you imagine doing that for twenty days with no contact with anyone? I'm not saying that I'm less happy with my job, I'm saying that the fact that I spend so much time alone at my job I think it's not conducive to me getting over a girl. Honestly not to compare losing a girlfriend to my mom, I'm feeling some of the same feelings there.
"How did she die?"
Ugh no, she killed herself. That's when I kind of went off the deep end, and that's how I ended up in the military.
The guy we are meeting, Mark, he's the initial guy that trained me. He's a gambler. Jessie moved me from working with Mark because it wasn't the healthiest work environment you could say.
It's a one two three shoot.
One two three shoot! Gah!
Hate you.
Dude, this is a, this is a problem.
Him and I would get drunk and like bet three hundred dollars on one hand of rock paper scissors sudden death.
All the town is is hotels and restaurants, and then oil shops like, for companies that work in the oil industry. Like pretty much anyone you meet at the bar is there for the same reason as you. Shot the shoot (??) this dude at the bar like oh what are you doing here and like oh I work for this company. Where do you live? It's never here. If they do they moved here for their job.
North Dakota and Wyoming unemployment rates are like 4% of lower and everyone lives there working is two or three years ago North Dakota had the most influx of millionaires in a year, over night.
Some of them were pumped about it because they had wells drilled on their land so they are fucking rich. Some of them like oh you work in the oil industry. This town used to be a lot smaller and quiet. I was just ordering food at the Cadillac at Sydney and this dude is like "you work in oil huh?" and I was like "yes sir, yeah". He's like "got four wells on my land, never working again". I'm like good for you motherfucker.
We added up how much i've made the last two years and how much I have saved. I have made well over a quarter a mil last year and I have twenty grand just in savings. I have been essentially(long pause) blowing it off.
My name is Colin Bennett and I am a directional driller for a directional drilling company in the oil industry. I never saw myself being in such a lucrative job in America, and they pay is a huge upside to what I do. I couldn't be happier about the pay.
The hole that we end drilling, let's say with a three mile lateral portion in the ground. Fracking is creating canals each direction: horizontally out from the lateral portion we drill. They run casing a liner into that portion. What they do is they perforate that liner, and when they perforate it, it allows the oil to flow into the hole we drill to be pumped to the surface. and that is what fracking is.
You have to be clean shaven at the rig. You can't have facial hair because the gas mask...can't seal around your face with facial hair. And uhh, there's a threat of a gas called H2S up here that can kill you. So, I shave when I go back to work.
In five years I see myself in the same job I'm in, as a directional driller, working for the same company. I love the company I work for. I love all the guys I work for, I couldn't ask for a better boss. Umm, as far as personal life, I...I don't know. That's...I guess that's along the lines of, it's not a regret, it's a concern. I...I don't know. Like...not to sound like a wimp but it's uhh...it's fairly lonely.
