Tag Archives: Ensco

E is for ENSCO- #AtoZChallenge

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“E” is for ENSCO. I used to work there off and on. I worked for the marine crewing agency C-Mar (among others). Back when there was still work to be had in the offshore sector.

ENSCO is a drilling company. They bought out Pride and built up a pretty good fleet of offshore drilling assets. I worked on many of their vessels over the last few years: the Deep Ocean Mendocino (renamed DS-5), the DS-3, and most of their semi-submersibles.

I spent time on the ENSCO 8500, 8501, 8503 and 8506. The 8506 was one of my favorites. Maybe just because I spent the most time on her. Maybe because I was officially the “Hurricane Master” on board.

That was one of the best jobs I ever had. If it had been located anywhere other than the Gulf of Mexico, I would have said one of the top 2. 🙂

My job basically was to watch the weather, stay on alert for any hurricanes approaching the Gulf and to get the rig ready to move if we had to run from one. I joined the 8506 in the shipyard in Corpus Christi and brought her out to a test location and then on to her first well. I had a great crew to work with and the rig was pretty much brand new.

Eventually, Ensco hired their own crews and stopped using temps like me. 🙁

Sadly, even the vessel itself has been out of work for a while.

A to Z: Ensco

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I’m doing the A to Z Challenge. To post everyday (except Sundays) through April, one for each letter of the alphabet. Today’s post is Ensco.

Ensco is a drilling company. I’ve spent a couple of years working on a few of their drilling rigs. I’ve never been hired directly by Ensco (tho I wouldn’t have minded that). I was working as an independent contractor. So when they needed someone to fill in, they would call and I would go out to work.

I first started with them on a couple of rig moves on the Deep Ocean Mendocino (later renamed DS-5). Later I was hurricane master on the Ensco 8506 (semisubmersible). I brought it out of the shipyard to get it checked out and then on to it’s first well.

Ensco 8506

Ensco 8506

THAT was a great job! I really enjoyed my time there and was sorry it ended.

Ensco found enough of their own people so that they didn’t need to use fill ins anymore. I think that’s the same for every company in the oilfield at this point.

I’m sure most people are hoping the gas price doesn’t go back up anytime soon. I’m one of the few who’s hoping it does. I probably won’t be going back to work until it does. 🙁

No Shave November

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Home of No Shave November,

Sorry I’m so late into the month to post this but I only found out about it a couple of days after I joined this vessel. A few of the guys were up on the bridge joking around and taking pictures of themselves.

They all looked a little alike,(even apart from the orange/khaki coveralls). 😉 They were all in the process of growing a fancy moustache. I was curious and asked what was going on.

Turns out it’s No Shave November. Like October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, November is all about prostate cancer. It’s national Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

I didn’t know anything about this before. If you didn’t either, here are a couple of links for more information…http://guardianlv.com/2013/11/movember-no-shave-november-raises-prostate-cancer-awareness/, us.movember.com, www.cancer.org.

Let’s hear it for the guys! Men don’t shave your face! Grow a cool beard or an interesting moustache. Have some fun with your facial hair! 🙂

Ladies, the men wear PINK for us, lets return the favor- stop shaving! Stop shaving your legs for a month!! No, it’s not a disaster if somebody sees you that way, it’s a great way for you to let others know about the fight to end cancer. Let’s show a little support. 🙂