Working as a Leasehand
With experience in finance, accounting, and consulting in the oil and gas industry, Raylene Whitford runs Lรธvinne Energy, a boutique consultancy firm in the energy industry. A few years ago, she took a sabbatical as a consultant with BP in order to work on a rig in Northern Alberta. As the only female on the small crew, Raylene Whitford wrote a blog about her experiences called "Lessons for a Leasehand" (https://lessonsforaleasehand.wordpress.com) Leasehand is an entry-level manual labor position on an oil rig. It can be very physically demanding, the weather is often well below freezing, and shifts can last 12 hours. Leasehands set up and take down equipment, clean equipment, load, unload, dig ditches, and sometimes drive trucks. Generally, leasehands will work for 14 days, often sleeping at a camp near the rig, and then get a week off before going back for another 14 day โhitch.โ Itโs rare for women to work in the oil and drilling field on rigs. This could be changing, however, as the drilling industry is growing, especially in Alberta. The work is hard, but it pays well and requires little formal training, which may make it an appealing position for a wider range of people.
