Post: #1

Hello All,

I have recently been laid off following the dire state of the oil industry in which I have been working for the last 10 years firstly as a offshore as a geologist then I moved into a more onshore management role and the coffers are becoming reduced.

Now being laid off has forced me to take a good look at my situation and I have come to the conclusion that I have had all my work/financial eggs in once basket with regards to earning etc and that's not a good thing in my eyes and I need to diversify that.

So, having heard that there are many people making a living not being a 40 hour week wage slave in an office I was interested to see what sort of things you guys do? I don't mean the details, who/where/what more the general things and what led you to that way of working. I am trying to kick my brain cells into coming up with an alternative way of working that would suit my situation and isn't so reliant on a flaky global market and who better to ask then a group of like minded folk.

Anyway, thanks for reading!

Also, I haven't posted much but I am an avid reader of the stuff on here and would just like to say keep it up! This site/forum is a gold mine and despite the misinformation spouted by certain press this site and its contributors has helped me in more ways than you can imagine. Thank you!

Post: #2

Go through your house, and write down EVERYTHING you haven't used in the past 12 months.

Take everything on that list, research it's value, and sell it on eBay and/or Amazon.

You will be amazed at both how much stuff you have lying around AND how much income you will generate from selling it.

Once you've sold these items, you'll have a decent start on your new eBay venture---should have some positive feedback, as well as the experience and knowledge of how things work. If you want to continue selling on eBay after this "trial", all you need is new product. It's easy enough to obtain, but I'm not going to spell it out on an open forum.

What I will say is this: Whatever you sold from around your house, find out where you can buy more of the more profitable items and sell them at a profit. Oftentimes, you can buy something on one site and sell it for a decent profit on another. The items don't even have to be new. This is just one newbie way of starting to make an income, as you progress, you'll discover plenty of other ways of making money there.

I doubt you will find an easier and faster way of making an immediate income online.

Post: #3

Not an answer to your question, but I met retired geologist who had worked for oil companies his entire career. He retired at 55 and did consulting work on the side. The way he explained it was that an oil company would find an area which they thought contained oil. He would then be flown in, do 2-3 weeks of analysis on their findings, the cost of drilling, etc. and would finish by producing a report. One trip could pay him anywhere between €8k and €20k.

For all I know, the guy could be full of shit, but it might be worth looking into as the way he described it sounded pretty cool. Many educated and experienced professionals turn to consulting towards the end of their careers.

Post: #4

Honestly thought this thread was going to be about selling your virginity online.

Post: #5

Get together with RVF members Atlantic and Scotian. Make an informational product together. Sell it. Tons of people interested in the oil biz as a career. The 6 figures in 6 months thread has over a million views.

Post: #6

(02-14-2016 09:22 AM)VolandoVengoVolandoVoy Wrote:  Get together with RVF members Atlantic and Scotian. Make an informational product together. Sell it. Tons of people interested in the oil biz as a career. The 6 figures in 6 months thread has over a million views.

Would be a good idea 2 years ago, but oil is at 30$ per barrel currently. People are being laid off, nearly all off shore projects are cancelled. The biggest rig company SDRL will probably go BK this year.

Post: #7

(02-14-2016 12:59 PM)911Turbo Wrote:  Would be a good idea 2 years ago, but oil is at 30$ per barrel currently. People are being laid off, nearly all off shore projects are cancelled. The biggest rig company SDRL will probably go BK this year.

The lower price of oil creates lots of competition, even desperation, which means that people will look for an edge any way they can get it.

Maybe a properly marketed informational product for the oil and gas industry could do very well right now.

40 Ways to Survive and Thrive in Down Times

Oil Patch Career Transitions

The Ninja Job Search - How to Lock Down Elusive Opportunities

or something like that.

Post: #8

Information product related to being a Geologist to solve problems that you may have faced and help others overcome.

Post: #9

(02-12-2016 09:10 AM)Running Turtles Wrote:  Not an answer to your question, but I met retired geologist who had worked for oil companies his entire career. He retired at 55 and did consulting work on the side. The way he explained it was that an oil company would find an area which they thought contained oil. He would then be flown in, do 2-3 weeks of analysis on their findings, the cost of drilling, etc. and would finish by producing a report. One trip could pay him anywhere between €8k and €20k.

For all I know, the guy could be full of shit, but it might be worth looking into as the way he described it sounded pretty cool. Many educated and experienced professionals turn to consulting towards the end of their careers.

I really doubt he was lying. Dropping 10k to be more correct about where to find oil is peanuts when you're about to drop 1-10mil on 1-many wells.

Post: #10

Jonnyboy -- were you a mudlogger?

I was a mudlogger for 2 years, started a company based around an automated mudlogging device we created, which identifies drill cuttings based off images.

Despite being a new piece of technology, no one even wants to fucking buy it from me it's horrible.

Post: #11

(02-15-2016 11:53 AM)jake1720 Wrote:  

(02-12-2016 09:10 AM)Running Turtles Wrote:  Not an answer to your question, but I met retired geologist who had worked for oil companies his entire career. He retired at 55 and did consulting work on the side. The way he explained it was that an oil company would find an area which they thought contained oil. He would then be flown in, do 2-3 weeks of analysis on their findings, the cost of drilling, etc. and would finish by producing a report. One trip could pay him anywhere between €8k and €20k.

For all I know, the guy could be full of shit, but it might be worth looking into as the way he described it sounded pretty cool. Many educated and experienced professionals turn to consulting towards the end of their careers.

I really doubt he was lying. Dropping 10k to be more correct about where to find oil is peanuts when you're about to drop 1-10mil on 1-many wells.

Yeah these are completely normal rates - if you calculate €8k for two weeks that's €800/day, that's a very usual rate - I myself am actually currently making that rate. If you calculate €20k for three weeks that's 1333/day, that's more on the higher end, but also not that unusual. If they fly him somewhere and he has to stay there for 2-3 weeks they probably pay him 1,5 day rates per day, since he's away from home.

Post: #12

I would not make drastic decisions so fast. Oil price will eventually pick up as it is a finite product. It already happened in 2008, and by 2010 oil and gas was booming again.
Just sell some useless stuff as "whateverfuckit" has suggested. Sell your car, rent something out if you can and go to some place cheap. While searching for short term jobs.
Cut expenses. That is the biggest problem offshore specialists have, starting to live on all you earn is a bad habit.
I don't think you can start earning online fast enough to accommodate job loss, but if you start earning little and cut expenses a lot in the same time you might find a ballance.

Post: #13

If you can type fast, you can do what I used to do which is audio to text transcription. There's free software you can use to slow down playback. It cost me nothing to set this up; I just posted ads on CL in various cities across the country, and printed up flyers and put them up around the local college campuses. You'd be surprised how many people will contact you. I've done transcription work for research projects, psych analysis on patients (that was probably against the law, but hey, the guy who sent me the job is liable for that and not me) interviews, and dissertations. You need to have a high WPM, and the down side is it doesn't pay much, since you are competing with people from india or wherever who use Elance and other freelancing websites to undercut you.

Post: #14

(02-15-2016 04:30 PM)Disco_Volante Wrote:  Jonnyboy -- were you a mudlogger?

I was a mudlogger for 2 years, started a company based around an automated mudlogging device we created, which identifies drill cuttings based off images.

Despite being a new piece of technology, no one even wants to fucking buy it from me it's horrible.

Hello DV,

Yes I was a shitbagger for several years and then went wellsite geo. I still gets the sweats when I see a set of sieves!
What properties does your device measure? Is it measuring the cutting based on its unique shape like a pressure caving? or is it looking a the rock type? Also how does it take into account variation in the mud system water/oil based?

Jon

Post: #15

(02-16-2016 03:59 AM)Vinny Wrote:  I would not make drastic decisions so fast. Oil price will eventually pick up as it is a finite product. It already happened in 2008, and by 2010 oil and gas was booming again.
Just sell some useless stuff as "whateverfuckit" has suggested. Sell your car, rent something out if you can and go to some place cheap. While searching for short term jobs.
Cut expenses. That is the biggest problem offshore specialists have, starting to live on all you earn is a bad habit.
I don't think you can start earning online fast enough to accommodate job loss, but if you start earning little and cut expenses a lot in the same time you might find a ballance.

I agree, the oil prices will come back up when some one has decided they have had enough of the geopolitical rollercoaster ride we are currently on.
I am currently working on the "selling all the shit" that's laying about, it's scary how much crap you have once you start looking into it whilst also looking for short term or freelance work.

I am thinking we are not going to see a firm recovery until the second half of 2017 (barring any political upsets) in which case I am contemplating a return to University to bolster up some skills and be in a better position to reap the rewards once the market returns.

Post: #16

(02-15-2016 04:30 PM)Disco_Volante Wrote:  Jonnyboy -- were you a mudlogger?

I was a mudlogger for 2 years, started a company based around an automated mudlogging device we created, which identifies drill cuttings based off images.

Despite being a new piece of technology, no one even wants to fucking buy it from me it's horrible.

its not that no one wants to buy it from you. its just bad timing.
And i felt that pain just opening up a business pre-2008