Where Ive been lately!!!!!!!!!!!! Africa

[scpatterson]

Hope everyone is doing well. About a week ago I was able to get in and start playing with the new site. Not had a bunch of free time nor have I been home much. Been working ALOT lately. Anyway Ive about got my current project as far as Im taking it. I met up with the rig In Maritous off the East Coast of Africa/Madigascar and have made the trip all the way around the tip of Africa. Now Im on the west Coast and about to get off. I will be starting work with a new company in 2 weeks and back off to Singapore. I will be back on a normal rotation and can get back to contributing. Just didnt want everyone to think I jumped ship or something....

Anyway I dont have and Q view but I got these as we ran into some very bad weather for a few days. These were going 60 feet up the front of the rig. though the sun is shining the wind was blowing 40 to 50 mph and very rough seas.....

This is test run on photos and seems to have changed a bit from before so if something is wrong point it out...

Already ahve plans to fire up the Lang next Saturday. I get home Friday night and plan to stop off for some BB and a butt or 2 to cook on Staurday. Thats after 35 hours of travel so will see...Pics to come for sure

 

[sumosmoke]

Impressive pics, Chris. With your work on the oil rigs, I'm curious to know your take on the BP spill.

Good luck in your travels and thanks for sharing them with us!

 

[scpatterson]

Impressive pics, Chris. With your work on the oil rigs, I'm curious to know your take on the BP spill.

Good luck in your travels and thanks for sharing them with us!

I think the oil spill is a all around bad situation. I grew up down by the Miss coast and Ive worked in oilfield Offshore all my life so I deff understand both sides. Drilling in my mind is as safe as any other job as long as regulations and policies are followed, BUT the industry is money driven and bottom line is the dollar, not enviroment, not the employees. The guys onboard are told one way of doing things when in public view but as soon as the meeting is over they are pushed and rushed to make the hole quicker and cheaper. Ive been doing this almost 15 years now and can remeber countless times where myslef or someone else was forced by our supervisors which are forced by the shorebase supervisors to do something that go against all policies....

Im not gonna go into details about what we onboard my rg have ben told happened but it all comes down to exactly what Ive just mentioned. The guys onboard the Horizon cut corners to finish up the well though was incorrect they forced to by BP company men onboard who run the rig....

I will say this...One story going around here is that one of the guys that was killed had written a will on his last trip home and told his wife that he felt with the way things were going onboard the rig someone was gonna get hurt...Im not making that up!!

I feel BP is trying to cover up the mess as much as possible and keep as much as they can out of the public eye.

I know they sent a Brand new rig (DD3 or Development Driller 3) to drill one of the relief wells which everyone knows that new rigs with new crews have tremendous issues at the begenning and they done this cause of money cause that rig had not started drilling yet and instead of pulling an experienced rig that was close by to head this operation they pulled in this one. Now they also have the DD2 which is sister rig to this one....

Long winded spill I know but is a cluster @^(# and will hurt the US and the gulf coats particuarly sad thing is no one talkinga bout the 11 that were killed anymore

Jason Anderson

Aaron Dale Burkeen

Donald Clark

Stephen Curtis

Roy Wyatt Kemp

Karl Kleppinger

Gordon Jones

Blair Manuel

Dewey Revett

Shane Roshto

Adam Weise

 

[richoso1]

Glad to know you're alive and kicking my friend. Great pics, those are some mean looking white caps. Looking forward to your next smoke and Q too. It's all good my friend.

 

[pineywoods]

Chris glad all is going decent and glad to hear your about to get off the rig and back to the smoker even if it is a quick trip. Great pics and I look forward to more of Singapore when you get back there and things settle down.

 

[mballi3011]

Welcome back Chris. It's nice to hear from you again and I have been asking about you. I knew you changed companies and all. I'm glad you will be getting a chonge to do some smoking real too. The opictures look great and all. Now thanks for your little bit of knowledge on the oil spill. Now as long as your going back to Singapore you maught as well get you a small smoker and take back with you. I know the housing is small and your not but you can always make room for a grill/smoker heck throw out the chair you don't need it anyway. LOL

 

[old poi dog]

I'm looking forward to your views once again.  Until then stay safe.

 

[bmudd14474]

Glad to hear all is well Chris. Be safe in your travels.

 

[scarbelly]

Welcome back Chris - thanks for your take on the situation in the Gulf. Sorry to hear you are heading out again so soon but ya gotta go where the work is.

Hope to see you back here more often  

 

[solaryellow]

Glad to know you are still alive and well Chris! The last few weeks I have been hoping to catch you in chat to pick your brain about what is happening in the Gulf. Thanks for the info.

 

[Bearcarver]

Chris,

Nice to hear from you----Neat pics!

Thanks for your take on the situation. Many of us have not forgot those 11 men.

Can't wait to see some Qview from you!

Here's a really dumb question for you----Don't your worms miss you when you're gone from home so long. I told you it was a dumb question, but I thought they needed some tending.

Bearcarver