...so sang Crosby Stills and Nash.
The drilling rigs I use generally have two, 12 hour tours (called, 'towers' in oilfield lingo); some tours are easy, others not so easy, it just depends which tour gets most of the work that happens at the end of the well. On a day when we've TD'd there is drill pipe trips to make, mud to mix, pipe, collars, kelly and kelly shuck to lay down, float equipment and casing to help the casing crew run and cementers always seem to expect help with their stuff. It can be a long, exhausting 12 hours, particularly when its 115 degrees, or in the middle of the night in the freezing rain. On tours like these the only thing we generally get "off" for lunch... is one glove to eat sandwiches with.
The tour that gets the bulk of that work always gets what I call "bottom hole money." That's not part of the AFE, that's just from me, personally. In Louisiana its call "lagniappe," or extra. I've done this sort of work my whole life (still do it) and know how hard it is. By the time we get to TD I am generally on my third straight "tour" because of time-drilling to TD, open hole logging and sidewall coring so I'll hand out a hundred dollar bill to everyone and tell those hands to save it, or give it to their kids, then I get to go catch a little nap before the casing crew arrives on location.
A particularly good hand I am quite fond of gave his bottom hole money last week to his kids and I got this in the mail yesterday...
Thank you, Easton. I have high hope for you, man. You come from good stock.
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Don't you ever ask them, "Why?" If they told you, you would cry. So, just look at them and sigh, And know they love you.
CS&N