DALLAS GOT HIS CHAIR!
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THE NEWSLETTER OF SAVANNA ENERGY SERVICES CORP.
MESSAGE FROM MANAGEMENT
BREAKING
REFERRAL PROGRAM PT 2 MEET BERNIE A BLOODY GOOD TIME AUSTRALIANA FROM THE MAILROOM
THROUGH THE
IRON
CEILING
APRIL 2014
MESSAGE FROM MANAGEMENT
VALUES-BASED DECISION MAKING by John Cooper, Executive VP, Operations & Chief Operating Officer
Y
ou’ve seen the cards and the wall magnets and know that Savanna has a Vision and Values. Maybe you were even a part of the many meetings and conversations that resulted in Integrity coming before Relationships while ranking values, or changing the word “Reinventing” to “Defining” in our vision. You know Savanna is a values-based company that defines leadership through people, innovation, and technology. So what now? Four years after the fact, what does all this mean? Every day as Savanna employees we make decisions that affect the company, ourselves, and those around us. Sometimes these decisions are routine and don’t take much thought, but often, especially when they involve people and potential feelings or HSE concerns, they can become more complex. Do we risk embarrassing ourselves by pointing out a potential hazard? Do we bring up an issue that may annoy one of our co-workers? Do we point out an error our manager has made that may reflect how he or she views us at performance review time? In a large organization such as Savanna, we are all faced with decisions that can be challenging or at the very least, take some additional consideration. Often, there is no “rule” to fall back on — we are required to use our judgment. This is where our Vision and Values can help. If you find yourself with a difficult decision to make, look to our values and ask yourself how the situation relates. Often the decision is difficult because it involves conflict between two values. We want to show integrity and do the right thing, but we also want to care for people or be focused. Our Values have been put in priority order for a reason. If Excellence and Sustainability are in conflict, we will let Excellence take prior2
RIG-N-DIG • APRIL 2014
ity. If Integrity and Relationships are in conflict, Integrity takes priority. When used as a tool in this manner, our values can be very helpful in framing situations properly and often make the decision required much clearer. When there is an emotional element to a decision, our judgment can often become clouded by fear, loyalty, ego, or any number of feelings that are not as relevant in the long term as they seem when we are in the moment. The next time you find yourself challenged with a tough decision, grab your Savanna Vision and Values wallet card and
reference the values and the guide to valuesbased decision making. Guide to Values-Based Decision Making • Identify the key element(s) involved in making this decision. (Which value?) • Identify those directly affected by the action(s). (Employees, customers, vendors, shareholders, community?) • Identify action(s) called for in this situation. (Which value action is called for? Be safe? Be focused? Care for people?) • Identify the need for involving others if necessary.
IN THIS ISSUE: S
THE NEWSLETTER OF SAVANNA ENERGY SERVICES CORP.
FIND US ON:
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Message from Management A Bloody Good Time Dallas Got His Chair Referral Program Gets Personal Breaking Through the Iron Ceiling From the Mailroom What’s Happening Canadian Benefits Australiana Meet Bernie The Last Page
Rig-n-Dig is published by Savanna Energy Services Corp. as an information vehicle for our employees and for our community. Suggestions and contributions are welcome and encouraged. Editor & Publisher: Patrick Brooks (403-718-2885, pbrooks@savannaenergy.com) Managing Editor: John Bayko (403-781-9999, jbayko@savannaenergy.com)
ON THE COVER:
Savanna Energy Services Corp. 800, 311–6th Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 3H2 P: 403-503-9990 F: 403-267-6749 E: info@savannaenergy.com
A candid shot of the Rig 628 crew near Sundre, Alberta.
Savanna Energy Services Corp. is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:SVY). For current stock information, visit tsx.com or savannaenergy.com.
WWW.SAVANNAENERGY.COM
CALGARY CORPORATE CHALLENGE
corporate challenge is a bloody good time W ith 55 blood donations under his belt, Doug Fields knows a thing or two about pain and sacrifice. The payroll administrator for Savanna has been the unofficial Life Bus coordinator for Savanna staff during the Calgary Corporate Challenge (CCC) Blood Donor Challenge since 2010. A year into the role, Fields’ efforts to raise the awareness of blood donations in general got a boost when Savanna joined Canadian Blood Services’ Partners For Life program in 2011. This meant that Savanna would make a pledge to donate a certain number of units of blood for that year. For the three years following, Savanna exceeded their own predictions by an average of 150% each year. As of December 2013, none of Savanna’s key competitors in the drilling industry have participated in the Partners For Life program nor the CCC. Only Tervita
has signed up for PFL in 2014 but not for the Calgary Corporate Challenge. This year, Savanna shares the Green division of the CCC Blood Donor Challenge with such heavyweights as Bonavista Energy, Murphy Oil, Workers’ Compensation Board, Calgary Airport Authority, and 20 others. With only two weeks’ worth of donor results so far, the Alberta Gaming & Liquor Commission is leading with nine donations. Savanna, on the other hand, is tied with 13 others for last spot with zero donations. But Fields is working hard to change that. He has already organized the first Life Bus to the CBS clinic for Savanna’s first Donor Challenge event where nine staff members rolled up their sleeves for a good cause. They were even treated to soup and cookies at the final rest station. Only three percent of eligible blood donors actually donate, so there is a serious
supply shortage in Canada. The trick, as any regular donor can tell you, is getting someone to donate that first time. The likelihood of that person becoming a life-long donor is much higher once he or she breaks the ice of that initial donation. Encouraging first-time donors is why Savanna is offering a $500 gift certificate to our e-store for Savanna swag and more. So, if you’re in Calgary please consider joining us on the next two Life Buses which run June 26 and August 28. Contact dfields@ savannaenergy.com to book a spot. n
The Life Bus was a party bus on the way to the main CBS clinic in downtown Calgary.
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Photo by Isabel Valoria, Zedi Ltd.
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Having a bloody good time at the first group donation for the Calgary Corporate Challenge—and flaunting their donation number from that day—are: (back row, L-R) Ellise MacPherson, Dawn Paquette, Danielle Ball, Anita Collett, Naomi Wiens. Front row (L-R): Patrick Brooks, Darryl Ma, Doug Fields, Igor Visser. WWW.SAVANNAENERGY.COM
First-time donor, Darryl Ma, is liking the odds of him winning that $500 gift certificate to the Savanna e-store.
Forbidden to do any heavy lifting for eight hours, the Savanna team heads back to the office for an afternoon of R&R. RIG-N-DIG • APRIL 2014
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S
Savanna
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Each year, SAVANNA ENERGY SERVICES CORP. awards four scholarships, each in the amount of:
3,000 4
$
each to
eligible students entering their first year of post secondary schooling
Eligible candidates must:
•
Be 20 years or younger as of August 1st in the year of application
•
Provide transcripts (60% or greater required in final year of core courses)
•
Be prepared to enter the eligible institution within the year of application
The details:
SUBMIT
DEADLINE
PROOF
Fri
Application form, transcripts, reference letter
Second Friday in August
Proof of final acceptance must be submitted in order to receive payment
Application form: Savnet > Forms > HR Submit to: Camille at cnieva@savannaenergy.com 4
RIG-N-DIG • MARCH 2014
WWW.SAVANNAENERGY.COM
by tracy hug, crew coordinator allas Furseth is an employee of Savanna Drilling. He has spinal muscular atrophy and is confined to a wheelchair. One of the problems with his wheelchair is that it was not made for the rough terrain of his Saskatchewan farm. One day Dallas was on his computer looking up medical aid equipment and he came across an all-terrain power wheelchair that would enable him to move around his land. He got so excited about this chair but thought it was only available in the United States. Sometime later, his doctor had a medical sales representative come out to Dallas’ farm and bring some equipment that might be of use to Dallas. Out the back of this representative’s truck rolls the wheelchair that Dallas had seen previously on line. He said to his wife Alanna, “that’s my chair!” This is how our fundraiser got started. We set out to help our friend purchase an all-terrain power wheelchair. Our goal was $30,000.
This one-month fundraiser took on a life of its own — money poured in from all over! People and businesses deposited directly into the bank account (that was held in trust), plus cheques and cash were dropped off at the Nisku office. We made daily trips to the Royal bank with wads of cash and cheques including a generous donation from Savanna Canada Drilling. Those of us working out of the Nisku office watched excitedly as the account continued to increase. On Tuesday, April 8th, five people from Savanna made the trip out to Abbey, Saskatchewan and presented Dallas and Alanna with a grand total of $102,000! They were overcome by your generosity. We set out to buy a chair and we ended up changing their world. The very next day Dallas was fitted for his new chair and took it home with him that evening. The remainder of the funds will be used to purchase other aids to help make life easier. We, the friends of Dallas and the employees of Savanna Drilling sincerely thank everyone for their donations. The love that poured into this office for this special couple is overwhelming. Thank you!
Dallas Furseth is surrounded by family and friends as they present him with a cheque for $102,000! WWW.SAVANNAENERGY.COM
RIG-N-DIG • APRIL 2014
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REFERRAL PROGRAM
Referral Program gets personal for rig 445
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n late November 2013, Luke Pachla was assigned Rig Manager for 445, but with a serious shortage of hands at the time, he didn’t know what kind of help he was going to get or if his rig was even going to fire up. His local crew coordinator, Leona Andres, told him about Savanna’s referral program that would essentially allow him to pick his own rig hands. Given his years of drilling experience, he began calling old friends he knew were capable of learning on the fly and offered them a promotion: “I said if you’re working roughneck, I’ll give you a motorhand job, and if you’re working motors, I’ll train you to work derrick.” Pachla’s efforts paid off, literally. Although he received a referral bonus for each successful righand he brought
over, he is also quick to say that, “I wasn’t even thinking about the Referral Program, you know, bonuses or anything like that. I was thinking more along the lines that I need to crew up my rig with good guys...guys that have worked together.” The real bonus, in Pachla’s opinion, is that he eventually recruited a “family” of 14 rig workers who have looked out for each other under any situation, on or off duty. “My guys have expressed how much of a team environment there is at Savanna compared to rigs they’ve been on for other drilling companies.” A hard hat sticker was later created to commemorate the shared experiences between crewmates on Rig 445. n
The current “family” of Rig 445 strike up a pose in the tool shack: (L-R) Troy Soames, Domingo Mahinay, Law Cayetano, Luke Pachla, James Beeston, Jeff Surette, Jarred Jenner.
Savanna Energy Services Corp. has established Key Accounts with Kal Tire for Savanna Drilling and Savanna Well Servicing. These accounts have been set up to provide consistency in product selection, preferred pricing and standardized billing practices for Savanna Energy throughout Kal Tire’s extensive network. Kal Tire can provide tires and related services for all types of equipment in Savanna’s operations. From light truck tires, to service rig tires and loader tires, Kal Tire has an extensive selection of tire products available for all applications and is here to assist with tire related issues 24/7, year round. Kal Tire is also a preferred vendor for PH&H and Foss and can provide both tires and mechanical services through our fleet card program for our light duty fleet. Savanna Energy Services Corp. also has VIP accounts established with Kal Tire for Savanna employees to purchase tires or mechanical services for their personal vehicles at reduced pricing. Just bring the appropriate account number (see below) into any Kal Tire location, tell them you are a Savanna employee up front, and they will get you looked after.
Savanna Well Servicing VIP – 001VK00001 6
RIG-N-DIG • APRIL 2014
Savanna Drilling VIP – 001VK00002 WWW.SAVANNAENERGY.COM
by delia dixon
BREAKING
THROUGH THE
IRON
CEILING Women and oil usually don’t mix, but Savanna Energy is looking to change that.
WWW.SAVANNAENERGY.COM
knew very little about the oil and gas industry when I first contemplated employment in this field. I was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, and since graduating university, I worked for seven years in the legal industry in Ottawa. I was determined to make a career change — I wanted to be outdoors and I wanted to earn a better income. I only knew a handful of friends who’d previously worked in the oil patch, all of whom had extremely unsavoury opinions of it, and were especially perturbed with the idea of me, a female, working in this field. Despite their concerns, I started looking into drilling companies, in particular, Savanna Energy Services, as they were the only company that appeared to have marketing geared specifically towards women working in the field. I was blown away when I came to realize that in 2014, there is still such a small percentage of women who work in the field on the rigs in Canada. The fact that Savanna has a designated Diversity Coordinator, shows me that this company is headed in the right direction with promoting inclusivity in their hiring practices, and it made me feel as though I was joining an innovative and visionary company, promoting the fact that women can be successful in this otherwise male-dominated industry. After a couple months of communication with Savanna, I packed as much as I could into my little Mazda 3 and drove from Ottawa to the land of lifted trucks. I was hired as a leasehand with Savanna Drilling posted to Rig 638E near Sundre. After all I had heard from my friends and things I’d read in online blogs about the oil patch, I had very little expectation of actually enjoying my job, and had even less of an expectation of liking any of my crewmates. (Continued on next page)
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“ I GENUINELY THINK WOMEN CAN EXCEL IN THIS FIELD IF THEY TAKE THEIR JOB SERIOUSLY.”
(Iron Ceiling, continued from page 7) Clearly there is a stereotype of the kinds of guys who work on the rigs, thus I came out with the assumption that I’d be working with exactly that stereotypical “rig pig.” I couldn’t have been more short-sighted. I felt completely out of my element when I first started but everyone seemed very accepting of me and made me feel welcome as part of the team. I immediately made friendships with many of the guys on all three crews and would certainly consider each and every one of them as my rig family. These guys have become my brothers and I would do anything for them, and I know I equally could count on any of them to look out for me. They tease me and joke with me incessantly, but I have never felt that anyone has crossed any lines. Of course, like real family, brothers can sometimes be quite annoying! In any event, Opposite: Delia and her pesky rig brothers. This page (clockwise from top left): Driller Chris Roberts handles duties in the doghouse. A greenhand tethers up towards the monkey boards. Delia takes a break from shooting video footage to explain general cleanup routines. Mike Hansen and Greg Whitford in the doghouse. 8
RIG-N-DIG • APRIL 2014
WWW.SAVANNAENERGY.COM
“ I’VE GAINED A PHENOMENAL NEW FAMILY OF
PESKY
BROTHERS”
these are respectable guys, and I feel lucky to have been posted with such an incredible crew. I contribute a certain element to the overall morale of the rig; who else would put candy valentines in your locker or decorate the change shack in holiday themes? I’m sure they really don’t mind the home baking this sister brings in for them either every hitch. Most, if not all of my family and friends back home thought I was crazy for wanting to work out here on a rig. Similarly, I’m consistently asked by service hands that come on lease why I would ever want to be out here. I really didn’t understand the fuss. I make a great wage, get to be outdoors, have a 12hour workout, and get to work with amazing people — why wouldn’t I want to be out here? Of course it’s physically and mentally demanding on a daily basis, however I’m certain there are other women like me out there who embrace challenge. I genuinely think women can excel in this field if they take their job seriously. Men and women work together in any other industry so there should be no reason at this day in age for a gender gap working in the rigs. My perception of this work and the people whom I was posted with was drastically changed almost immediately upon employment with Savanna. I absolutely love my job, and I’m certain the main reason is because of the fantastic guys of 638 I have the opportunity to work with everyday. I came out here anticipating the worst, and instead I have a job that I love. And I’ve gained a phenomenal new family of pesky brothers. n
Bleed for a good cause. Savanna Calgary is participating in the Blood Donor Challenge this year. Starting April 3, you can donate individually at any clinic, or you can join other Savanna employees on any of these three Life Buses to the main CBS clinic.
• April 24 at 11:50 a.m. • June 26 at 11:30 a.m. • August 28 at 11:30 a.m. Please contact Doug Fields at dfields@savannaenergy.com to register for a bus. Non-Calgary staff donating for the first-time are also eligible for the gift certificate draw...just show us your donor card or sticker!
First-time donors*!
$
500 enter to win a
gift certificate to our global e-store
Across: 2-Toolhand, 4-Drill String, 8-Kick, 10-Worm, 13-Floorhand, 14-Pressure Core Sampler, 15-Kill, 16-Possum Belly, 17-Pig, 19-Hitch, 21-Well Logging, 25-Core Sample, 27-Horner Plot, 29-Driller, 30-Shale Shaker, 32-Frac Job, 34-Roughneck, 35-Elevator, 36-Mud, 37-Ginzel, 38-Pay Zone. Down: 1-Casing Hanger, 3-Draw Works, 4-Derrickman, 5-Crown Block, 6-Petroleum Play, 7-Vibrating Hose, 9-Intelligent Well, 11-Blowout, 12-Traveling Block, 13-Fish, 18-Degasser, 20-Monkey Board, 22-Bell Nipple, 23-Kelly Hose, 24-Chainhand, 26-Knock Down, 28-Toolpusher, 31-Big Bear, 33-Joint CROSSWORD ANSWERS: WWW.SAVANNAENERGY.COM
RIG-N-DIG • APRIL 2014
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WHAT’S HAPPENING
CAODC to award annual scholarship in Tim Downing’s name
T
he CAODC, in partnership with the University of Fredericton and Don Sayers & Associates Ltd, is pleased to On behalf of Savanna, Laura Koronko receives an award announce an annual from Jason Koochicum, scholarship program to Career Recruitment Manager their online, awardfor FHQ Developments, in winning Certificate recognition of Savanna’s policy on inclusive hiring. in Health, Safety and Environmental Processes program. This scholarship will be Tim Downing, Director, HSE, Allen Krahn, Operations Canadian Operations Engineering Manager, in honour of Savanna’s checks out Rig 635. own Tim Downing in recognition of his contributions to the occupational health and safety profession. As Don Sayers says about Tim and the award: “Tim has provided senior level safety management services to his employer and industry, overseas and domestically. That in itself is ‘normal’ for our alumni. But in Tim’s case, he did so while battling a terrible Marvin Gardner, Rig Manager for R629, is disease that threatened to end more presented with his 5-year ring by Darren Smith (right), Operations Manager. than just his career. Throughout his courageous battle he maintained an amazingly positive perspective. He continued to work except for brief periods of convalescence from surgery, chemotherapy and other challenges, and is still promoting professional development within the circle he continues to serve today. His courage and tenacity are humbling, and we are indebted to his commitment. This scholarship is a small token of our appreciation of his sacrifices and commitment to excellence.” We are very proud to have Tim’s name associated with future scholarship winners as we all work Savanna was recently thanked on the TELUS Spark website for being their first corporate patron. toward a healthy and safe work If you haven’t been there yet, this world class museum is filled with interactive displays and games that environment. n engage visitors of all ages. Their Energy and Innovation area is especially enlightening as it explains the science behind oil and gas production.
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RIG-N-DIG • APRIL 2014
WWW.SAVANNAENERGY.COM
WHAT’S HAPPENING
The group SWS Carlyle receives a safety award.
L-R: Nathan Ferrell (Health and Safety Team Lead), Toby Parill (Driller 655), Clinton Calcote (A.D. 655), and Dustin Dunn (HSE Advisor). WWW.SAVANNAENERGY.COM
Our own intrepid Communications Manager, John Bayko, was caught on Twitter camera as he made his way into The Banff Centre on Day 2 of Savanna’s Spring 2014 meeting held April 21 to 23. RIG-N-DIG • APRIL 2014
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ANT MORE ENERGY? THE RIGHT FUEL COMBINATION IS THE ANSWER. APRIL 2014
CHANGE YOUR WAY TO HEALTH!
Safety on the Road
We already know that when our vehicles have dirty filters, old spark plugs, and are running on empty with low grade gas, they do not perform well. The same is true for our bodies. Without adequate sleep and efficient fuel sources, day by day, week by week, and year by year they too will break down. The problem is, that unlike a vehicle, we can’t just get another body which is why it is so important to fuel and maintain our bodies with premium.
According to Transport Canada, young driver and passenger fatalities continue to be very noticeable in motor Westatistics. are not Nearly going23 to percent talk about diets, as we knowwere only152 to % 24 of year diets have a lasting vehicle collision of motor vehicle fatalities olds in 2010, even effect, but the good choices and habits we maintain on a daily basis do. though they make up only 13 percent of the Canadian population. Young driver safety is relevant to Savanna Energy as many employees fit this age demographic while others have children of this age. Areas to focus on improving safety among young drivers include seatbelt use, impaired driving and distracted driving.
tting the right fuel in our bodies every 3 ½ hours satisfies hunger and maintains our energy without the highs ws throughout the day. This promotes the brain use chemistry control over our appetite,toand changes usoffrom Seatbelt — Seatbelt use has been documented reduce the risk serious onal eating. injury and death. Transport Canada reports that while 93 per cent of Canadians
buckle up, the seven per cent who do not, account for almost 40 per cent of fatalities in vehicle collisions. Seatbelt use requires the active participation of the driver or passenger, and it is a habit that needs to be formed early and reinforced often. It is important to know that in the event of a crash, unbuckled individuals can become ghout the day depends on keeping the fibre, projectiles injuring other occupants or exiting the vehicle. The message is simple: n, proteins, and good carbs balanced: when in a vehicle, buckle up! Should a driver forget or neglect to buckle up, other passengers need to remind — keeps you fullthem to fasten his or her seatbelt.
ntaining energy
— keep your energy levels up and gives you Impaired driving — Impairment can have many causes – these include alcohol, mental alertness drugs and fatigue. Young drivers between 16 and 24 lead the way in fatalities that n — gives you energy involved alcohol and/or drugs. According to statistics from the Canadian Centre on carbs (green carbs) — keep up serotonin Substance Abuse, 27.6 per cent of fatalities among this age group were impaired by e Fat — turns off hunger alcohol and 26.9 per cent by drugs.
Drivers need to recognize the consequences of driving while impaired. These consequences range from the loss of driving privileges, job loss, and hefty financial costs, to life-changing serious fast like a King injuries/disabilities and death. Impaired drivers don’t just endanger their own lives – they endanger the lives of like a Prince their passengers and other road users as well. Impaired driving is preventable and needs to stop.
sy way to remember is:
r like a Pauper
The solutions are simple: don’t become impaired in the first place, make alternate transportation arrangements. Call a sober friend or family member. Call a cab. Stay overnight.
nds simple, and it is.
Distracted driving — In an April 2013 release, the Traffic Injury Research Foundation reports that among 16 to 25 year old respondents to a recent national survey, 70 per cent admitted to sending text messages or emails while driving. Texting while driving equals impaired driving. Put the phone away out of reach so you won’t be tempted to check your messages while on the road. If you need to make a call or send a message, find a safe place to pull over and stop before reaching for your phone.
Make a life time decision to fuel your body efficiently each day.
Just as our vehicle doesn’t run on empty, neither do our bodies. Fuel
Distraction comes in many other forms, including talking to passengers, programming a GPS, changing the radio yourself with premium choices for optimum running performance. station or your music settings or even eating or applying make-up behind the wheel! Be responsible – focus Homewood Human Solutions is all about providing resources to you to entirely on the driving task at hand.
assist you in making the healthy choices for optimum health. Related articles, podcasts and videos can be found on the website www.homewoodhumansolutions.com including:
Care enough about your family, friends and yourself by considering • Health e-Podcasts the consequences of poor driving behaviours. • Health e-videos • Health Library • Life line
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RIG-N-DIG • APRIL 2014
Bon Appetite!
fit e n e B an nt i d a n a The CDepartme
WWW.SAVANNAENERGY.COM
AUSTRALIANA
Sponsorship
Meet & Greet
S
avanna Energy provided Bronze Sponsorship toward the 2014 Western Rivers Cup for Indigenous Cricket. To show their appreciation for Savanna’s support, Don Goldade (right) was presented with a cricket bat painted with Savanna’s logo and Indigenous art. So the only thing left to do is for Don to learn how to play cricket!
New Baby Dad, Jason Walter (Night Push, Rig 407); mom, Tasha Tracz; and sisters Kennedy and Mackenzie, recently welcomed a new daughter and sibling, Phoenix Walter. WWW.SAVANNAENERGY.COM
Daniel Davoodian Maintenance Planner, Australian Operations
William Thomson Senior Operations Engineer, Australian Operations
1. What brought you to Savanna Energy? They said it is a maintenance job, they said it is easy. 2. Where have you worked previously in this industry? I have been working in different faculties of the Oil & Gas industry for about 10 years. Two years of Rig Operations and eight years of Procurement Management. 3. What was your first job? International Business Coordinator. 4. What do you like to do when you are not working? Well, normally I don’t feel like doing anything but I do like playing golf. 5. What is your favourite colour? Redish blue. 6. What is the best book that you have every read? The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho 7. What excites you about your role at Savanna Energy? Savanna’s culture and my colleagues.
1. What brought you to Savanna Energy? I liked the sound of the job, I liked the common-sense approach of the people I spoke to and it was in a good location. 2. Where have you worked previously in this industry? Easternwell, Schlumberger, Cameron. 3. What was your first job? First professional job was designing subsea Benthic landers and lecturing on engineering and mathematics at a university in Scotland. 4. What do you like to do when you are not working? I did a lot of hillwalking when in Scotland, I like to go sightseeing and bushwalking when in Australia. 5. What is your favourite colour? Blue. 6. What is the best book that you have every read? The Sea Wolf by Jack London. 7. What excites you about your role at Savanna Energy? It’s very early days at Savanna Australia and I think a good time to get involved in setting up robust systems of work which will benefit people coming afterwards.
RIG-N-DIG • APRIL 2014
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EMPLOYEE PROFILE
BERNIE BURGART HSE Advisor based in Clairmont, Alberta Q: How long have you been at Savanna? A: I started with Savanna on March 10, 2014. Q: What were some of the positions you held before joining Savanna as an HSE advisor? A: Before joining Savanna I was involved with training new employees in their roles as they would expect to encounter in the field such as: TDG, off-road driving, radiation safety, job procedures, reporting hazard IDs and near misses, environmental procedures, emergency procedures, and effective communication within hierarchy. For the last two years I have been an H&S auditor for Enform. Q: Can you describe the level of awareness about HSE at your other jobs and how they compare to what you’ve see at Savanna so far? A: My experience from past positions fits very well with what Savanna is accomplishing as we speak. A very safety conscious attitude and the desire to excel in this area has put Savanna in a very good position to enable us to achieve the desired results. With co-operation through all parties, I believe this is achievable with some hard work and a team effort. Communication and a joint effort will put Savanna on the map as a leader in H&S. A path for others to follow. Q: In your opinion, how important is safety to an organization involved with oil and gas production? A: Without H&S you have nothing. You are not allowed to play in the Big Guy’s sandbox without these measures in place. You won’t get the work if you don’t meet the criteria. I want to play in their sandbox so my objective is to meet their criteria and put Savanna on the map to enable us to do this. Health and Safety does not generate revenue but what it saves you in lower WCB premiums, confidence with stakeholders, a good safety morale, pride of ownership, willingness to succeed, and come home at night with your fingers and toes. H&S does not have a price, it’s the returns you have to look at. Q: How do you like living in northern Alberta? A: Living in northern Alberta is not an issue to me as I grew up in Hudson’s Hope which is west of Grande Prairie. I have worked in this area before and lived in GP so the move for me was quite easy. I enjoy the energetic atmosphere and the “git’er done” attitude which when combined with H&S makes for a very encouraging strategy between customers and employees. Q: What do you like to do outside of Savanna? A: I enjoy golfing, cruising around enjoying the scenery...the north is beautiful in the summer and fall. Winters are not much different here than anywhere else in Alberta, but lots of people do not see that. They have visions of igloos and polar bears……LOL.
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WWW.SAVANNAENERGY.COM
THE LAST PAGE RIG TERMINOLOGY
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Down hole services provider Column of pipe that transmits drilling fluid (2 words) Precursor to a blowout Inexperienced oilfield worker that is not yet a “hand” Responsible for overall maintenance of the rig Retrieves sediment core sample from depth under pressure (3 words) Stop a well from flowing Slows the flow of drilling fluid Device inserted into a pipeline for cleaning purposes Work period LAS data is derived from this (2 words) Cylindrical cross-section of a sediment or rock (2 words) A semi-log plot produced during pressure buildup analysis (2 words) Crew supervisor on a rig Separates drill cuttings from
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the drilling fluid (2 words) Stimulate the well by pumping fluids into a reservoir (2 words) Member of an oil rig drilling crew Hinged mechanism closed around the drill pipe Drilling fluid Rookie with no oilfield experience Reservoir that can be economically produced
DOWN 1
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Supports the casing string as it’s lowered into the wellbore (2 words) Mechanical section that reels in/reels out the drill line (2 words) Third in command after the driller and assistant driller Stationary end of the block and tackle (2 words) Group of oil prospects controlled by same set of geological circumstances (2 words)
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26 28 31 33
Connects the mud pump to the stand pipe (2 words) Well equipped for automatic or remote optimization (2 words) Sudden, uncontrolled release of underground pressure Moving end of the block and tackle (2 words) Object lost down the wellbore Separates air and/or gas from the drilling fluid Catwalk along the side of the derrick (2 words) Enlarged pipe at the top of a casing string (2 words) Connects the standpipe to the gooseneck (2 words) Experienced laborer capable of maintaining most parts of the rig Loss of consciousness by inhaling H2S Boss of a drilling rig Hitch of at least 50 straight days (2 words) Length of pipe
(Answers on page 9)
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