Employee Profile
Women in the Field Rig work is no longer just for men. Savanna has four very talented and hard working women employed on the rigs, as well as one female Electrical Apprentice in Nisku, Alberta. Since November of 2010, Savanna has employed women in positions traditionally taken by men, such as working in the field or working in a trade. To date, our women in the field are as follows: Adrien Uytenbogaart, Motorhand, Rig 636 Lacey Doble, Floorhand, Rig 631 Trudi Buffalo, Floorhand, Rig 639 Kelsey Wilson, Leasehand, Rig 639 Dallas Negard, Electrical Apprentice The Rig-n-Dig recently caught up with some of the ladies working for Savanna in non-traditional jobs. Trudi Buffalo Trudi Buffalo began working for Savanna in late January of this year. Before coming to Savanna, Buffalo worked in waste water treatment and as a Field Operator for gas wells. Familiar with the oil and gas industry and knowing someone who already worked for Savanna, Buffalo decided to try her hand on the rigs. Almost ten months into her employment,
Trudi Buffalo in action on the Rig
Buffalo is already a Floorhand and is enjoying her job in the field. Buffalo’s first few weeks as a Leasehand were spent learning the day-to-day running of the rig. She says her previous jobs helped her a lot with understanding the rig and how it operated. “[There’s] so much to learn and know” says Buffalo. “The guys were amazing with accepting me [and] if I had any questions I could ask them and find out answers immediately.” Buffalo’s previous employment also helped prepare her for the cold and wintery weather conditions. “I’ve always worked outside with my other jobs, so I knew what to expect,” says Buffalo. She also adds that having the rig running smoothly during the winter months made the job a lot more enjoyable. Buffalo is currently working on Rig 639 predominantly located near the Dawson Creek (British Columbia), Beverlodge, and Fairview (Alberta) areas. From Wetaskiwin in central Alberta, Buffalo says she enjoys moving from location to location. She also enjoys working with people from various places and the physical workout she gets everyday. Initially, some of the rig tasks were a little too physically demanding for Buffalo, but she says “now that I’ve tried a few of those tasks again they are a little easier.” She says the guys on her crew know she is not as physically strong as them, but if they see her working to her full potential and still struggling, they do not hesitate to step in and help her. “If they see me working my hardest—and I can work almost as hard as they can—they’ll help me,” says Buffalo. Working in a non-traditional career has had its share of personal and professional challenges for Buffalo. She says professionally she has struggled with the strength issue, and she has also come across a few “characters” who were hard to get a long with initially. Being a very friendly and outgoing person, Buffalo says she usually gets along with everyone once she gets to know them. A personal
challenge Buffalo has is being away from her three teenage daughters, aged 13, 15 and 17. She says being away from them has been hard to get used to, but at the same time, her daughters are a main reason for why she is working on the rigs. She says she is working for them and they keep her motivated. Buffalo has not noticed any gender inequalities on the rig. She says her crew has been very accommodating and has helped her tremendously. “The guys have been really accepting and have gone out of their way to make sure I’m ok,” she states. Just like many of the guys who work on the rigs, one of Buffalo’s main motivations is the pay. “Why can’t we (women) make money too?” she asks. Traditionally, male dominated fields are where the money is and Buffalo says she would like to see more women break into these non-traditional careers. She also says that women shouldn’t be afraid to work in non-traditional careers. “I think the biggest thing is fear—there’s so much to be fearful of…but [women] should just go for it. It might be rocky, but just persevere.” With a passion for travel, Buffalo initially started a degree in Engineering with the hope of being able to work and travel. Unfortunately, that did not happen, but working for Savanna has now opened up the possibility once again. Trained by a Rig Manager from Australia, Buffalo is keen to work a little longer here in Canada and then try her hand working on the rigs in Australia. Kelsey Wilson Kelsey Wilson began her career in the oil and gas sector as a flight attendant for an industry charter airline. After two years in the business, she got to know many of the passengers and became interested in working on the rigs. Wilson began her career on Savanna’s rigs in July of this year. After completing a safety certificate from the University of Calgary, Wilson decided to find a job in oil and gas and
September 2011
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