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Oil rig inspection is a dangerous business. Traditionally roughnecks dangled from a wire, in gale-force winds if needed, to manually log wear and tear on the girders. Assessments include giant chimneys — called flare stacks — that belch fire during million-dollar-a-day shutdowns.
Increasingly the industry has found that swapping abseiling humans for small drones equipped with high-definition and thermal cameras can save time, cut costs and improve safety.
"These are large metal structures in a big pond of seawater. They will rust a lot, particularly in the North Sea where rigs designed to last 20 years are lasting more than 40. They are continually getting cracks and physical damage from the waves and need to be refurbished and fixed," says Chris Blackford, Sky Futures' chief operations officer.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday August 24 2015, @11:24AM
Jump in the ocean, of course.
Why do you suppose that they become roughnecks? Because they enjoy that kind of shit, after all. No one is forced to do it. Sure, the money is good, but not THAT good!
And that leads me to question the future of "roughneck" types of men. The rites of passage, and all that silly crap. A young man can join the military, maybe. But, the military is being downsized, and handed over to women, gays, philosophisers, and whatever. What's left for a young man who doesn't fit into "polite society"? How will the next generation prove to themselves that they've got big brass balls? Gang warfare? Become a cop? Join the DEA? It becomes more and more difficult to escape the police state that is being built. No more roughnecks. What's next? Construction workers? Yeah, I can see them sending robots up to build New York's skyscrapers. Shipbuilding. Send in the robots, and you just stand around like some old woman, ooohing and aaahing.
About all that left, short of joining a gang, is to go wandering out across the tundra, or the desert sands. If you survive, then you've got bragging rights. If you don't survive, well, your Mom will miss you.
Mountain climbing isn't even that cool anymore. If you're a day late getting back, half the police forces in the state mount a rescue effort, costing millions of dollars, and your name is broadcast internationally as another failure who got lost.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 24 2015, @11:35AM
the future of "roughneck" types of men
is prison. Men are not wanted, not needed, and belong in prison. All of them. Because men are not Women, and the future is Female.
(Score: 2) by tibman on Monday August 24 2015, @03:43PM
It is also improving for it. There were always gays, women, and philosophers in the military. Now they just get the same freedoms as everyone else. As far as the whole military i don't know about size. The US Army is still about where it's been for decades. ~500k Active, ~350k Researve, ~200k National Guard. On page 2: http://prhome.defense.gov/Portals/52/Documents/RFM/TFPRQ/Docs/FY14%20DMRR%2028%20Aug%2013%20FINAL.pdf [defense.gov]
The definition of courage is doing something that makes you afraid. You don't have to join an organization to find something everyone is afraid of doing. If you think being a cop gives you brass balls then imagine the cop that stands up for a citizen against his fellow cops. That's some big brass right there.
Mountain climbing and (real) camping is still very cool. People often end up in those rescue situations because they told someone they'd be back in a few hours or noon the next day. For a real adventure just go by yourself and don't tell anyone when you'll be back or where you're going. You can leave your planned route in a letter on your bed next to the NOK details.
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(Score: 3, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Monday August 24 2015, @03:51PM
"It is also improving for it."
Citations needed. Along with a definition of "improving". The politically correct definition certainly has not been proven to win wars and battles. (and yes, I'm aware that the US has been on a losing streak anyway for the past few decades, so maybe it doesn't matter)
"For a real adventure just go by yourself and don't tell anyone when you'll be back or where you're going."
I never knew myself where I was going, until I got there - how in hell could I have told anyone else my itinerary? A buddy and I head out of town for the weekend, and make up our minds as we traveled, where we were going. Ditto for the wife and I. And, many many times, I did the same alone. Itinerary? WTF needs an itinerary? I'm no international diplomat!
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Monday August 24 2015, @05:10PM
>Citations needed
Well, instead of a bunch of disciplined men unquestionably blowing the stuff the big brass points at, the military now includes a bunch of disciplined men, gays, women, and philosophers unquestionably blowing the stuff the big brass points at.
When you run out of sh*t to blow up, the diversity is more enriching.
As a side-effect, when you're invading countries with retrograde views, having a few women and philosophers can help with the locals.
(Score: 2) by tibman on Monday August 24 2015, @06:30PM
As far as the military goes, I will be your citation. Racism and homophobia only hindered my work. Women are fine too as long as traditional gender roles have been thoroughly broken for everyone involved. My former MOS, 19D [wikipedia.org], still does not permit women. But i have always enjoyed judo and combatives with fit women in my weight class. In the US Army i saw no "Political Correctness" when it came to fighting. That is something poges dealt with. In my US Army everyone was a guy and we were all green (or tan and sunburnt, lol). No gender or colors. People can fuck who they want and it's none of your (or my) business.
You are talking about not needing an itinerary to drive somewhere? I think you'll make it just fine. I am talking about hiking/camping. When off-trail hiking you will never see another human being. You'd better have a rough plan of where you are going. That is going to tell you how much food to carry and where water sources will be. Or, die i guess. They may find your bones. If you don't believe me, try a 50 mile hike on a trail. Then imagine what that would be like without the path, bridges, and any other person in sight. It would be a great experience for you and your friend. If you were saying you and your friend just wandered off into the forest like Daniel Boon without a map, supplies, or a plan, then you are quite a great woodsman. But if you and your friend wander down trails until half of your time is spent and then double back the way you came, then i'd say you are have a great adventure and hope you have plenty more in the future. But you aren't the kind of person that the forest rangers are worried about.
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(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday August 24 2015, @07:09PM
Hiking and camping, or just heading out into the wilderness on a motorcycle - I've mostly just followed my nose. If I plan to spend more than a day or two, then the planning gets a little more serious. In all honesty, most of my hiking and camping have been in areas with plenty of water. I'm not - uhhh - mentally adjusted to long term survival in the deserts. A guy can carry a lot of food with him, if he doesn't have to also carry combat gear. In well watered areas of the earth, food can always be scavenged.
Wandering into any wilderness without a map or a plan is worse than foolhardy, and you know that. But, the plan has always been a "rough plan" for me.
As for finding my bones - ehh - I don't much care about that. We all leave this world eventually. It's usually unplanned, but we all leave eventually. Leaving my bones for the wildlife to gnaw on seems as good as being tossed into a hole in the ground, don't you think?
In all seriousness, I'm not the Daniel Boone that I may have implied, but I have trekked fairly deep into the mountains in Alaska and much of the western US. You will note my chosen nickname, of course. I spent my entire summer after junior year of high school in the woods. All summer long, I only interacted with maybe a dozen people. Memorial Day weekend was my undoing - everyone came out of the city for picnics and barbeques, and they stumbled over me, LOL. Ehhh - I shared in the picnic, then rode back into town to see the police chief, then started my senior year of high school.
(Score: 2) by Zinho on Monday August 24 2015, @06:57PM
No one is forced to do it. Sure, the money is good, but not THAT good!
Actually, it is. Many roughnecks, especially on the offshore rigs, make six figure salaries after only a couple of years' experience. The tradeoff is having absolutely no life - the work schedule is insane, and mostly precludes having any social life. Working a 12-hour tour on a rig leaves about enough time to scrub off the grease, eat something, then get back for the next tour. A good contract has 50% shore leave built in (2 months on, two months off); bad ones give one week out of four or two out of six. It's little wonder that there's a problem with Meth addiction among the roughnecks. At some point, you've got to ask yourself what's the use of having a quarter million in the bank if you never spend it.
Why do you suppose that they become roughnecks? Because they enjoy that kind of shit, after all.
And this is the answer to my question. The people living that life would rather be doing the work than raising a family or spending the money they earn. It goes beyond work ethic, and I don't pretend to understand how they derive so much satisfaction with that lifestyle. Better them than me.
"Space Exploration is not endless circles in low earth orbit." -Buzz Aldrin