Brian Zinchuk is editor and owner of Pipeline Online
Dean Gilliss in 2011. Photo by Brian Zinchuk
In recent years, the Saskatchewan Oil and Gas Show has presented its Southeast Saskatchewan Legends Award. Pipeline Online will be publishing their biographies here. The oil show is June 5-6, with the Legends awards being presented on June 5. Tickets to attend the awards ceremony and luncheon can be purchased here (if you are an exhibitor, please do not use that link.) More information can be found at oilshow.ca.
First up: Dean Gilliss
Dean Gilliss was born and raised at Manor, Saskatchewan, in 1959 and graduated there in 1977.
Starting that summer and into early 1979 he worked road construction for Ramsey & Bird construction.
In the spring 1979 Dean went to work Bird Drilling in southeast Saskatchewan. He noted,
“Coming from Manor, that’s just was you did.”
In the fall of 1979 Dean enrolled in a pre-employment electrical course at STI Moose Jaw. The spring of 1980 saw him working for Simmons Drilling in southeast Saskatchewan as a roughneck. By 1983 he worked his way up to a drilling position.
During the road ban season of 1983 Dean went with Simmons Drilling to Saudi Arabia in search of potash on an island in the Red Sea. That was not his cup of tea, Dean noted.
Bonnie and Dean Gilliss in their Delorean back in 2015. Photo by Brian Zinchuk
He married Bonnie Quarrie of Fife Lake, Saskatchewan on Nov. 3, 1984.
They would have two children, Dylan, in 1988, and Logan, in 1990. Both would end up joining and eventually buying back the family business.
In the summer of 1985 Dean took a coring position with A&A Coring in Estevan, supervising the coring of oil wells as well as potash exploration wells.
- 0072 Outlaw Buckers and Oil Kings 20240072 Outlaw Buckers and Oil Kings 2024
- 0069 Sask Oil Show 2024 banquet tickets0069 Sask Oil Show 2024 banquet tickets
- 0071 Pride Upkeep 2024 Packages0071 Pride Upkeep 2024 Packages
- 0070 Sask Oil Show 2024 pre-register0070 Sask Oil Show 2024 pre-register
- 0068 Sask Oil Show 2024 booth0068 Sask Oil Show 2024 booth
- 0067 PFM SaskWorks Payroll Investment Plan0067 PFM SaskWorks Payroll Investment Plan
- 0066 WBPC Promo video 30 seconds0066 WBPC Promo video 30 seconds
- 0064 Estevan OTS0064 Estevan OTS
- 0063 Turnbull Excavating hiring crusher0063 Turnbull Excavating hiring crusher
- 0062 TED_EPAC_Technology_300062 TED_EPAC_Technology_30
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0060 Arizona Lithium Lease building0060 Arizona Lithium Lease building
- 0058 Royal Helium Steveville opens anonymous rocket0058 Royal Helium Steveville opens anonymous rocket
- 0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office
- 0052 Predator Inspections0052 Predator Inspections
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan
- 0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0021 OSY Rentals S8 Promo
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0015 Latus Viro0015 Latus Viro
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
- 0011
- 0006 JK Junior
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
- 9001
In the fall of 1992 Dean was inspired by long time drilling consultant Carl Shane of Estevan. Bonnie and Dean purchased Coffee Power Tongs of Carlyle, renaming it Gilliss Power Tongs. The company was moved to their acreage west of Lampman.
Gilliss Power Tongs, in operation in 2011. Photo by Brian Zinchuk
“We started Dec. 1, 1992,” Dean said. “When I started, there were only 12 rigs running in southeast Saskatchewan. It just kind of grew, and we grew with it.”
He started DAM Oil Field Services in 1995 with Michael Grimes. That company rented radios and a closed telephone systems for use on drilling rigs. In 1999 Michael moved to Calgary and Dean’s younger brother Laird became his partner in the company. They sold the company to Global Link of Alberta in 2001.
Dean Gilliss has been helping out with oil show lobster feasts for many years. Photo by Brian Zinchuk
By 1996, there were 50 to 60 rigs working in the region, and now that number has climbed to about 70 in southeast Saskatchewan and another dozen in southwest Manitoba. Things were busy in the power tong business.
“In 1997 I had eight trucks, but in 1998, it all came to a ‘Whoa!’ It got down to just me, and I sold off some equipment,” Dean said.
- 0072 Outlaw Buckers and Oil Kings 20240072 Outlaw Buckers and Oil Kings 2024
- 0069 Sask Oil Show 2024 banquet tickets0069 Sask Oil Show 2024 banquet tickets
- 0071 Pride Upkeep 2024 Packages0071 Pride Upkeep 2024 Packages
- 0070 Sask Oil Show 2024 pre-register0070 Sask Oil Show 2024 pre-register
- 0068 Sask Oil Show 2024 booth0068 Sask Oil Show 2024 booth
- 0067 PFM SaskWorks Payroll Investment Plan0067 PFM SaskWorks Payroll Investment Plan
- 0066 WBPC Promo video 30 seconds0066 WBPC Promo video 30 seconds
- 0064 Estevan OTS0064 Estevan OTS
- 0063 Turnbull Excavating hiring crusher0063 Turnbull Excavating hiring crusher
- 0062 TED_EPAC_Technology_300062 TED_EPAC_Technology_30
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0060 Arizona Lithium Lease building0060 Arizona Lithium Lease building
- 0058 Royal Helium Steveville opens anonymous rocket0058 Royal Helium Steveville opens anonymous rocket
- 0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office
- 0052 Predator Inspections0052 Predator Inspections
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan
- 0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0021 OSY Rentals S8 Promo
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0015 Latus Viro0015 Latus Viro
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
- 0011
- 0006 JK Junior
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
- 9001
However, as things picked up, Gilliss Power Tongs rebounded. And by 2008, they built a new shop north of Estevan.
In 2004 Dean and Randy Phillips of Stoughton started RDT Rentals Ltd. This company rented portable offices consultants could move themselves from location to location, providing a huge step up from using their pickup as an office.
The “Bulldog Clamp,” invented by Dean Gilliss. Photo by Brian Zinchuk
In 2006 Dean came up with the idea of mechanical clamp now known as the Bulldog Clamp. It’s a device used to aid in the transfer of tubing from the catwalk to the rig floor. That led to the creation of Gilliss Oil Tools. The clamp is used primarily on service rigs, but also drilling rigs.
Bulldog clamp in action. Photo by Brian Zinchuk
In 2008 Bonnie purchased Randy’s shares of RDT and then sold them to Dylan Gilliss 2009.
In September of 2008 they sold Gilliss Power Tongs Ltd. to Wyoming Casing, whose head office was in Dickinson, North Dakota. Dean stayed on and managed for two years then shared the position with their oldest son, Dylan.
Dean said, “Lots of people thought I should have sold the company to the boys in 2008 but there was one problem. They didn’t have any money!”
In 2011 Dean and Dylan sold RDT rentals to Lane and Emery Hanson of Estevan. And in 2013, Dylan and Logan bought the company back from Wyoming Casing, renaming it Gilliss Casing Services. They’ve since expanded to add First Line Pressure Works, a well control testing company.
Dean and Bonnie still own and operate Gilliss Oil Tools out of Estevan with the aid of Logan.
- 0072 Outlaw Buckers and Oil Kings 20240072 Outlaw Buckers and Oil Kings 2024
- 0069 Sask Oil Show 2024 banquet tickets0069 Sask Oil Show 2024 banquet tickets
- 0071 Pride Upkeep 2024 Packages0071 Pride Upkeep 2024 Packages
- 0070 Sask Oil Show 2024 pre-register0070 Sask Oil Show 2024 pre-register
- 0068 Sask Oil Show 2024 booth0068 Sask Oil Show 2024 booth
- 0067 PFM SaskWorks Payroll Investment Plan0067 PFM SaskWorks Payroll Investment Plan
- 0066 WBPC Promo video 30 seconds0066 WBPC Promo video 30 seconds
- 0064 Estevan OTS0064 Estevan OTS
- 0063 Turnbull Excavating hiring crusher0063 Turnbull Excavating hiring crusher
- 0062 TED_EPAC_Technology_300062 TED_EPAC_Technology_30
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0060 Arizona Lithium Lease building0060 Arizona Lithium Lease building
- 0058 Royal Helium Steveville opens anonymous rocket0058 Royal Helium Steveville opens anonymous rocket
- 0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office
- 0052 Predator Inspections0052 Predator Inspections
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan
- 0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0021 OSY Rentals S8 Promo
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0015 Latus Viro0015 Latus Viro
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
- 0011
- 0006 JK Junior
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
- 9001