Brian Crossman is a partner in Estevan-based Independent Well Servicing. The opinions expressed in this column are the opinions of the author and not necessarily the opinions of Independent Well Servicing.
Brian Crossman. Photo by Brian Zinchuk
In my ongoing efforts to uplift and enlighten the dear readers of Pipeline Online, I’m going to once again point out problems that may or may not exist, and as aways give potentially unhelpful and most likely unsolicited advice. In so doing, let’s have us a conversation about something we talk about a lot but really don’t do too much about:
Stress.
It is all facets of everyone’s lives, no doubt about it. In our beloved industry it continues to be an ongoing battle. As the old saying goes, “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.”
The Latin word for stress is “Accentus.” Heavy is “Gravibus” so stress in the oilpatch is “Gravis Accentus”
The Latin word for oil is “Oleum.” (Crude is “Rudis” so hence “Rudis Oleum”)
Will this tiny tidbit of trivia help? Probably not, but hey, we all learned something today. Go ahead and impress your buddies with these new linguistic skills.
When the patch is busy, it can be very stressful. Maybe not on payday (unless you look at the tax deductions on your paystub) but every day on the job has a certain amount of issues. Maybe a crew member slept in, and you have to break into his home with a pail of water, and well, you know. (I may have done this a few times back in the old days) Then you get to the fuel pumps, and there is a long line-up in the morning. (Pro-tip: fuel up at night, this gives you more time to beat the morning rush.) So now you’re running late to get to location. Don’t speed or get in a rush, almost all oil companies would rather you arrived safely than get into an accident. I’ve heard everyone, from safety hands to presidents of oil companies say this. Be that person too, whenever you can, no need to rush. Rushing leads day-to-day operations to adjust your attitude in a negative way. Problems with the well, equipment breakdowns, break-ins and theft from the previous night. (We actually have a group of service rig contractors in SE Sask to share information and try to stop these dirtbags.) Don’t even get me started on the modern politics of attempting to grow the oil and gas industry in Canada. Y’all can guess my opinion on that.
- 0121 Ministry of Energy and Resources April 20260121 Ministry of Energy and Resources April 2026
- 0134 SASPO-2956_ Safety 20260134 SASPO-2956_ Safety 2026
- 0133 LC Trucking hiring Class 1A Payden0133 LC Trucking hiring Class 1A Payden
- 0132 UMWA 20260132 UMWA 2026
- 0129 Turnbull drivers operators0129 Turnbull drivers operators
- 0128 OSY Rentals updated0128 OSY Rentals updated
- 0126 Steel_Reef_Promo_0126 Steel_Reef_Promo_
- 0118 IBEW 30 sec0118 IBEW 30 sec
- 0114 Prospera Bold Vision0114 Prospera Bold Vision
- 0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer
- 0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended
- 0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p
- 0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
- 9001
You also have recuring weather problems. Too much rain, too much wind, and currently way too much heat. (Don’t worry, winter is just around the corner) This will inevitably be followed by mosquitoes, horseflies and all manner of irritating bugs. This of course stresses the crew and can cause unhappy campers. One more thing to contend with, that can bring down morale which can create a new set of problems.
Then there are the even more stressful times. Low oil prices, caused by forces beyond our control create a whole new set of problems. Lack of steady work creates tough times for individuals and their families. Skipping vacations, doing without the extras and overall home budget issues. People get laid off, creating for struggles and stress. The other issue (a discussion for another time) is the creation of people leaving the industry for other opportunities. This hurts the energy industry in the long-term.
But for those of us who love the industry and all it has to offer, what can we do to combat the unwanted stress? Try saying positive things like; “Hey FNG, you laced up you boots all by yourself today, atta boy!” “I love the way you arranged the stickers on your hardhat, definitely a testament to your sense of style and fashion.” “Kudos! Way to run them power tongs!” “So smooth, and you still have all ten fingers!” “You’ve got it mastered!” “I’ve never seen the tools this clean.” “Nice!”
- 0121 Ministry of Energy and Resources April 20260121 Ministry of Energy and Resources April 2026
- 0134 SASPO-2956_ Safety 20260134 SASPO-2956_ Safety 2026
- 0133 LC Trucking hiring Class 1A Payden0133 LC Trucking hiring Class 1A Payden
- 0132 UMWA 20260132 UMWA 2026
- 0129 Turnbull drivers operators0129 Turnbull drivers operators
- 0128 OSY Rentals updated0128 OSY Rentals updated
- 0126 Steel_Reef_Promo_0126 Steel_Reef_Promo_
- 0118 IBEW 30 sec0118 IBEW 30 sec
- 0114 Prospera Bold Vision0114 Prospera Bold Vision
- 0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer
- 0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended
- 0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p
- 0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
- 9001
Of course I’m being sarcastic, but hopefully you can see where I’m going with this. You can’t control most of the things going on around you, and most likely you can’t change it. But what you can do is think positively about yourself and remember the work you and your team perform has real value. The province, the country and the world still depend on it. Don’t focus on your problems or dwell on your mistakes. Move on and do better. Talk to you co-workers. Make sure they are okay, at work and at home. Make sure the crew is getting regular breaks, especially in the heat. Heat stroke is no joke, so make sure you and the guys are staying hydrated and getting out of the sun when needed. Be that guy handing out the “atta boys” on a regular basis and showing genuine concern for the guys on and off the job. You don’t need to micromanage them, mentor and coach them. Just do your best to be there for them. In doing so, your team will most likely be less stressed. Negative can attract negative, and positivity is definitely contagious. Try it and see. The job has enough built-in stress, don’t be the cause of more unnecessary problems. You have nothing to lose but some stress.
Brian Crossman is a partner with Independent Well Servicing in Estevan. Remember, the job is tough enough, no need to make it even tougher. Don’t stress out and have some damn fun out there! (Please also note if you are struggling with mental health issues, remember you are not alone and there is help available for you and everyone struggling, do not be afraid to ask for a little help)
- 0121 Ministry of Energy and Resources April 20260121 Ministry of Energy and Resources April 2026
- 0134 SASPO-2956_ Safety 20260134 SASPO-2956_ Safety 2026
- 0133 LC Trucking hiring Class 1A Payden0133 LC Trucking hiring Class 1A Payden
- 0132 UMWA 20260132 UMWA 2026
- 0129 Turnbull drivers operators0129 Turnbull drivers operators
- 0128 OSY Rentals updated0128 OSY Rentals updated
- 0126 Steel_Reef_Promo_0126 Steel_Reef_Promo_
- 0118 IBEW 30 sec0118 IBEW 30 sec
- 0114 Prospera Bold Vision0114 Prospera Bold Vision
- 0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer
- 0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended
- 0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p
- 0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
- 9001