Paying Rent

Every month I go with Arianita to pay our rent at the appartment office. Every time we go together to drop off the check we make sure to pick up a bag of chips that they sell across from the office. You can tell she is a real peruanita because she loves her Spicey Chips.

International Oilfield Show (Lunch)

There is no way that you can go to the Oil Show and not have lunch at the "Barn Door" in Midland. No need for appetizers at this place because every table has a big brick of cheese with a slicer so you can snack on cheese slices before your Texas Steak arrives at the table. (Did I ever mention that I've gained some weight since we moved down here?)

International Oilfield Show

Here are a few more pictures of TX pride at the Show. God's Country.

This is an inspection unit for down hole pipe. A well is expensive to drill and start production so everything has to be gauranteed to work. Body wall of the pipe is measured so the oil company knows that there are no flaws in the material before going down-hole.

These are thongs and slips that are used on a rig to "trip pipe"(connect joints of pipe). The slips are on the bottom of the rig floor and hold the pipe from sliding down into the well. The thongs are like a big mechanical pipe wrench. It's what the rig hands use to spin the pipe so it connects to another joint and can then be lowered into the well.

International Oilfield Show (Old Rig)

This is an old rig that is still up and running at the Oil Show in Midland. It's all made out of wood and has a steam engine that runs the drill. It is about 3 times the width of a modern day rig and didn't go quite as deep as they do now. Working on a rig today is dangerous enough but working on one back then could be really dangerous because of all the flammable wood around you, the heavy machinery and lack of good blow out preventers.

International Oilfield Show

Here are a few more pictures of some work over rigs, pulling units, and pump jack from the show. It's amazing when you are out in the oilfield, it's the middle of no where, and you see all these machines set up and running.

International Oilfield Show

Here are a few pictures of the inside of the Oil Show. Tents, Rigs, Pump Jacks, and Amercian/TX Flags everywhere.

International Oilfield Show

On Oct 20, 2010 I went with the guys at work to the big international oil show in Midland, TX. It was pretty amazing when we got there because they had lots of rigs, pulling units, pumps, and crains set up for everyone to look at. It was interesting to see what all is involved in this great industry. There was everything for accesories, pulling units, pumps, downhole pipe, sucker rods, etc. The culture was totally TX with the TX flag flying everywhere and nothing but big trucks in the parking lot. They even had an old original working rig there. One of my favorite items I found was a hard hat shaped like a cowboy hat. I don't have a picture of it but it was really cool.