Pros
As a Wireline Operator you will receive great training in the area of driving a commercial vehicle. Depending on your Senior Operator you may or may not receive competent wireline training. You will start off working through SOS Staffing which is a great way because you will be an hourly employee, so you will be paid from the time you go to a job assignment to the time you return. Great Money! You can actually make more than the Salaried Schlumberger Wireline Operators.
Cons
Safety Training and Driver Training when you first arrive leaves you with the idea that Schlumberger is living in the 21 Century unfortunately there is a huge bridge between corporate Schlumberger and the Field Operations members.You will be promised an excellent bonus structure when you roll over to Schlumberger which wont happen. The jobs that pay the best bonuses are given to the Senior Operators and not the junior ones. This will prevent you from progressing because of the complex nature of wireline operations, you need to experience those logging operations. So you will end up with a low salary plus bonuses which they claim will push your yearly total salary up. Most of the field engineers are kids in their 20's who in my experience showed little to no respect for the operators. I was expected to learn many things within my first year, however my Senior Operator allowed very little hands on experiences and was one of those who was probably treated poorly in his beginning and was determined to make his trainees suffer. He was very unprofessional in his conduct and would talk horrible about the other staff members. Management tolerated it because of his logging experience. It is to the Senior Operators advantage not to train you. When two operators go on a job if one is a salaried schlumberger employee while you are hourly his bonus isn't split with you because you do not receive job bonuses. However once you become permanent Schlumberger when you both go on a job the bonus is split between the operators and engineer. I recommend any operator to take his CDL training and go elsewhere, you will never be appreciated for your efforts. CDL drivers where i am at can earn 70-90 in the oilfield.
