Greeting from the Jack Bates!

Hello!

I haven't posted for a bit as I am out off the coast of Western Australia on the Jack Bates semi-submersible drilling rig. I have been doing quite a lot out here. I caught samples coming off the shakers for this last well, The Grafter-1. The task was interesting as we are drilling with synthetic oil based mud out here, and as such I had to wear rubber boots, a tyvek suit, and long rubber gloves. The samples were taken off the shaker boars and placed into sieves, they then had to be washed in base oil, detergent, and water. The trick I learned was to then take the sieve over to the shaker and place it right up against it to allow the vibrations to shake out all the water and get the samples fairly dry. I then had to take a small sample out for the well site geologist to look at and place the rest in a sample bag. Two full sample bags were then tied together and then slung over the drying rack. It is very loud and very warm in the shaker house, add to that the fact that I was basically wearing a plastic bag and you get the idea. It was fun though. After we reached TD I was able to go and watch all the wireline logging tools get rigged up and then sat in the logging unit to watch all the data come in. We only ran an RCI on this hole to take fluid samples. After the logs were run I watched the tools get laid down on the deck and then checked the serial numbers on the sample jars to insure all the records were correct. I also was able to watch the opening pressure test. That was fairly neat as the pressure told you whether or not there actually was a sample in the tube, and also whether there was water oil or gas in it. Yesterday they let me climb up to the very top of the derrick, known as the crown block. That was fun but a bit tiring. The view was excellent and I thank the roughneck who took me up for explaining all the safety gear to me. This next hole I am going to get to do some wellsite geology, watch some of the drilling, and potentially see the sidewall cores. Should be fun! There is also lots of marine life around the rig. So far I have seen loads of tuna, dolphin fish, tiger sharks, and a hammerhead. Pictures will be uploaded when I get back to land! See you all soon.

Brianne

Perth Zoo

Hello everyone!
Today I ventured out to the zoo. I took the bus there and it dropped me off right at the entrance. The zoo had lots of Australian animals. The kangaroos just roam around freely and you can walk through them. There were also some very cute little wombats, porcupines, wallabies, and a giant crocodile. There was of course a dingo, but no babies were eaten. :o) They also had lots of other animals and a large park for barbeque's and parties. Here are some photos for your enjoyment. Hopefully I'll have some of these animals in the wild later. Off to the rig in the morning!
Brianne

HUET

Hello everyone!
I began my first week of work here in the HESS Australia office. There is a lot of work to do and it seems my new boss is more than happy to hand some over to me. I am really excited about the opportunity. Thursday and Friday (today) I was sent off to Freemantle for my Sea Survival and Helicopter Underwater Escape Training. Thursday involved fire fighting, lifeboat boarding and deployment (got a quick cruise around the harbor), and escaping from a blacked out smoke filled room. That was all good fun. Today was life raft deployment, first aid, jumping from heights, life jackets, and of course, the helicopter stuff. I was a little apprehensive, but it all went well. I hope I never have to use any of it in real life, but at least now I know what to do and am prepared. I am sooo exhausted though! Tomorrow I plan to tour around town, head to the zoo, and then get in for a good night sleep. Sunday at 4am I am headed to the airport to fly up north, where I will get on a helicopter and fly out to the rig the Jack Bates. I should be out there for 2-3 weeks, so you wont hear from me for a bit. I hope you all are doing well, and I will talk to you soon!

Love
Brianne

Perth: Day 1

Today I went out to explore Perth. I went out for some breakfast and then headed to church. On my way I passed by the fire brigade museum and the hospital. The cathedral of St. Mary is located in Victoria square. It is a really pretty church, most of it is old and ornate, but in 2009 they renovated and you can see where they merged the old church with a new modern looking building. Across the street is the convent. After church I walked down to the Swan river which runs through town and out to the Indian Ocean. There is a large structure there that houses the Swan Bells. You can climb to the top for a view of the city, and on Friday and Wednesday you can ring the bells. After my trip to the river, I walked back up to town to see where I will be working. I found my office building, and thankfully it is really close to my hotel! I headed to the Woolworths grocery store to pick up some snacks, and then to Target (yes, Target) to buy a hair dryer. After returning to my room to drop off the days spoils, I headed back out for some dinner. I decided to head out to Wagamama to have some Asian fare. I headed over to the Perth rail station where I hoped on the Freemantle line to Subiaco. 3 stops later and I popped off the train to Wagamama. Sadly though Wagamama in Perth is not nearly as good as Wagamama in London. After my meal I went over to the Subiaco market to look around. There were people everywhere in the market buying breads and fresh fruits and vegetables. I will have to head back sometime once I am in my apartment and out of the hotel. I hopped back on the train and headed back into town. On my way to the hotel I picked up some postcards and browsed through the shops. Now its time to pick out something to wear for work, iron, and get to bed. First day int he office tomorrow. Hope you all have a great week!

Brianne

Finally in Australia

Hello everyone!

I am finally in Perth. I made it in yesterday. I boarded my flight in Los Angeles on Thursday evening. The flight was really great. I flew Singapore airlines and it was an all business class flight. 17 hours. It wasn't too bad though as the seat folded all the way down and the food was really good. I watched a movie, and they even had my favorite TV show, The Big Bang Theory. I arrived in Singapore at 4am and promptly headed to the lounge to shower. Feeling refreshed and clean after my long trip I headed out into the airport to browse and get something to eat. The Singapore airport is really nice. I had some ramen (the good stuff, not the stuff you get for 25cents at wal-mart), and then I headed to my gate for my final flight to Perth. It was 5 hours from Singapore to Perth and I arrived at 2:30. The car service picked me up and my nice driver gave me a window tour of the city. I was dropped off at my temporary hotel where I settled in and hooked up my internet. I found out there was a Nando's chicken nearby and as I was starving I decided to go there (Nandos is this awesome restaurant we had in the UK). Unfortunately Nando's was not open so I chose No. 44 King Street just around the corner from my hotel. It was really good. I sampled some local beer (little creatures) and then headed for a walk to try to stay awake. I finally went to bed at 8pm. I am off to explore Perth today, in the rain sadly. I hope you are all having a great weekend!

Brianne

LAX - Business Class Lounge

Hi everyone!

It is Thursday September 9th. I am on my way to Perth! I arrived at LAX and checked into my flight with my 3 bags and 2 carry-ons. My parents and I headed up to the airport bar to grab a drink and watch the beginning of the NFL kickoff game. Geaux Saints! Then I headed through security. They have 1 full body scanner, but I am happy to report that there are no semi-nude x-ray security shots of me floating around for future use as blackmail. I headed up to the business class lounge, but the elevator was out so I had to walk up 4 flights of stairs with my heavy carry on. The lounge is nice though. I am glad to say I am writing you all from there with their free Internet. My plane departs in an hour and 45 minutes. I found out that the plane I am flying on is all business class. That should be interesting. I am going to take some photos and post them here on the blog and on Facebook when I get settled in in Perth. My first stop will be Singapore where I have a 4 hour layover. I hope you all have a great weekend and I will post again soon.

Brianne :o)