Have to say the US work ethic is psychotic. Everyone here works like a dog – the rolligon drivers’ hours – 24 hours on the trot and 5 hours sleep – don’t seem that unusual. A vast oil rig (plus accoutrments like vast hangar work shops, two 50 man camps and fuel depots, plus two runways and a mini airport control centre etc) have sprung up almost overnight. When we first arrived 3 weeks ago there was only a hole in the ground and that was half drilled – our camp didn’t even have a kitchen – now this place looks like another S.P.E.C.T.R.E base ready to wreak havoc up an unsuspecting world. Very impressive – especially when you consider that every single nut and bolt, 20 tonne steel tower and drill, and each toilet roll and bottle of water, has been ferried 100 miles across the arctic wilderness for 12 + hours on the back of a rolligon. There isn’t even a road out here.
The site is a hive of activity at all hours of the day and night – it never shuts down – not even for a second (except for the superbowl!!!!)
If it was left up to a bunch of British builders, they’d still be setting up the first camp kitchen so that they could take a tea break. And as for leaving it up to a bunch of Spaniards - they wouldn't even have got round to saying 'manana' yet. But I tell you I ‘d still far rather be a lazy European – I don’t care how much they get paid. (If you live stateside I can see that its worth it - The roughnecks get paid shit loads comparatively, although it’s a fucking harsh job, they get long holidays - maybe 5 times as long as the average US citizen who only gets 2 weeks a year.)
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