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CNN Live At Daybreak

Life on an Oil Rig

Aired July 24, 2001 - 08:47   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, they call them roughnecks and they do have a rough job. They're milking oil from the bottom of the ocean and then actually feeding it back to shore.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: That's right. Well, seven days living on an oil rig is a pretty long time, but CNN's Sean Callebs is doing just that. He is reporting in right now from that rig -- Sean.

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, guys -- live on the oil rig really begins right here. This is the boat that brings people in, as they get ready to go as they go up. Now, they have to stand on this. This is called a four-person carrier and my cable crane operator, Ernie, is going to take me up. And if you're not used to heights, this is a little bit spooky. But we've been doing this off and on for the past four days. The crane will go up. It can take four people, about 1,500 pounds. Also, the people coming in from the boat will put their luggage down in the bottom as well.

It's pretty interesting out here on the rig because if you look around everybody has a different color helmet on. The green helmet stands for greenhorn, basically. It means they are just learning what you're doing. There you're looking at the crane operator. He's got an orange helmet on as well. Now, we're going to swing out and we'll get about four stories high. So, it's a pretty interesting ride. If I can get Bill, our cameraman, to pan out there just a bit, you see on the horizon, there are a number of shrimp boats out there right now and also, mixed in, as well, there are a number of offshore oil rigs.

Many of the people that work out here come from Southwest Louisiana. They say they're very proud of their area and they would do nothing to foul it. So, they take it pretty seriously, like it's their own property. One thing we can say about all the operators out here, they must work together as a team if their work is going to be done cleanly, safely and efficiently.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CALLEBS (voice-over): They are the crews that wrestle oil and gas from below the ocean floor, like Derry Gibson, a tee totaling roughneck, with eight years experience. Like everyone on Parker Drilling's 54B platform, he has seven straight days off, then works seven days on the rig.

DERRY GIBSON, ROUGHNECK: I like the job. Everybody works together as a family, you know. Like when you leave your home, you're leaving your family to come into another family. CALLEBS: About 36 men working 12 hours a day, the job surrounds miles of pipe boring into the ocean floor. Here, the Cajun accents are as thick as southwest Louisiana gumbo.

(on-camera): How long did it take to get used to their accents?

UNIDENTIFIED ROUGHNECK: Your accent or mine?

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED ROUGHNECK: See, I don't have an accent, you do.

(LAUGHTER)

CALLEBS (voice-over): There are light moments despite the fact it can be a deadly serious job. Caution and safety warnings are everywhere. Leroy Broussard (ph) has had to evacuate a rig once and doesn't want to do it again. Like many oil workers, there are plenty of chances to get your passport stamped.

UNIDENTIFIED ROUGHNECK: I like south Louisiana. I was born and raised here. I had opportunities to work all over in the world, but my choice was to stay here.

CALLEBS: The rig operates around the clock. The workers get three squares a day. Six people crammed into a room and the chief way to battle boredom, TV and thinking about that next boat to take you home.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CALLEBS: Already, this crew has been on about three hours today. They're going to be on 12 hours throughout the day before it's all over. The work schedule can be grueling. Some people come out here and make a career out of it. Many others come out once and say I've had enough. But without question, the roughnecks say they've answered a lot of questions and the one thing they are convinced, given the proper time, they can do the job cleanly and safely.

Live off the coast of Louisiana, I'm Sean Callebs. Now back to you guys in Atlanta.

MCEDWARDS: OK.

LIN: Thanks so much, Sean.

MCEDWARDS: Take care.

LIN: It looks like fun.

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