pml exploration services llc mudslinger · eric kiefer (mud logger) james dennis (mud logger)...

School is in Session

Volume 1, Issue 4,

PML Exploration Services LLC

MudSlinger

We are pleased to announce the success of our first formalized training class of June

2011. The response received from those who took the course was very positive. In

our continuing goal

to improve the

quality of service we

provide the formal

training class will

continue to be

developed and

catered to the needs

of the specific

regions and the skill

sets of the loggers

attending.

Labor Day September 5th

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.

In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date.

WHAT’S THE ISSUE?

The next training class will

incorporate all that we have

learned from the first class in

addition to some more

developed and refined material

based on the nature of student

questions. I encourage all of

you who feel you need more

training, or would simply need

a refresher course to contact

your regional managers and

request to be sent to the next

open class.

Upon successful completion of the training course

you will receive a certificate and class photo.

Houston...We Have an Office!...............pg 2

Let’s Celebrate!...............................................pg 4

Guardian WorkLifeMatters.......................pg 6

Training Ahead................................................pg 7

Rigside Café......................................................pg 9

Life on the EDGE..........................................pg 10

MudSlinger - PML Exploration Services LLC 2

After months of planning and hard-work, the “Houston Office” has officially opened its doors! Located in The Woodlands, TX, a suburb of Houston, the new office is a convenient location as many of the industry’s leading companies call Houston home or have offices in the area. Since calling on clients is a vital part of our company’s growth, being located in areas of easy access and availability is key. Having an office located in the industry’s global hub will not only give PML more viability as a national player, it will position PML for overseas expansion.

Although there are a few finishing touches left to add, the office is now home to several of PML’s corporate family; John Parsons, President and CEO, Gary Foret, Sales Manager, and Andrew Siegel, Field Training Manager.

“The new office space is very nice and a pleasure to work in. We are located on the 5th floor and have a very nice view of the surrounding areas and are close to many restaurants and shopping areas”

- Gary Foret, Sales Manager

Conveniently located for employees and customers, the new office will be used for PML safety and training programs as well as providing a location for our customers to come in to view the EDGE System and discuss the services that we offer.

Houston… We have an office!

New Hires Please help me welcome the newest members of our team. Be sure to welcome them as you will see them around the rig or office if you have not already.

Mid-Continent

Stephen Idzi (Field Tech)

Southern

Crockett Roddam (Mud Logger)

Stephen Estep (Mud Logger)

Northeastern

Eric Kiefer (Mud Logger)

James Dennis (Mud Logger)

Missti Brown (Mud Logger)

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: What do I do if I forgot to clock in or out for one of my shifts?

Answer: If you failed to clock in or out for a shift, you must e-mail your immediate supervisor with the date that requires editing, the correct time and a detailed explanation as to why. Your supervisor will go into ADP before payroll is submitted and correct the time. Time edits are highly discouraged, so please remember to clock in and out for every shift to receive the wages for the time worked.

Question: I’ve locked myself out of ADP, what do I do?

Answer: If you’ve attempted to log-in three consecutive times unsuccessfully, ADP will lock your account. Your supervisor does not have access to fix this. You must e-mail the HR manager at [email protected] and your account will be reactivated.

Question: When am I eligible for benefits?

Answer: All new hires are eligible for benefits after a 30 day waiting period. Once you’ve completed the 30 days, benefits consisting of medical, dental and/or vision will be effective on the 1st day of the following month. For example, if your hire date is June 6th, the waiting period will end on July 6th, and benefits will be effective starting August 1st.

As always...PML is looking for experienced Mud Loggers and Geosteering professionals for all

areas. Resumes may be submitted online at www.pmles.com or may be e-mailed to the Human Resources manager, Angela

Harris, at [email protected]

Quote of the Month

“Never underestimate

the power of a great

employee”

Human Resources


Let’s Celebrate!!!

4

July Birthdays Jason Mayer

Donald Hoenke

Amber Amber

Dennis Koenig

Angela Harris

Rodger Williams

Thomas Edwards

August Birthdays Lori Smith

Gregory Brooks

Christopher Burkhart

Eric Saldana

Cynthia Williams

Walter Mastin

Joshua Burnside

Michael Lowe

Nicholas Humphreys

Dawn English

September Birthdays Henry Hunter

Alberto Villota

Kelly Tome

Andrew Siegel

Greg Van Gorder

Courtland Foster

Benjamin Mackrell

Jacob Lowe

Cecil Allen

James Dennis

1-2 Years

Park Anderson (July)

Chris Phillips (July)

Jesse Trevino (July)

Chris White—2 Years (Aug)

Scott Mastin—1 Year (Aug)

Lori Smith—2 Years (Sept)

Clarke Hoenke—2 Years (Sept)

3-4 Years

Terry Mitchell—3 Years (July)

Charles Cimino—4 Years (Aug)

Bob Smith—4 Years (Aug)

5+ Years

Cecil Allen—11 Years (July)

Kenneth Dennis—5 years (July)

Bill Faulkner—10 Years (Aug)

HAPPY

BIRTHDAY!!! We would like to wish a very HAPPY

BIRTHDAY, belated as it may be, to all

of you who were privileged to have

been born in July, August, and

September.

HAPPY

ANNIVERSARY!!! Thank you to all of you who have put

in the dedication and hard work it

has taken to make PML such a great

success. We appreciate your hard

work and look forward to your

continued success with PML!


Job Openings

The following is a list of current job openings available with PML. If you, or someone you know, is interested in applying please go to the PML website at www.pmles.com and fill out an on-line application or email your

resume to the Human Resources Department at [email protected].

For a detailed job description of the position, please email the Human Resources Department at [email protected]

Operations Supervisor (2 openings) Locations: Elk City, OK & Bradford Co., PA

Reports to: Regional Manager

Job Duties & Skills:

Manage day to day operations for all logging units in the region to ensure that all safety and operational standards and requirements are met.

Recruit, select, train and manage a regional staff which includes Field Technicians and Mud Loggers.

Perform quality control of all the logs for the region.

Purchasing, inventory and cost control.

Perform continuous scheduled and unscheduled visits and inspections to logging units. Most of your time will be spent in the field with your employees.

Responsible for Elk City regional office/shop upkeep.

Must be a hard-working dependable self-starter with good communication, computer and problem-solving skills.

Regional Supervisor/Technician (General Supervisor) (1 opening) Locations: Wilson, MT

Reports to: Regional Manager


Responsible for all duties involved in the day to day operational requirements to keep the region running in a safe, efficient and coordinated manner.

The Regional Supervisor/Technician is required to rig-up instrumentation at drill site to comply with all State, Federal, and Local laws and policies as set by PML and the client.

Responsible for maintenance and up-keep of logging units, equipment, and software to include general maintenance, restocking supplies, repairs, and cleanliness.

Required to deliver logging units to and from job locations and comply with all traffic laws, PML's company vehicle driving policy and DOT regulations.

Responsible for all staffing, payroll and administrative duties for the region. The Regional Supervisor/Technician must reside in the MT/ND area. Commuting is not an option.

Perform quality control of all logs for the region.

Purchasing, inventory and cost control.

Ability to assist with sales and marketing for the region.

Perform continuous scheduled and unscheduled visits and inspections to logging units. Most of your time will be spent in the field with your employees.

Must be a hard-working dependable self-starter with good communication, computer and problem-solving skills.


Field Technician (2 openings)

Locations: Elk City, OK & Bradford Co., PA

Reports to: Operations Supervisor


Rig-up instrumentation at drill site to comply with all policies as set by PML and the client, as well as all regulatory requirements.

Responsible for maintenance and up-keep of logging units, equipment, and software to include general maintenance, restocking supplies, repairs, and cleanliness.

Responsible for delivering logging units to and from job locations and comply with all traffic laws, PML's company vehicle driving policy and DOT regulations.

Field Technician must reside or be willing to relocate to the Towanda/Wysox PA area. Commuting is not optional.

Inventory all supplies for logging units before transported to the job site.

Ability to diagnose and troubleshoot all logging unit equipment and instrumentation.

http://www.pmles.com

mailto:[email protected]


You can benefit from understanding and practicing leadership skills, even if you don’t have a manager’s job title. Do you have a willingness to

share information, teach others what you know, and show others in your work unit how to perform a complicated task properly?

Do you take initiative when something needs doing, urge others to pitch in, and demonstrate positivity in an effort to motivate your peers? Are you trusted because of your consistent follow-through and ability to think ahead and meet the needs of internal

and external customers? Do you strive to learn more about your job and how to do it better? Do you view your coworkers as having valuable opinions and ideas? Do you withhold criticism in front of others, avoid the phrase “that’s not my job,” and avoid whining and

complaining to peers? Do you share the glory and see your team as a powerful force greater than the sum of its individual members? If no one raises their hand to run with the ball when things get tough, do you? If you’re practicing these skills and behaviors, you’re a leader, no matter what your title.

Every Employee Can Be A Leader


WorkLifeMatters

Your Confidential Employee Assistance Program Providing Assistance for What Matters Most Let’s face it, balancing your work and home life is not easy. With WorkLifeMatters, your confidential employee assistance

program, you don’t have to face life challenges alone. WorkLifeMatters provides guidance for personal issues that you might be

facing and information about other concerns that affect your life.

WorkLifeMatters can offer help with:

Education

Admissions testing & procedures

Adult re-entry programs

College Planning

Financial aid resources

Lifestyle & Fitness Management

Anxiety & Depression

Divorce & separation

Drugs & alcohol

Dependent Care & Care Giving

Adoption Assistance

Before/after school programs

Day Care/Elder Care

Elder Care

In-home services

Working Smarter

Career Development

Effective Managing

Relocation

Legal and Financial

Basic tax planning

Credit & collections

Debt Counseling

Home buying

Immigration

...Support is a phone call or click away

Unlimited free telephonic consultation with an EAP counselor available 24/7 at 800-386-7055

Referrals to local counselors - up to three sessions free of charge

State of the art website featuring over 3,400 helpful articles and topics like wellness, training courses, and a legal and

financial center: www.ibhworklife.com

User Name: Matters

Password: wlm70101

DAQ Attack It came to my attention that one of the DAQs was filled with condensate last month. The way the DAQ is designed, it is impossible for this to occur unless the DAQ has been improperly modified. I have also noticed “quick fixes” and modifications to DAQs on some of the wells I have been out on. Please do not attempt to modify or repair a DAQ.

If you believe that the DAQ is malfunctioning notify a technician in your region immediately. To prevent further issues with these units we will be swapping out malfunctioning DAQs with pre-tested DAQs and performing all repairs at the shop. Many problems may be avoided this way. I know that many loggers here have worked for other logging outfits that utilized similar looking “no-hassle” data acquisition units; however it is important to remember that the DAQs we are using are leading edge, extremely sensitive, and still undergoing minor development. As such, it is important to use all due caution and extreme care when performing maintenance or troubleshooting these units. During my field training trips I will be going over general DAQ maintenance.

Leading Edge Help me help you. PRESS F1!

Some time ago, I wrote a rather lengthy and detailed help file for the Edge system

software. To my great dismay I have found that less than a third of the loggers even

know it exists. Many of the questions I receive in the field regarding Edge are

covered in graphical detail on this help file. Access is as easy as pressing “F1”, the key

located just above the 1 on most keyboards. Remember that the edge system must be

active (that is to say “selected”) before pressing the F1 key. For those who are

unaware, F1 is a standard Microsoft quick-key for “Help”. If the button is pressed

while a different program on the desktop is active it will bring up the help file for

that program, i.e. Excel, Word, etc… It should be noted that the help file will

automatically bring up the help screen you are on when it is pressed. For example, if

I am on the Pump Setup screen and press F1, specific help for the Pump Setup Screen

will appear. The file however is a simple word document. By scrolling to the top of

the document you can find a quick index covering specific help for all the screens in

addition to general help topics such as setting up lag, starting a new well etc… If you

cannot find the help you are looking for in the help file please contact me:

Andrew Siegel

[email protected] 405-264-3495

This will help us ensure that we have the most current, complete, and useful

information possible.

I want to wish all of those of you whom I’ve met the best of luck and hope you feel free to contact me. I also look forward to meeting those of you who I have not yet met. Let’s build a strong professional team together.


Building Success

Information provided by Andrew Siegel


Training Ahead Andrew Siegel

I have recently spent three weeks in PA and 5 days in Western Oklahoma and the TX panhandle for field

training. The specific structure of the field training is rapidly evolving and I am anticipating that it will become an

ongoing process in order to compliment, but not replace, the formal class.

Our current goal is to have every region’s training progress above the 90 percentile range. The current

range as of 7/27/2011:

I would like to remind all loggers that we are enforcing a new communication policy

which does require a minimum communication level. This includes:

Every logger must speak with the Company Rep on each well once a tour. I strongly

encourage all loggers to become acquainted with the Company Rep on a first name

basis and develop more “open lines” of communication while maintaining a professional

attitude.

Every Logger must communicate with the Geologist AT LEAST once a day. Of course

the geologist should be notified whenever significant well events happen. As with the

Company Rep, establishing a good rapport with the Geologists we work for is vital to

our continued success and vision to become an industry leader in the Mud Logging

business.

Mud Logging is a challenging and technically demanding

career. I realize that it is easy to lose sight of the customer

service aspect of our business. We must remember that we

are all Salespersons for the company. Often the logger is the

only face of PML that some of our clients see, which makes

you the logger our top customer service representative.

Mid Continent Southern North East Rockies

Basic Logging 75% 95% 90% 80%

Edge/ DAQ 60% 60% 95% 80%

877-502-9466

If you are injured or on the

job and need medical

attention, please notify your

supervisor and contact Axiom

Medical to be connected with

a registered nurse that will

make sure you get the best

medical care available.

Axiom Medical

Hotline



Rigside Cafe

Recipes provided by Denis Johnstonbaugh

Italian Style Chicken Breasts

2 eggs, slightly beaten 1/2 c. seasoned bread crumbs 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese 1 can tomato sauce 1 tsp. Italian seasoning 1/4 tsp. garlic powder Dip chicken breasts in eggs, then crumb mixture. To make the crumb mixture, combine the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Microwave in 1 1/2 quart casserole, loosely covered with wax paper, for 5 minutes. Turn over and cover with sauce. To make the sauce, combine the tomato sauce, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Put over top of chicken; cover loosely and cook 4 minutes. Place slices of Mozzarella cheese on each chicken breast and cook 2 minutes. Let stand 3 to 4 minutes, covered.

ENTREE

ENTREE

Peanut Clusters 6 sq. of almond bark (white) 6 oz. or 12 oz. chocolate morsels 1 can salted peanuts Melt almond bark and chocolate in microwave. Add peanuts and drop on waxed paper.

SNAC

KSNAC

K

Pineapple Dessert 16 oz. can crushed pineapple 1-1/2 c. miniature marshmallows 1/2 box of Yellow cake mix dry or 1box Jiffy Yellow cake mix 1/4 c. melted butter 1/2 c. coconut 1/2 c. pecans Layer as written, cook in microwave 12 minutes full power. Can be served warm or cold. Serve plain or with ice cream or Cool Whip.

DESSERT

DESSERT


1. Right click anywhere in the Well Bore cross

section.

2. Select the Lithology pen that you will need.

3. Hold down the Left mouse button and drag the

lithology symbol over the area it belongs.

Life on the EDGE

Something’s Missing! Make sure you are entering in the Lithology for the Horizontal section as WELL as the vertical.

If you do not know how to do this contact your regional geological supervisor or the training manager.

REMEMBER The line represents

the TVD of the Well

Bore. Therefore there

should be no lithology

symbols below this

line.

4. To correct this, select “BLANK” from the pop-up menu. Place the cursor on

the lowest depth to erase, then while holding the mouse button down, trace it

along the survey line from left to right.


Communication is the key to safety on location. Know what is going on. The only way to do that is go to the safety meetings every tower. Good communication is the key to success for you, and for us. If the company man and the geologist have a good relationship with you, and appreciate you being part of the team, then chances are you will be the mud logger on the next well. It is simple as that. Your expertise, a good product, and safety are all essential to our success.

BE A PART OF THE TEAM ON LOCATION!

The Second Part Of Good

Communication is

Documentation.

Document Your Safety

Meetings.

Fill out the Safety

Meeting Section of the

Morning Report.

The Safety Minute

Information provided by Robert Brian


Pictures from the Field

Thank you to everyone who submitted pictures. Keep up the good work!

Thanks to Mike

Mattingly for

sharing these

pictures taken of

the Pennsylvania

lodging house and

surrounding areas.

Employee Submitted

Pictures from the Field.

pml exploration services llc mudslinger · eric kiefer (mud logger) james dennis (mud logger)...

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