Estevan 鈥� The start of the year has been good, but as for later this year, that鈥檚 another story.
That鈥檚 according to Mel Trobert, owner of Estevan-based Prairie Rat Hole, whom Pipeline News visited during the first week of January, when the price of WTI was in the US$50 per barrel range.
鈥淚t鈥檚 good so far. There鈥檚 still a lot of rigs going. But for how long, nobody knows. We had to cut our price,鈥� he said.
Diesel prices, unlike gasoline prices, have not gone down, he noted. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 cut our guys wages yet. In 2009, we had to job share for the guys.
Prairie Rat Hole has 12 people on staff plus management and office workers. In addition to doing prep work for drilling rigs, drilling the main hole, rat hole and mouse hole, they also do pilines, skidsteer and excavator work. The excavator was added last year.
鈥淲e鈥檙e busy. Two rigs are out today until the weekend,鈥� he said.
Asked about his expectations after spring breakup, Trobert said, 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 look good. It鈥檚 not good. Everybody鈥檚 got to cut their price. It鈥檚 too bad for the guys that were low to begin with, and they have to cut.鈥�
Trobert recalled a recent conversation with a consultant who hires others. That consultant鈥檚 recommendations was for workers to take a pay cut or sit at home.
鈥淚f oil doesn鈥檛 come back, we鈥檇 have to close our doors. It could cometo that,鈥� Trobert concluded.
