.Dale Baxandall started his career in the oil industry in 1964 with Peter Bawden Drilling, moving up the ranks over the years and in 1979 he transferred into the Bawden office as field superintendent,. I was in billings at that time so we just talked work when I had a question about a non-contract charge on one of his rigs. or if I was chasing down tour reports. That changed when I went into H.R. as this position spends a lot of time talking with superintendents and rig managers regarding all things personnel related.
Dale and I worked together for 19 years until 1996 when Nabors bought the Canadian land operations but it wasn't until I started in HR that I discovered that he had this uncanny ability to get my feathers ruffled without any great effort.. The drilling industry was booming and it seemed. that all Drilling companies were looking for people 7 days a week and we would often gets calls in the evening regarding a short crew problem. On this particular evening one of the rigs called to tell me they would need a roughneck on tour for daylights the next morning (8am), I'm making supper and going through my crew book to see if I can find anyone on days off that would be able to go in for a day or two until a suitable replacement had been found, There wasn't anyone available or interested so I then started looking through the applications that I had also packed home. These applicants had been interviewed and I had written notations on the side, many of them had no rig experience but most were either from farms or construction so they were experienced with big equipment, had a mind for safety and not afraid to work., but as we all know the closest to perfection a person ever comes is when they fill out an application form The upside of a boom is the the work and payday, the downside is crew shortage and the lack of experienced applicants. This night it was again, well past midnight by the time I had a replacement hired and directed to the rig.
I was in the office before 7:00 AM the next morning and getting settled in to start another crazy day, when Dale came into my office and said that this rig needed a roughneck, I told him yes, I knew and a new hire was on his way out for 8AM this morning. Dale said "well I hope you didn't hire a green hand", I just looked at him and said "well Dale I sat on the edge of my bed at 2AM this morning and thought what would upset Baxandall the most? Oh I know, why don't I hire a green hand. Yes Dale it was a green hand ,There are no extra experienced hands out there at the moment." and Dale repeated the green hand statement , I was tired and short tempered, so I stood up, grabbed my coat and told him he could have this job, I locked up my desk and cabinets and threw the keys at him and then he said something more I don't even remember what, but it triggered my temper to its peak and I just grabbed the crew book and also threw it at him. Dale looked so stunned and then he laughed out loud and said "Geez Kozack I don't mind you medium rare but I'm not fussy about you well done"!! And with that, he left my office without another wor, told everyone I threw the book at him and we worked /argued together a few more years until the company sold.
Dale and I still occasionally chat and since we're both retired there isn't much to argue about and I'm not touching politics!!
The only thing that ever sat its way to the top was a hen..................Sarah Brown
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