When picking the right company to collaborate with, we need to come prepared, and we need to know what information will be crucial in making the final decisions. In the oilfield construction business, the investments are extremely high and so are the risks, so you need to completely vet the people before you choose to collaborate with them. In this article, we are going to list some of the questions you need to ask when hiring an oilfield construction company.
How much experience do they have?
The first question that you should always ask is when the company was established. You should ask about their previous projects, what they have worked on that is similar to your job, and if the task for finished successfully. You should also ask about their certificates as well as permits, and you should ask about their licenses. When hiring an oilfield construction company, you need to know who you are working with, and if they do everything legally without skipping corners.
What are the most common issues they face?
This may seem like it is not an important thing to ask, but know that you want to know what they have stumbled upon before. There are a lot of things that can go wrong with these projects, and mishaps are pretty normal. So, you need to be open and ask them what are the things that can possibly go wrong. After they tell you what are the biggest obstacles that they as a company have faced, you should talk about the solutions that they have come up with. Talk to them about their previous jobs and what the most challenging parts were. This will give you an idea of how creative they are and how willing they are to try different things to make sure that the project is finished successfully.
Do they have any specific ideas about your project?
When you have the initial meeting with the representative, you should tell them about your vision and what you want to create. You should be honest about your ideas and you need to talk to them about what you expect. Once they have had enough time to see your project and understand your vision, you should ask them if they see any issues that may arise, or if they have any specific ideas on what can be done to make the job easier and to finish it faster. Remember that no one will reveal their secrets without you paying for them, so don’t expect too many details. However, people who are experienced will find a way to present some ideas without being extremely detailed.
How much training do their employees have?
Most of these projects require large crews, and there are going to be hundreds of different people working on the site. Since most companies bring their own people to get the project done, you need to know how much experience they have. You should talk about the training the people went through, and you want to have a team that has done similar projects before. You don’t want to work with a team of people who just became a part of the industry, and individuals that are not properly trained.
What do they use for safety precautions?
Every oilfield construction company should have a plan for safety on the site. Because you are the investor, you don’t want anything to happen to the crew or to the materials that you are investing in. On the same note, you want to make sure that there are not going to be any delays just because there was a mistake and things got damaged. Ask if they have insurance policies and what would happen if something went wrong and things needed to be ordered again.
What type of equipment do they use?
Collaborating with a service that invests in top-notch equipment is one of the things that you need to keep in mind. You may not have a lot of knowledge and understanding of these tools and that is why you should do your research beforehand. You should ask them what they are using, if their equipment is well maintained and what they expect to happen during the arrangement. Ask them what would happen if a device fails and if they would be able to reach the location with the devices they are using. It is recommended to ask about the exact makes and models and when they were purchased. As suggested by Morgan Construction, you should be looking for a company that has versatile equipment that can get the job done within any given deadline.
How much would the project cost?
Our lives revolve around numbers, and these arrangements can cost hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars. Keep in mind that building a well can cost anywhere between 5 and 10 million, and depending on the conditions and the overall location of the project, the cost can go up even more. You don’t want to be unpleasantly surprised, so ask for a quote from different companies and make sure that you understand what is included in those costs and what may increase it during the construction.
When will the project be finished?
You need to be aware of the plans when it comes to these types of projects, since some of them may take a long time to get finished. It is said that the more time needed for something to get done, the bigger the delays may get. This means that if the project needs to be completed within one year, then if something goes wrong, it may be delayed for months. You definitely don’t want to deal with a company that does not care about getting things done before the deadline, and you need to be open and honest about your expectations. Talk to them about their plans and what they can finish in the given timeline.
There are many other things that you need to talk about when hiring an oilfield construction company, and you need to be on top of the job at all times. Be clear and ask for constant updates. Don’t forget to consider all of your options, and keep in mind that if you want to get something properly done, you need to be ready to pay more. Look for experienced professionals who have established their reputation in the business.
