Colocation

When a client shortens a project timeline without reducing scope, forcing subcontractors to mobilise faster and overlap tasks. This often drives up labour costs through overtime and split shifts. Subcontractors should ensure contracts address compressed schedules with change order provisions.

A visual planning tool showing seasonal cycles of activity across oil & gas and construction sectors. Subcontractors use it to anticipate busy periods, align crew availability, and time equipment investments. It helps field service companies reduce downtime between contracts.

Organised work stoppages or slowdowns by unionised labour, such as strikes or lockouts, that can halt site operations. Subcontractors may face project delays, contract disputes, or force majeure claims as a result. Review your MSA carefully for provisions covering liability during third-party industrial action.

The process a subcontractor completes before starting work for a new client or general contractor. It typically includes submitting insurance, certifications, and banking details for payment setup. Delays in onboarding can push back mobilisation and hold up first invoices.

A temporary worker brought in to cover a single shift vacancy without joining the regular crew rotation. Common in oil sands and remote site operations when a crewmember is absent unexpectedly. Subcontractors often use slip fills to maintain headcount without committing to long-term hires.

A scheduled cycle that determines when field crews work and rest, commonly structured as 14 days on and 14 days off in remote oil and gas sites. Subcontractors must account for rotation schedules when planning crew mobilisation and labour costs. Misaligned rotations between a subcontractor and prime contractor can cause costly coverage gaps.

When Your Crew's Behaviour Becomes a Business Problem: Managing Field Conduct on Active Subcontracts

What subcontractors are liable for when field personnel create conflict on a GC-managed site, and how to protect your contracts before it becomes a termination issue.

How to Get Your First Oilfield Job: A Practical Guide for Tradespeople and CDL Holders

No oilfield experience? No problem. Learn which certifications, service lines, and job boards actually get tradespeople and CDL holders hired.

From the Field to the Office: What Oilfield Workers Should Know Before Making the Switch

Thinking about moving from field work to an office role? This guide covers how your field experience translates into technical and operations positions, what the transition actually looks like, and the trade-offs most people do not talk about until it is too late.