The process of moving equipment and personnel to a job site (mobilization) and returning them afterward (demobilization). Often billed as separate line items.
Mobilization/Demobilization
Guides on this topic
How Rig Count Trends Affect Subcontractor Demand and What to Do About It
Rig counts are the earliest signal of where field service work is heading. Learn how to read drilling activity trends, anticipate demand shifts, and position your crew before the phone stops ringing.
How to Promote Field Leaders Without Losing Your Best Hands: Foreman and Supervisor Development for Growing Subcontractors
Promoting your best hand to foreman is one of the most important decisions a subcontractor makes. Get it wrong and you lose two people: a skilled producer and a failed supervisor. This guide covers how to identify the right candidates, make the transition, and build a leadership pipeline that does not gut your field capacity.
Related Terms
Ship Dock (ngl Terminal)
IndustryA marine loading facility at an NGL terminal where tankers berth to receive liquids for export. Subcontractors are often engaged for dock maintenance, marine hose handling, and loading arm inspections. Work here involves strict marine and hazardous-material protocols.
Negative Gas Prices
IndustryOccurs when oversupply forces producers to pay buyers to take gas, signalling severe market stress. For subcontractors, this often triggers rapid project suspensions, deferred work orders, and delayed payments. Expect scope reductions and early contract terminations when prices turn negative.
Task Order
IndustryA formal document issued under a master contract that authorises a specific scope of work, timeline, and budget. Subcontractors use task orders to mobilise crews and bill for individual job phases. Each task order typically carries its own number for invoicing and cost-tracking purposes.
Back-To-Back Well Program
IndustryA drilling schedule where wells are spaced consecutively with minimal downtime between completions. For subcontractors, it means sustained mobilisation of crews and equipment across multiple well sites. Expect extended contract durations but also compressed turnaround times between locations.
Turnaround
IndustryA planned shutdown of a facility for maintenance, inspection, and repair. Turnarounds often require large numbers of contractors and subcontractors working intensive schedules.
Drill-And-Blast
IndustryA ground excavation method where holes are drilled into rock, then loaded with explosives and detonated. Subcontractors on these scopes typically require certified blasters and strict compliance with provincial explosives regulations. Expect tight sequencing with other trades and potential site shutdowns during blast windows.
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20 hours agoRelated Guides
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Losing bids you thought were competitive? The problem usually isn't your number. Learn why subcontractors lose work, how to present bids that justify your rate, and when to stop chasing price-driven operators.
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Losing crew to competitors over small pay differences? Struggling to hire in a tight labor market? Here are the recruiting, onboarding, and non-wage retention strategies that actually keep oilfield and construction field workers from walking.
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