Dickenson N Dakota had a week of -40s. Had to break the return lines from the steam heaters off where they came out of the substructure because the condensate in them was freezing up. Cut 55 gallon drums in half length wise and had them sitting open side down with steam hoses running to them to keep things thawed. Others were cut the other way and we would put 10 gallons or so of diesel in them and some cotton seed hulls to act as a wick and light them off under the substructure and in the pump houses. My sisters in Miles city took my parents new Buick to mid night mass on Christmas and the rear axle housing snapped.
My derrick hand apparel when it was cold, panty hose, long johns (before polypropylene) wool pants. On top was a t shirt the a long sleeve top, and a wool shirt, feet got 2 pair of wool socks, then I put on a set of navy foul weather bibs and a long wool lined demin coat. Hands got cloth gloves then wool liners inside leather mittens, Wool stocking cap. Then a set of bunny boots or as some called them Mickey Mouse boots as they were huge and white. Sometimes Instead of the bibs and coat it was a set of insulated coveralls. Took me a good 20 minutes or so just to dress. I never could stand anything on my face. The expanded metal on the end of the monkey board got a bunch of cotton sash cord wove through it and we kept a bucket of soda ash tied up there and would scatter it on the sash cord. I also keep an old towel up there and would put it on the town to stand on. That was to keep from slipping as it got ice and snow on it. You walk out to the end of the monkey board leading out a stand of 3 joints of 30' drill pipe. Then as the elevators went by you would lean out into space with 85 ft of air between you and the steel floor and shove the pipe in them and slam them closed, grab the pipe to help steady it as they stabbed it and spun it up. down on the floor. About one stand per minute or faster. I once ran a big Cadillac rig with 3 12 cylinder Cats and a national 110 draw works at 35 seconds a stand when I became a driller. Had a deal called a dynomatic. A 1000Volt DC motor that you could couple to the draw works and uses for a dynamic brake. Hook on to 350,000# or so and let it fall down on you and the floor hands for about 75 ft then pull over a little lever and it would slow it right down. I often wondered what would happen it the light plant died right then. Be one big THUD. I loved running drilling rigs. The bigger the better. In those days they didn't care what you drank, smoked or snorted if you could run one of those bad boys . The faster the better, just show up and bem sober enough to fill out the books. When you came off bottom with the bit, time was money and lots of it until you had a new bit on and wereback on bottom making hole. Spend every dime on fast cars, faster women and partying. Work 2 weeks of 12s then party for a week solid. I was in my 20s and early 30s, 6'4" and weight in at about 250#. WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE oh the fun we had.
I have had a great and interesting life.
