Speaking with Senior Workover Foreman, Spencer Land, from the Haynesville region will make you proud to be a Chesapeake employee. He’s a gracious and grateful family man who works hard for his team — and dreams of one day owning a small cattle operation in Mississippi.
How did you get into oil and gas?
My wife and I were visiting family in Texas and her cousin’s husband worked as a pumper for Chesapeake. There were different safety protocols back then, and he invited me to ride along with him one workday. We visited a location with a drilling rig in operation and I was introduced to the oilfield life including enjoying a Texas-sized ribeye, which is what really tipped my interest. That day I spoke to the site manager and expressed my interest in working for Chesapeake.
The manager stuck to his word and reached out to me when he had an open position. My family moved from Mississippi to Texas, and I started my oil and gas career as a pumper. I learned on the job and was lucky to be guided by my coworkers and a few mentors.
Now you’re in workover operations. What does ‘workover’ mean and what are your responsibilities?
At any point during a well’s production, issues may occur that affect the well’s productivity. It’s my team’s job to ‘work over’ the well or remediate any downhole problems. Our first step is to diagnose the issue, then develop a plan of attack with the engineers and production foreman. The team will gather data and determine the course of action, weighing a solution against the projected cost to make a prudent financial decision. If the numbers make sense, my team steps in to address the issue through employing a wide range of solutions. Sometimes the numbers don’t add up and we make the decision to plug the well.
Does each well require a different approach?
Every well is unique. Each well comes with its own set of challenges, though they may have some similarities. The most common downhole issues include plugging and the accumulation of solids that hinder well flow. Issues can occur at any time during the well’s life. We have worked on wells in their first year up to the oldest wells I’ve worked on, which were 50 – 60 years old in Blake Lake.
You’ve been at Chesapeake for 22 years. What makes you so loyal to the company?
The company’s been extremely loyal to me. Chesapeake gave me a shot, and it’s the best job I’ve ever had. I moved my family from Mississippi to Texas to improve our lives. I’ve been fortunate to put four kids through college and live very comfortably thanks to this job.
Also, my colleagues have become my best friends. We hunt and fish together and know each other’s families. We’re a team, always pushing each other. People down here are ready to work and watch out for each other. There is a brotherhood here and we all genuinely care for one another.
What motivates you today?
My family. My wife was ready to move within 10 minutes of getting the offer from Chesapeake. She said, ‘let’s go,’ and she’s been beside me up ever since. And of course, my kids. You wouldn’t believe how many family pictures we have with a Chesapeake truck in the background — Chesapeake has really been at the heart of so much of what we’ve experienced together, and we are all very grateful.
