’TIS THE SEASON…
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THE NEWSLETTER OF SAVANNA ENERGY SERVICES CORP.
Houston, we have a triple! • AUSTRALIANA • AMERICANA • MEET LOUIS • MEET RIG 431 • THE LAST PAGE • WHAT’S HAPPENING NOVEMBER 2014
MESSAGE FROM MANAGEMENT
WE ARE ALL LEADERS by Chris Gindl, VP Canada, Well Servicing
AS
an oilfield service company with more than 3,000 employees, a large number of us are placed into roles where we are asked to lead a group of people to achieve a common goal and deliver results in one form or another. This is the traditional role of a leader — someone who leads others. I believe for Savanna to continue its growth to become a strong global oilfield service company while maintaining our foundation of core values, we need to look beyond the traditional role
“ Whether we lead a group or not, leadership is something we all have within us and is something we all should embrace.”
IN THIS ISSUE: THE NEWSLETTER OF SAVANNA ENERGY SERVICES CORP.
FIND US ON:
Page 2: Page 4: Page 7: Page 8: Page 9: Page 10: Page 12: Page 14: Page 15: OBC:
Message from Management Houston, We Have a Triple! Meet Louis Australiana Meet Rig 431 Health & Wellness What’s Happening New Hires Last Page Canadian Benefits
Rig-n-Dig is published by Savanna Energy Services Corp. as an information vehicle for our employees and for our community. Suggestions and contributions are welcome and encouraged. Editor & Publisher: Patrick Brooks (403-718-2885, pbrooks@savannaenergy.com) Managing Editor: John Bayko (403-781-9999, jbayko@savannaenergy.com)
ON THE COVER: Savanna’s first triple rig, the Velox 375, rises high above the yard in Houston for its unveiling.
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Savanna Energy Services Corp. 800, 311–6th Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 3H2 P: 403-503-9990 F: 403-267-6749 E: info@savannaenergy.com Savanna Energy Services Corp. is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:SVY). For current stock information, visit tsx.com or savannaenergy.com.
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and consider that leadership is something we are all capable of. Whether we lead a group or not, leadership is something we all have within us and is something we all should embrace. Leadership is formally defined as: a position as a leader of a group; the time when a person holds the position of a leader; and, the power or ability to lead other people. I believe strongly in the last definition and think it is the most important — the power or ability to lead other people. This power doesn’t come from being given a role to lead a group but from a person finding the power and ability within themselves to become a leader. You are not chosen, you choose. So how does one choose to become a leader? If you were to research leadership on Google you would find nearly 17 million results. If you were looking to purchase a leadership book on Amazon, you would have your choice of 160,587 titles. Obviously, there is a lot written on leadership! Like many of us, I’ve bought or been given a number of books on leadership. Some have been step-by-step instructions on becoming a leader, others on building your organization through a leadership style or system, and finally biographies on people who became leaders and did extraordinary things. From the books I’ve read, my favourite writer who focused on the last definition of leadership from above — where you choose to become a leader — is an author by the name of Peter Drucker. For those who haven’t heard of Peter Drucker, he was born in 1909 and is considered the founding father of modern management. He wrote more than 20 books on management and another 19 on other areas of interest. He taught management and leadership for his entire life and was well respected. What I like about Peter is that WWW.SAVANNAENERGY.COM
MESSAGE FROM MANAGEMENT his ideas on leadership were based on understanding people and society and that employees are a company’s most valuable resource. His writings embodied learning the power or ability to lead other people. One of Peter’s books outlined eight key ideas to ask yourself to be effective and I believe are a great starting point on choosing to become a leader. Every day I try to ask myself whether I am doing something based on these ideas: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
What needs to be done? What is right for the company? Develop an action plan. Take responsibility for decisions. Take responsibility for communicating decisions. 6. Focus on opportunities rather than problems. 7. Run productive meetings. 8. Say “we” rather than “I.” The ideas are pretty simple and straightforward, but very powerful.
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You might be thinking how does this apply to me? What is great about the concepts above is that you can apply them to everything you do during your day. If you work on a rig in the shop, or help out on an IT implementation, or run a safety program, or run a well service business, I challenge you to take the above eight items and apply some of them to your daily tasks. I think you will find that if you ask yourself every day what needs to be done rather than “what do I want to do?” or communicate your decisions to your team or say “we” rather than I, you will find that you and those in your group accomplish more with less stress. You will limit yourself and those around you to exhausting and unproductive meetings, or listening to complaints about how this or that doesn’t work. You will contribute to building a strong team. You will have taken it upon yourself to be a leader and to make a difference in your group. It is this definition of leadership that I think will be the most powerful for all of us at Savanna. We are all leaders. n
TATS WE STILL WANT TO SEE YOUR
(but not if they’re NSFW...sorry)
Get them and their story into communications@savannaenergy.com for a chance to win a $500 e-store gift certificate.
RIG-N-DIG • NOVEMBER 2014
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, Houston We Have a Triple!
AMERICANA
In preparation for the unveiling and customer walk-through, a new Velox 375 (Rig 801) was rigged up in the yard at Advanced Rig Services in Houston, Texas.
With the unveiling of Savanna’s first triple rig in Houston this month, Savanna enters a new level of competition in the Permian Basin and kicks up our reputation a notch.
S
avanna’s first Velox 375 triple rig, No. 801, made its long-awaited public debut earlier this month in Houston. It was a celebration more than two years in the making as the rig was in production since 2013 and the Drilling sales teams on both sides of the border were kept busy trying to match it with a customer. The business case for building these rigs — to be competitive in US basins which require deep drilling technology — was a successful prediction as the November unveiling of 801 showed. The confirmed sale of 801 came from Savanna’s Houston office back in June 2014.
The US sales team; consisting of Jay Canizaro, Chuck Daniels, and Alex Armand; had been busy talking to industry reps during this time. Despite being armed with only a spec binder on the new Velox 375 rig, they still managed to generate a fair amount of buzz through cold-calling and good, oldfashioned word-of-mouth. As Alex says, “… with this type of rig in today’s US market, it’s not difficult to find a customer that wants a big, triple, 1500 horsepower, walking, craneless style rig. Everyone wants one!” With these new rig designs, Savanna is able to move away from a reputation of being a predominantly shallow, vertical rig
The crew of Rig 801, Savanna executives, and invited guests strike a commanding pose on the new Velox 375 triple rig.
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AMERICANA A stairway to heaven? Not really, but at the top is a plush, state-of-theart control center in the doghouse, as Tim Skinner (Floorhand with 801), right, shows us.
Alex Armand (right) meets with Jason Kincaid (left) and Jerry Duley (middle) of Elevation Resources at the Savanna office in Houston. Earlier in the day, they had a private tour of the new-build prior to its public unveiling.
contractor in the Permian Basin to a competitive force that is developing the type of rig catered to the direction of the market in that part of the United States. As Canizaro states: “It’s our strategy to not only build new rigs but to separate ourselves from the competition through efficiencies in operations and rig design. This new-build investment represents a significant change for the small Canadian drilling contractor that entered the US market seven years ago.”
VISIT TO THE PERMIAN BASIN After much back-and-forth with one midsized O&G producer, Elevation Resources from Midland, Texas, Alex got a call in June from their Drilling Manager, Jason Kincaid, asking whether 801 has been contracted out to anybody. The answer was no, but there were several companies showing serious interest in the rig and possibly doing something with it. Jason then invited a Savanna contingent (consisting of Ken Mullen, Evan Russell, Jay Canizaro, and Alex Armand) to their offices in the Permian Basin for a “big, ol’ meeting.” It was a chance for Savanna to explain who we are and what we can offer and it also gave Elevation a chance to share their drilling plans and explore how the new Velox 375 rig might factor into them. The meeting was a huge success. Afterwards, Jason said to Alex, “You’ve got some good guys — Evan, Ken, Jay. My CEO, Steve [Pruett] was impressed, so we want to go ahead and start working on a contract.” Jason urged Alex to take the rig off the market but without an official contract in place, Savanna was reluctant to withhold a potential WWW.SAVANNAENERGY.COM
sale to another company on speculation. But Jason was persistent: “I don’t think you understand...take the rig off the market. We want that to be our rig, so let’s start working on a contract.”
LOCKING IN THE CONTRACT The intent was there. Jay and Alex went back to the Elevation office the next morning to meet with Jason again at 10 a.m. He asked that they give him one hour because Elevation was going into a special meeting to get a final approval to start the contract process. So Alex and Jay went for coffee, made a few other calls, and at 11 a.m. — right on time! — Jason calls and says, “Y’all ready to go for lunch? I’ve got some good news...take that rig off the market. We’re ready to sign it up.” And that’s how it happened. Although Alex was silently hoopin’ and hollerin’ at the agreement between Savanna and Elevation, Jay’s experience with securing rig contracts prompted him to warn Alex, “not so fast, these things don’t happen overnight.” And he was right. From the time of the final verbal agreement at Elevation’s office, to having legal council get involved in the contract minutiae and receiving the final signed contract via email, it was three weeks almost to the day. It wasn’t overnight, but still a fairly quick process.
ON WITH THE SHOW With 801 finally locked into a contract with Elevation Resources, the next step was to showcase the rig once it was built. A two-day public relations event would be scheduled once the rig was rigged up in the RIG-N-DIG • NOVEMBER 2014
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AMERICANA yard at Advanced Rig Services in Houston. One of the two days would be a private walk-through of the rig with the customer, which would be the first time they will have seen the equipment they agreed to lease out. The next day would be a public event where Savanna staff, current customers, and potential clients would be invited for a catered lunch in addition to a hosted tour of the rig. A cake was ordered, swag bags were stuffed, and invitations went out for the public event. The unpredictable weather in Houston produced overcast skies but no rain, unlike the day before when the forecast threatened to rain out the Elevation tour so the team opted to reschedule the private walk-through a day earlier to avoid a downpour that did materialize as predicted. The Elevation visit was a success. The rig itself lived up to the customer’s expectations. The overall consensus was that the Elevation group loved the new-build even the other Savanna customers at the show felt that that style of rig is what’s needed right now.
Did Savanna guarantee future sales of these Velox rigs by showcasing them at a public event? It’s hard to tell how the buzz surrounding new technology like this will translate into actual sales, but the general consensus seems to be that it was a watershed moment for Savanna. It provided really good exposure for our company and showed that we are committed to competing in the active horizontal resource plays of the United States. The belief from the sales group in Houston is that the rig show had given current and future customers confidence that Savanna is committed to succeeding in the extended reach horizontal market. What’s left to do for 801? The rig was rolled out to Midland, Texas two days before US Thanksgiving. All Savanna and Elevation personnel who will be intimately involved in its operation will attend a pre-spud meeting to talk about well profiles, expectations on both sides, and other relevant issues. Once that is wrapped up, everyone will know their roles...then the real fun starts! n
Savanna Energy Services Corp. has established Key Accounts with Kal Tire for Savanna Drilling and Savanna Well Servicing. These accounts have been set up to provide consistency in product selection, preferred pricing and standardized billing practices for Savanna Energy throughout Kal Tire’s extensive network. Kal Tire can provide tires and related services for all types of equipment in Savanna’s operations. From light truck tires, to service rig tires and loader tires, Kal Tire has an extensive selection of tire products available for all applications and is here to assist with tire related issues 24/7, year round. Kal Tire is also a preferred vendor for PH&H and Foss and can provide both tires and mechanical services through our fleet card program for our light duty fleet. Savanna Energy Services Corp. also has VIP accounts established with Kal Tire for Savanna employees to purchase tires or mechanical services for their personal vehicles at reduced pricing. Just bring the appropriate account number (see below) into any Kal Tire location, tell them you are a Savanna employee up front, and they will get you looked after.
Savanna Well Servicing VIP – 001VK00001 6
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Savanna Drilling VIP – 001VK00002 WWW.SAVANNAENERGY.COM
EMPLOYEE PROFILE
LOUIS NUTH IT Support Specialist based in The Woodlands, TX
What brought you to Savanna and what is your role? A great opportunity to develop and enhance my skills set, and to be a voice for Savanna USA. I am the point of contact for IT in the Savanna Energy U.S. market. I have many pivotal roles including Help Desk, mobility, network and application support. It just all depends on the situations at hand. How long have you been at Savanna? One and a half years. What part of the world does your family come from? My family originates from Cambodia. During the War, my family was scattered across the globe but some still live in Cambodia, but the majority lives in California and France. Even though I am the first generation in my family to be born in the USA, I did not speak english until my later childhood, so it was a transition while growing up. Where have you worked previously? For a couple of years I had worked in the O&G sector but on the well servicing side doing IT. I was Corporate IT for Superior Energy Services and worked for several of their subsidiaries which included: Wild Well Control (WWC), Blowout Tool Inc. (BTI), Cement Solution Inc. (CSI), and Prospect Engineering. What was your very first job? When I was 16, I waited tables at my mother’s seafood restaurant and I was a part time baker at her donut shop as well. What do you like to do when you’re not working? Spend time with family and friends and helping out at the family business. What is your favorite book? I know it’s a classic but one of my favorite books is Rising Sun by Michael Crichton. I like the plot twists of the story. Who is your favourite musical artist? That is difficult to say because I listen to many type of genres, but if I have to choose one genre it would be R&B and the artist would be Usher. Who/where do you get your work ethic from? My mother. No matter how tired and sick she gets, my mother continues to work in order to achieve her goals. My wife is my inspiration and motivation and she always continues to make me better every day. Any final thoughts on your role or experiences with Savanna? The challenges and issues will always be there at any company you work for, but you can never move forward together as a whole and for the company if you don’t have a strong support system to back you up. At Savanna, I AM PROUD to say I have a great IT support team in Canada. I was able to meet the team in person in April; the chemistry and collaboration was there and when an issue arises the Team is willing to work above and beyond in order to get the job done. WWW.SAVANNAENERGY.COM
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AUSTRALIANA
Meet & Greets
new additions
What brought you to Savanna Energy? We moved up from Brisbane to Toowoomba and I wanted to stay in the oil and gas industry. Where have you worked previously in this industry? CBI Clough JV on the PNG LNG Project. What was your very first job? Waitress at a Gold Coast hotel. What do you like to do when you are not working? Gardening, reading a good book, being outdoors. What excites you about your role at Savanna Energy? I get to learn new skills and I enjoy the diversity and fast pace of my role.
Janina Cash
Office Coordinator / Receptionist (Toowoomba, queensland)
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? Antarctica to see penguins, seals, and to marvel at the amazing scenery. Geoff Gwydir (Rig 449) and wife Marissa Gwydir welcomed their son Oliver Charlie Gwydir on Tuesday, November 4th.
What brought you to Savanna Energy? New challenges, long term career prospects. Where have you worked previously in this industry? Easternwell Group, Weatherford, Schlumberger, and Wild Desert. What was your very first job? NSW Railways as a Junior Station Assistant. What do you like to do when you are not working? Enjoy time with my two daughters, repair or restore old ham radios and electronic equipment. What excites you about your role at Savanna Energy? The diversity of dayto-day tasks; the challenge of making the supply chain more efficient.
Martin Davis Purchasing Manager (Toowoomba, queensland)
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? Canada...to visit the Rocky mountains. 8
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Hamish Brandon (Rig 67) and wife Liz Brandon welcomed daughter Emily “Millie” Rose Brandon on Thursday, November 13th.
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MEET RIG 431
For
the month of November, HSE Daryl Johnston, Rig Manager at 431, southeast of Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, shares his thoughts on leading a great crew of guys with a solid safety track record.
Q: How long have you been rigging for? How many years with Savanna and, in particular, Rig 431? A: My name is Daryl Johnston, I have been rigging since 1994, starting on Classic Drilling Rig 3. I have drilled on various types of rigs from kelly singles to top drive triples. I started with Savanna on Rig 431 May of 2007 as a driller/relief push. I have chosen this style of rig to stay on due to the way these rigs were designed with the hands in mind making their jobs as simple and safe as possible. I have recently had the privilege of taking this rig over and ended up with a great bunch of guys. Q: Rig 431 has a great track record in terms of performance and being incident free for many years. What do you attribute that to? A: On 431 we take safety very seriously. The vision and values Savanna has set out come first and it shows with our relationships with company reps, and service hands. The JHA/SOP’s and policies are not just guidelines but are very specific and take all of the guess work out of how things are done. We have a great team out here and through training, mentorship, and leading by example we will continue
HELLO our rig is
431 southeast of
er, SK
Lloydminst
to have a strong team. Mike Millington has always shown, through backing us if any problems to field visits and showing his support to the crews giving them confidence in being able to stop a job — if there are any problems and giving us time to re-assess and go forward safely. Q: What challenges do you see in the future on this rig and how will they be faced? A: The challenges this rig has to overcome are the same as any rig in the patch. New green hands. By proper leadership, training and mentoring these hands will become leaders of tomorrows rigs. Q: How are new hires and new hands incorporated into rig 431, is there is a mentoring program utilized? If so how? A: New hires are always paired with their peers to mentor and train. All hands are trained in a hands-on manner until complete competency has been shown and confirmed by myself. This only works when everyone is involved in the process. Q: Can you describe one time when you had to use Savanna’s Vision & Values to make a decision at the rig? A: New hands are orientated and given a tour of the rig, showing them where everything is and giving them time to meet
the crew they will be working with and to familiarize themselves with the layout and the way this rig is organized. Once they are ready to begin working at their designated task they are shown the JHAs and SOPs and if they have any questions someone is always happy to answer and explain. Once they are comfortable with the process, they are always working with a competent worker who will show the how, what, and why of each job. We have found that if someone knows why they are doing something and the purpose it serves on the rig that they are more inclined to take some pride in their work and increases their effectiveness and makes it easier to identify and new hazards that the job may entail. The New Floorhand Task Checklist card is given to each new employee and is used as a reminder to the person training them that simple things like “where does the water go” is not known until they are shown, and not to take anything for granted or skipped during the training process. Q: How do the guys get along on the crews? Is there a lot of camaraderie? A: The crews out here are all a great bunch of guys. They for the most part all get along and there are no secret tricks to making a job easier, if an easier way is found to do something it is brought up at handover meeting, and discussed to ensure no new hazards were missed then if approved and safe the new procedure is put into place for everyone. They are all out here to work 12 hours and they all take pride in their jobs and the rig and it shows.
BACK ROW (L-R): Oleg Kirko (Leasehand) (Floorhand); Denk Nolette (Driller); Daryl Johnston (Rig Manager); Larry Gross (Motorhand); Erik Handziuk (Motorhand); Brian Skinner (Leasehand); Tim Laychuk (Derrickhand); Josh Messer (Driller); Kyle Donnely (Derrickhand) FRONT ROW (L-R): Stephan Steele (Floorhand); Willy Wipf (Floorhand); Landin Johnston (Leasehand); Troy Hilderman (Leasehand) WWW.SAVANNAENERGY.COM
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HEALTH & WELLNESS REDUCING HOLIDAY STRESS
Reducing Holiday.. . . The holidays are a wonderful time of year. But they can also be a time when we feel the most pressured. There are expectations about family togetherness, too many choices about how to spend your time, and concerns about spending too much money. Here are some tips to help you survive the holidays…and maybe even enjoy them: Edit your life. You may need to be more assertive and say “no” to events that really don’t add any meaning to the holiday season for you personally.
Get organized ahead of time. Get your gift wrapping and other chores done before the last minute. Then give yourself the gift of relaxation rather than stress!
Remember that it’s the thought that counts. Don’t let competitiveness and perfectionism send you on too many shopping trips. Homemade or thoughtful, inexpensive gifts from the heart are often cherished far more than highpriced items.
Clarify family expectations. This may mean not giving a gift to every grown family member and rotating who will give a gift each year.
Lower your financial burden. Budget your spending and stick to it. Take all the credit cards in your family and freeze them in a block of ice and put them in the freezer during the holiday season. If you can get through the holidays without major debt afterwards, you can enjoy the season without the guilt.
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Give to others. Often we become so wrapped up in all the activities of the season, we forget to take the time to give to others outside the family – to those who really do experience need. Consider inviting an elderly widow or widower in your neighbourhood into your home for cocoa and cookies, “adopt” someone for the holidays who is either away from family or has no family, serve a meal at a local soup kitchen, or visit with some elderly folks at a nursing home and bring along some small gifts. These small acts will help bring perspective to our lives and enrich us.
Take short relaxation breaks. If you find yourself trying to sustain a fast pace, be sure to take some “down time,” even if it is just taking a few minutes out to take a few deep breaths and consciously breathe away tension.
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HEALTH & WELLNESS
WANT MORE ENERGY?
NOVEMBER 2014
THE RIGHT FUEL COMBINATION IS THE ANSWER.
. . . .Stress!
We already know that when our vehicles have dirty filters, old spark plugs, and are running on empty with low grade gas, they do not perform well. The same is true for our bodies. Without adequate sleep and efficient fuel sources, day by day, week by week, and year by year they too will break down. yourself enough time to celebrate season can be entertaining and Make a list. Write down everything The problem is, that unlike a vehicle, we can’t just get another body which is eachbodies activitywith before rushing on to stress-releasing! you’d like to do this holiday season, why it is so important to fuel and maintain our premium. the next event. prioritize in order to get the most We are not going to talk about diets, as we know only 2 % of diets have a lasting amount of joy from the limited effect, but the good choices and habits we maintain on a daily basis do. amount of time you have to spend with family, friends, and coworkers. ByRemember, putting the right fuel in our bodies every 3 ½ hours satisfies hunger and maintains our energy without the highs this year’s priorities and lows thethose day. of This promotes the brain chemistry control over our appetite, and changes us from may lookthroughout different than emotional eating. past holidays.
Maintaining energy
Create a new holiday tradition. fresh look at your various throughout the day depends on keepingTake the afibre, insulin, proteins, and good carbs balanced: holiday activities. You may discover one or more traditions are in need Fibre — keeps you full Fruits— keep your energy levels up and of gives you an overhaul, or you may consider mental alertness creating a new tradition. Keep in Protein — gives you energy mind that the best traditions are Good carbs (green carbs) — keep up serotonin often those that are the simplest Take care of yourself. For most A Little Fat — turns off hunger and involve spending quality time people, the holidays go hand-intogether. hand with too much sugar, fat, An easy way to remember is: caffeine, and alcohol and not nearly Breakfast like a King enough exercise and sleep. One of Lunch like a Prince the best ways to combat stress is Dinner like a Pauper to pay attention to your body’s need for healthy food, exercise, and sleep during this intense time of year.
Sounds simple, and it is.
Don’t let the hustle and bustle of the season steal away opportunities to be thankful for the people, experiences, and events (both good and bad) that will make this year unique and memorable. If you are sending greeting cards, why not add a personalized message about why you are thankful for having the recipient in your life. Consider getting involved with a volunteer activity where you can help others. Few activities result in greater satisfaction than the act of giving selflessly from the heart. Last, but not least, commit to taking some time to reflect on the deeper meaning and spirit of the holidays Make a change! With the holiday for you personally, for your family, season fast approaching, make a and for humanity and the world. commitment to yourself to find a Just as our doesn’t run on empty, neither do our bodies. Fuel deeper satisfaction in vehicle the holiday yourself withdopremium optimum running performance. By for pausing to reflect on this experience. Don’t just things choices
Make a life time decision to fuel your body efficiently each day.
Take time to laugh. If you get too stressed, take a laughter break and rent a funny holiday comedy. Laughter is the best medicine – watching other families fumble their way through the holiday
Homewood Human is all about meaning, youproviding can gain aresources better to you to because you can do them andSolutions fit assist you in making the healthy choices for optimum health. perspective on how to organize yourRelated them into your schedule. Rather, articles, podcasts and videos can be found on the website holiday plans and even your plans consider if the event or activity www.homewoodhumansolutions.com including: for the coming year. fits in with your values and the • Health e-Podcasts meaning of the season. Remember, • Health e-videos life is really about the journey. • Health Library Savour the moments – allow • Life line
Bon Appetite! WWW.SAVANNAENERGY.COM
fit e n e B dian ent a n a C The Departm RIG-N-DIG • NOVEMBER 2014
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WHAT’S HAPPENING
Sandra Cabezas (Billings Team Lead) receives her ring from Connie Schmidt (Billings Manager) and CEO Ken Mullen.
On left, Mike Millington is presenting a 5-year ring to Raymond Ryan, Driller on Rig 440.
Ryan Sadler, Driller on Rig 629 receives his ring from Amanda Dewar (Crew Coordinator).
August Gaudry (Driller) receives his ring from Amanda Dewar (Crew Coordinator).
Allen Tomsin, Crew Truck Driver for Rig 404, receiving his 5-year ring (on left) from Field Superintendent, Chad McIvor.
Aaron Hooley, Derrickhand on Rig 426, on left accepting his ring from Chad McIvor, Field Superintendent, on right.
Bob Gammon, Driller from Rig 411 (left) accepts his 5-year ring from Chad McIvor, Field Superintendent (right).
Ken Bell, Operations Manager (on left) presents Mike Millington, Field Superintendent (on right) with his 5-year ring.
Steve Kitzul (Field Superintendent), left, presents Mark D’Andrea with his ring.
Employees from Savanna Calgary spent some time volunteering at the local food bank recently.
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WHAT’S HAPPENING
Dale Mohr presents a CAODC award to…
…Bart Corbett
Jessica Henry (Manager, Field Competency & Training) presents a cheque for $3,380 to Stephanie Rigby, Director of Alberta Food Banks, for a recent wine lottery fundraiser.
Halloween Leftovers — The Savanna Drilling staff in Nisku having a bit of dress-up fun on Halloween last month.
…Dan Hutt
…Brad Conrad
…Paddy Ried
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This little guy was getting into character at a recent Treaty 6 career fair.
Robin Beaver (Billings Analyst), reluctantly wears a Maple Leafs jersey after losing a bet to Kevin Papke (Contracts Rep) after a Blackhawks-Leafs game recently.
John Searle sent in this awesome shot of Rig 626.
A great shot of Savanna Well Servicing Rig 117. RIG-N-DIG • NOVEMBER 2014
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NEW HIRES Based on database entry between October 28 and November 25, 2014, we welcome the following new hires to the Savanna family: United stateS Alcaraz Tapia, Mario Alvarez, Nemecio Anderson, Alexander Anderson, Derrick Barnett, Justin Barton, Kyle Bright, Michael Callahan, Aaron Castro, Michael Chairez, Armando Clay Jr., Steve Clugy, Sara Constantino, Jessee Ford, Robert Friend, Cody Glaves, Harley Govea, Hector Grogan III, Herbert Hays, Travis Harrelson, Eric Holden, Timothy Little, Joseph Lively Jr., Tommy Magana Jr., Miguel Moore, Herman Phillips, Chad Portillo-Miranda, Gerardo Ramsey III, Charles
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Rivera, Diego Rocha, Adam Yanez Vazquez, Jorge Salisbury, Timothy Seaman, Waylon Sparks, Jason Staley, Sean Thomas, Logan Thomas, Rankin White, Jonathan Zentek, Blane
CANADA Akeroyd, Chris Alders, Dwayne Amisano, Cory Arsenault, David Bagaric, Denis Barritt, Jonathan Beckhuson, Cody Beneteau, Marc-Andre Best, Derek Birnie, Bradley Boileau, Frederick Boire, Kyle Bragg, William Bridgeo, Jason Brunet, Charles Chacon, William Chaulk, Eric
RIG-N-DIG • NOVEMBER 2014
Cosgrove, Peter Darrah, Matthew Davis, Marquis Decoine, Blaine Denuzzo, Michael Diaz, Joel Dixon, Paul Dorst, Joel Dzikowski, Jason Elbhilat, Elarbi Elliott, Steve Entz, Theodore Ferguson, Norman Fogen, Austyn Francis, Goward Friesen, Josh Genge, Tyrone Gerber, Julian Girardin, Kyle Godon, Jonathan Hanson, Gregory Hazuda, Curtis Hodge, Dean Kampel, Donald Hickey, Maureen Howard, Benjamin Hunt, Kyle Hurens, Jimmy Jackson, James Johnston, Landin
Kampers, Brandon Klippenstein, Kyle Kolkman, Tristan Kubinchak, Terry Lake, Daniel Laplante, Rafael Lemire, James Leung, Stephanie Lord, Steven Main, Darin Maloney, Steve Martin, Jake Mason, Kenneth McDonald, Brendan McInnis, Matthew McWhirter, Robert Mergel, Nicholas Miller, Justin Monette, Eric Nadeau, Shawn Naji, Maher Nielsen, Kurt O’Connell, Trevor Olds-Ward, Austin Orr, Cody Osland, Jason Parker, Cameron Penrod, Cody Perry, Dalton Peterson, Easton
Phillips, Andrew Plamondon, Cameron Portillo, Walter Potts, Trey Pruden, Clayton Racz, James Ricica, Robert Roberts, Shawn Sahota, Kamaljit Saxton, Cody Sazonov, Dmitry Schultz, Brennon Scott, William Seaman, Colton Sirants, Artus Stevens, Mike Stewart, Dean Timmerman, Shane Tobias, Cyrus Tomalty, Mark Toomey, Spencer Tovar Aguilar, Ronny Turner, Clint Vaughan, Stuart Webb, Mathew Whitehead, John Widen, Keiffer Wilson, Jeff Wolfe, Dale Zimmer, Preston
AUSTRALIA Andrews, Robert Barnes, Travis Cash, Janina Fitzgerald, Scott Fuller, Scott Haque, Kazi Huntley, Grant Kildey, Richard Mason, Michael Melmeth, Mitchell O’Donnell, Michael Polodna, James Pyke, Clinton Sharpley, Karen Steel, Thomas Stoessel, Todd
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The last week of November signals a truly unique event. In the United States, in particular, Thanksgiving prompts families to be thankful for what they have, and less than 24 hours later, Black Friday sees retail stores in the US, Canada, and parts of Australia open for the biggest shopping day of the year. It’s a shopping day fraught with amazing deals, zealous shoppers, and heaps of irony. This month, we celebrate the dychotomous back-to-back celebrations of Thanksgiving and Black Friday, so loosen your belt and dig in to these funny demotivational posters culled from the Internet.
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RIG-N-DIG • NOVEMBER 2014
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s is all about providing resources to you to althy choices for optimum health. Related os can be found on the website tions.com including:
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TAX & FEE ADVANTAGES OF SAVANNA’S 7 TAX AND FEE ADVANTAGES of SAVINGS PLAN (GRSP) GROUP RETIREMENT Savanna’s group Retirement Savings Plan (GRSP)
Rig-n-Dig • savannaenergy.com
Here’s why saving with the Retirement Savings Plan of Savanna Energy Services Corp. and Sun Life Financial is one of
Savanna matches 100% of your group Retirement Savings Plan (GRSP) contributions through the best investments you’ll make in your future. payroll deductions, up to a maximum based on your years of service. This means you automatiCOMPANY cally increase CONTRIBUTIONS your investment which is an important advantage to assist you in your retirement Savanna Energy Services Corp. matches 100% of your group Retirement Savings Plan (GRSP) contributions through payroll savings. are seven reasons toThischoose the GRSP deductions,Here up to a maximum based on your years of service. means you automatically increase option: your investment, which is an important advantage to assist you in your retirement savings.
PAYROLL DEDUCTIONS AND TAX ADVANTAGES you choose to contribute to Savanna’s GRSP, your contributions are deducted directly from your paycheque before 1. Should Instant tax break you have a chance to spend it. Under the Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP), you save taxes in two ways: When you contribute by payroll deductions, you are investing the money on a be1.fore-tax Instantbasis, tax break so less of your income is taxed. This means you experience instant tax When you contribute by payroll deductions, youhow are investing the money a before-tax basis, socontribution less of your income is savings. The chart below shows Jill saves $24onby before-tax and taxed. Meaning you experience instant tax savings. The chart below shows how you can save money by contributing with how she increased her total contribution with Savanna’s matching amount. before-tax funds to the Savanna group RRSP, instead of with after-tax funds to your own personal RRSP. Jill contributes to the Savanna RRSP
Jill contributes to her own personal RRSP
Jill’s biweekly pay before tax
$1,730
$1,730
Jill’s group RRSP contribution through payroll deduction (before tax)
- $100
$0
Savanna’s matching contribution
$100
$0
Taxable income
$1,630
$1,730
Total deductions*
- $356
- $380
Jill’s pay after tax
$1,274
$1,350
$0
- $100
Jill’s personal RRSP contribution (after tax) Jill’s pay after tax and personal RRSP contributions
$1,274 $200
$100
Totaldeductions deductions include federal and Alberta provincial plusPension CanadaPlan Pension Plan and Employment Insurance deductions. ** Total include federal and Alberta provincial income income tax, plus tax, Canada and Employment Insurance deductions.
2. Tax-sheltering The contributions you make to the GRSP are invested in segregrated funds that earn investment income. In registered plans, you do not have to pay tax on the amounts you contribute or the investment income until you withdraw your money, at which point it is considered income and tax is withheld. If you wait until retirement to make withdrawals from your RRSP, you will likely be in a lower tax bracket, which means you will need to pay less income tax on the amounts you withdraw.
into Savanna’s plan at any time. This helps you manage all of your investments and keeps your management fees low.
$1,250 $24
Total RRSP contributions
IT’S TO IMPOR FINACONSULT TANT TO LE NCIAL YOUR GROUARN MOADVISOR R P PE RRSP EABOU FOR YRSONAL S VERSUST RRSP OUR SITUAPERSONS TION AL
3. Lower fund management fees Savanna and Sun Life Financial offer you a variety of investment types. The fund management fees charged to these funds are usually much lower than what you would pay in a personal RRSP outside of your workplace plan because the Savanna GRSP is part of a larger group. You may think lower fees don’t matter but you’d be surprised at the impact over the long term. 4. Consolidation of your investments You can move any other registered savings (locked-in or not locked-in)
Open an account with Sun Life Financial today! You can contact Sun Life Financial’s Customer Care Centre at 1-866-733-8612 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. MT any business day, or go online to mysunlife.ca/savanna.
5. Exclusive investment funds only available in your plan at work You decide how your contributions to the plan are invested, from a variety of investment funds. Some of the funds available to you are unique and only available to group plan members. You won’t find these funds if you invest on your own at a bank or mutual fund company. 6. No front or back end loads fees There are no fees charged for moving assets from one investment manager to another and no hidden fund management fees. 7. Nothing grows your money like time! So invest early! What’s the biggest purchase you’ll ever make? You may be tempted to answer a house, but it’s more likely your retirement.