“My brother was working on an H&P rig as a driller while I was working with another drilling contractor,” He said, “One day he just looked at me and told me that he could tell I wasn’t happy where I was at, and that I should join him because H&P was a great company that was doing great things in West Texas. That all sounded good to me.”
His brother’s offer may have opened a world of opportunity for him, but it was Andrew’s drive to learn the ropes that allowed him to quickly work his way up through the ranks from floorhand to motorhand to derrickhand, and eventually to driller in 2013. By 2016, Andrew’s eagerness and ability to learn fast and work hard led him to another opportunity when his drilling superintendent gave him the chance to step up as rig manager.
“I was young and hungry to learn,” said Andrew. “I started off as any new rig manager does; just trying to make a name for myself and take care of my people.”
In 2017, Andrew was promoted once more to drilling superintendent and would spend the next four years working out of Midland on several different rigs and alongside many different operators, building teams, and helping crews develop.
“There was a lot of opportunity for growth in my career at that time,” he said. “I was getting to know the business better and experienced new opportunities I wouldn’t have had otherwise.”
This growth eventually led to Andrew’s most recent opportunity to lead a crew as the drilling superintendent in Bahrain, and on December 8, 2021, along with his family of five boarded a plane with 12 70-pound suitcases on their way to their new home in the Middle East.
Today, Andrew leads his new crew with a servant-first mindset, believing in the true value of showing up for his employees with respect and encouragement above all else. With the help of his wife and kids, he has even been able to start holiday traditions that center around making sure that his crews working a Christmas shift receive some holiday cheer by delivering boxes full of treats and baked goods. Andrew shared that this family tradition stems from remembering what it was like to be away from his family on holidays and is just one example of how he tries to use his experiences to relate to and better support his employees.
“As a drilling superintendent, the role isn’t just about operations,” he said. “Our biggest responsibility is to take care of our people and to do our best to understand and respect what each employee brings to the company. Our rig employees are what makes H&P a great company and taking care of them is always going to be number one for me. Ultimately, we get to be someone our people know they can trust. We become brothers, fathers, counselors and a shoulder to cry on.”