Let me start by saying I'm working for another E&P in Houston. Still employed, but still shell-shocked after multiple rounds of RIFs (and stealth-firings) over the last year. I still get nervous when I hear footsteps coming down the hall. The fact that I'm still checking this board for all E&Ps should tell you a lot. After living through ours (the first I've been through in 10+ years), I sympathize with each and every one of you...both those who will be let go and the survivors. Survivors' guilt is real, and the stress never goes away. It has taken a toll on my health and my family, and has brought about intense reflection on whether or not I want to spend the remaining 20-25 years of my career in this industry.
I guess I'm mid-career by most standards. Maybe I'm pleasant enough (or likely not paid enough) to have avoided their radar screen. I had actually started looking for jobs before the Thanksgiving 2014 "gift" from OPEC, but even then they were becoming more scarce. Between then and now I've had about 10 interviews...the majority of them coming earlier in 2015. Prospects are slim and none now.
My particular group is down to zero rigs and has been for a few months. There is still minimal work to do, but most of it is unnecessary and designed to make my supervisors appear busy. Reviews were brutal...there is very little dead weight to be cut in our business unit, and everybody is fighting over the smallest scraps to justify their continued employment. You're going to know some good, hard-working people who get low ratings. What is strange is that when I look around the company, I still see lots of questionable roles. "Business Excellence" sort-of stuff.
If Anadarko is like we were, and it appears they are acting the same way, there will be no concrete answers to any of your questions before or after the RIF. At least it sounds like yours will be swift...ours dragged on for several weeks in one of the last rounds.
The wind, as they say, is out of my sails. It will be for many of you, too. Some of you will lose your boats outright. In a way, I envy those who were let go here. They've moved on with their lives, even if they haven't yet found employment. While you go through these times, try to be kind to yourselves and others. I've found that I'm tipping people a little more, and even sometimes where I wasn't before.
Keep your chin up, APC.