Pipeline Welders are fusing a career at SaskEnergy

After building a career in the oil and gas industry, Brett Katzberg jumped at the chance to join the Construction team at SaskEnergy two years ago as a Pipeline Welder.

“I actually had done a lot of contract work for the company previously and always wanted to get on with SaskEnergy full-time,” says Brett, who’s been welding for 16 years. “To me, this isn’t just a job. It’s a long-term career that offers stability and professional growth. And, for someone with a young family, the work-life balance here is a huge draw.”

For fellow Pipeline Welder James Daniels, family played a significant role in starting him on his career path as a welder.

“I actually started welding with my uncle, who was a welder and owned his own shop,” says James. “That was my first summer job, back in the ‘90s. I worked with him for three summers and my time with him really created my interest in pursuing this as a trade.”

Working as a contractor, James had put his Pressure Welding ticket to good use, gaining years of experience before joining SaskEnergy five years ago.

In addition to their Pressure Welding tickets, all SaskEnergy Pipeline Welders must also be a certified Journeyperson Welder. SaskEnergy provides additional training and testing once hired, ensuring the welders are up to our own internal standards.

“This trade comes with lots of training,” says Pipeline Welder Dean Hershmiller, who was a TIG Welder for a boiler shop prior to moving to SaskEnergy 19 years ago. “We’re not just welding. We’re working on a natural gas system. That requires extra diligence and consideration in everything we do. Natural gas is a substance that demands respect.”

For welders across all our Construction teams, getting the job done safely is a top priority — from testing and training to final x-rays and hydrotesting of welds before the infrastructure is put into service.

“Learning the SaskEnergy way of doing things has been a big part of the job,” Brett says. “Every company has their own specs, and at SaskEnergy the welding is part of the logistics of moving gas safely all over Saskatchewan.”

As members of our Construction crew, Pipeline Welders are part of a team responsible for installing the infrastructure that moves natural gas across Saskatchewan, providing safe, reliable service to our customers.

“As a welder here, you're a bit of a jack-of-all-trades,” says Brett. “One day you’re in a residential area doing a hook-up for a customer, and then next you’re out in a wide-open field working on a transmission line.”

“Every day there’s a new challenge and a new problem to solve, and we strive to produce the best weld, the best product, on every job,” adds James. “It’s very rewarding, knowing that what we do helps provide heat to homes across the province.”

With the crews regularly traveling around the province, Dean, Brett and James also get to enjoy hitting the road and experiencing small-town Saskatchewan with coworkers that have become like a second family to them.

”Working as a welder at SaskEnergy, you’re a welder, but also a team member. You really need to be a fit for this type of job and have a knack for trade work with others,” Dean says.

“It’s not just about the welding, you’re part of a crew,” Brett agrees. “Some days you're welding all day, and other days you're just jumping in to help guys with whatever needs to get done to get the job finished safely."