Vidal “Tinker” Cadena is the epitome of a West Texas oilman: hard-working, mechanically inclined, a team player.
In 1972, when Tinker was a 16-year-old Crane High School student, he started working weekends in the nearby oilfields, helping on pulling units and serving as a roustabout.
These introductory roles proved fruitful to Tinker, as he met people working for Gulf Oil, Getty Oil, Exxon, Mobil and Phillips Petroleum Co., establishing valuable contacts in the oil and gas industry. After graduating from high school, Tinker passed on an opportunity to play college baseball, instead choosing to continue working in the oilfield.
In 1974, he went to work for Parker Drilling as a swamper on a winch truck. In 1976, he started working for Trey Trucking as a swamper, a transport driver hauling water and a winch truck driver hauling oilfield equipment.
In 1980, Tinker was approached by a Phillips Petroleum employee who asked if he would consider going to work for them.
“That was the beginning of my career with Phillips,” he said.
Giving back to the community
Strong in his spiritual faith, Tinker helps with community projects organized by his church group. They recently built a wheelchair ramp for an elderly Crane resident.
At Phillips, he worked as a roustabout, lease operator, code welder, heavy equipment operator, gang pusher, construction coordinator, senior construction specialist, construction supervisor and operations supervisor.
“I’ve come full circle. I started with Phillips Petroleum in April of 1980. I was moved to the midstream side when changes were made in the company. We went from Phillips 66 to GPM to Duke Energy Field Services to Duke ConocoPhillips (DCP Midstream). I retired from DCP in 2014 as a maintenance and construction supervisor and went to work for Concho, where I worked as a pumper, a trainer, a relief and a gas measurement specialist.”
When ConocoPhillips acquired Concho Resources in 2021, Tinker came aboard, continuing his role as a gas measurement technician. Tinker checks and calibrates Totalflow meters in the company’s Midland Basin South asset. In addition, he performs gas sampling and checks for oxygen in the system. He also repairs and installs Totalflow meters in the gathering systems for the Parks and Pegasus fields and helps in the Chickadee field.
“It’s a very busy position. I like being part of a company that plays such a major role in providing energy for the world. I’m so grateful to be a part of ConocoPhillips.”
Hands-on training
Over the years, Tinker’s training has been mainly hands-on, supplemented with extensive classroom training. He’s earned numerous certifications.
If you're looking to get started in the oilfield business, Tinker said it's important to build your skills through certification.
“At the beginning of my career, I took advantage of every training available for the position I was working in. Push yourself to excel and build yourself up. But make sure to build others up while you're doing it."
Tinker’s can-do attitude and willingness to learn enabled him to take on even larger roles.
Over the course of his career, Tinker has helped with several multimillion-dollar projects, such as building compressor stations, laying pipelines, assisting with plant construction projects, even managing company crews.
To Tinker, the success of such projects was made possible by establishing strong working relationships, the building blocks of a collaborative team.
“Leaders are only as good as the team around them. All employees, regardless of experience level, have an opportunity to grow with a strong group around him or her.”
I’ve always been big on safety. I feel like I’m my brother’s keeper, and I strive to bring others with me on my day-to-day journey.
Safety mindset
During his career, Tinker has seen safety become a top priority in the industry, and he has helped promote safety awareness by sharing his work history and on-the-job experiences with colleagues.
“I’ve always been big on safety. I feel like I’m my brother’s keeper, and I strive to bring others with me on my day-to-day journey. You cannot do enough to ensure that everyone goes home every day in good health. I’ve been blessed to have never had a major incident with myself or the people assigned to me over my career.”
Junction Boys
Over the years, Tinker got to know many different landowners because of projects on their properties, including Ray Barrett, one of the original Junction Boys under Texas A&M football coach Bear Bryant.
“We did a lot of work across his properties in Midkiff, Texas, where he did a lot of farming. I enjoyed visiting with him and listening to his stories.”
Although Tinker is closer to the end of his career than the start, he’s still going strong.
“I still enjoy working. I’m thankful I’m still in good health and can still do physically demanding work. I hope to continue as I am through the next 10 years.”
In the coming years, Tinker is looking forward to doing more hunting and fishing and spending time on his property on Lake Brownwood.
Tinker and his wife, Syndi, have five daughters — Jess, Abby, Bunni, Toy and CarLee — and 11 grandchildren. Tinker, who serves as vice president of the Crane ISD School Board, has been able to present diplomas to his youngest daughter, CarLee, and to four of his grandchildren, Matthew, Nathan, Emma and Ethan. In 2023, he’s looking forward to presenting diplomas to Jaxon and Lilly.
“I’m very proud of all my girls and all my grandkids. Syndi and I have been truly blessed.”