A FORMER offshore oil rig worker from Rhyl has released a book about his life in the industry, and the lessons he learnt from both the highs and the lows.

Andrew Morrissey worked in the offshore oil industry for 20 years as a roustabout, roughneck, derrickman and predominantly a crane operator, all of which are detailed in his new book All at Sea: The Offshore Worker’s Fake Dream.

Andrew was motivated to write the book due to the highs and lows he experienced during that time, and what he had learnt from it.

“I’ve lived the high life, I’ve made a lot of money but I’ve also lost a lot of money. I’ve worked with a lot of good people and a lot of bad people.

“A lot of my friends were like ‘you could write a book, you could write a book’ so I just decided to.”

The book deals with high points in Andrew’s life offshore, but also deals with tragic lows.

When he first started offshore, Andrew was “making a lot of money” and ended up buying five houses in Rhyl, where he lived.

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However, he subsequently went through a divorce, lost investments during the housing market crash in 2008, and ended up walking away with nothing tangible to show for his success.

Shortly after, he moved to Marbella, where he continued living a life of luxury with an oil salary of up to £10,000 a month.

When salaries began to drop in the oil industry, Andrew decided his time offshore was at an end, with it affecting his family life.

“I missed a lot of birthdays and Christmases, weddings, and was offshore for six years in a row at Christmas.”

Andrew is confident the book will help other people due to its honesty and vividness.

“I’ve opened up in the book, and it’s all truthful. Most of it is very personal that a lot of people would keep to themselves, but I found it very therapeutic writing it and getting it out there.

“I lived a lifestyle that I couldn’t afford, but I did it, and that’s why I ended up losing everything as well.”

The fascinating read is available on Amazon, where it has a five-star rating based off 27 reviews.