I think more importantly than whether or not this rumour is correct (the need for 5000 welders), it might be prudent to think about the potential ramifications should that be correct. Five thousand welders is not an insignificant number. Would it be possible to attract that many people when the oil patch is presumably paying a lot more for qualified labour? It might be difficult to meet timelines and/or to keep costs manageable if that's the sort of work force they're looking for.

Another thought ... welders are also useful on pipelines.