My guess would be y'all are a retiring military pilot looking for a change.
I guess this because two years and a bit ago I was looking at exactly this very thing, but with another GOM company. I didn't end up doing it.
The likely answers to your questions are:
Probably.
They do. Their needs.
It's probably a daily rate. In late 2005, $500 was the figure for contract guys with the company I was looking at with zip benefits or anything else... though it was 30 on, 30 off.
You do.
Caveat: If you're looking at working in the GOM in the long-term, be careful about stepping in it inadvertently. If PHI is having labor troubles (I have no idea what's current, I work abroad... just a hypothetical) contract guys are sometimes not looked upon well by their peers. If you just want to do a few months to get a taste of it (that had been my plan), well, that might be different. Try to cultivate an actual contact not in management who actually works there who knows the ins-and-outs of the GOM these days... you probably already know a guy who knows a guy... check your address book.