Oil and Gas Well Drilling Related Workers and Services Operators

Nature of work

Oil and gas well drilling workers use drilling and service rig machinery as middle members of the rig crew. Oil and gas well services operators drive trucks and use specialized hydraulic pumping systems to place cement in wells or to treat wells with chemicals, sand mixtures or gases to stimulate production. They work for drilling and well service contractors and by petroleum producing companies.

Job duties

Oil and gas well drilling workers:

• Use specialized equipment, information and maps to determine and document the location of buried pipelines and other utilities to get ready for seismic exploration and drilling activities.
• Line up and manipulate sections of pipe or drill stem from platform on rig derrick during removal and replacement of strings of pipe, or drill stem and drill bit.
• Use and maintain drilling mud systems and pumps during drilling, and mix mud, chemicals and additives.
• Record mud flows and volumes and take samples.
• Use and maintain drilling rig diesel motors, transmissions and other equipment.
• Help in setting up, taking down and transporting drilling and service rigs.
• Supervise floorhands and labourers.

Oil and gas well services operators:

• Drive well services truck to well site.
• Build pumping equipment and attach pumps and hoses to wellhead.
• Run hydraulic pumping systems to pump chemicals, gases, sand, cement or other material into well.
• Read gauges to monitor pressure, density, rate and concentration and change pumping procedure as required.
• May mix chemicals and cements.

Sample job titles

• acidizer - oil field services
• blender operator - oil field services
• control room operator - offshore drilling
• derrickman/woman
• motorhand - oil and gas drilling
• oil well cementer - oil field services
• pumper operator - oil field services
• pumpman/woman - oil field services
• rig technician - derrickhand
• seismic buried facilities locator

Skills

You should have good health, physical stamina, and strength. Agility, coordination, and a mechanical skill would also be helpful. You must be able to take direction and carry out instructions given by supervisors.

Job requirements

• High school is usually required.
• Training of up to three months with an experienced operator is needed for oil and gas well services operators.
• Petroleum industry-approved training courses may be required.
• One year of experience as a floorhand, assistant or labourer is usually required.
• Certificates in first aid, hydrogen sulphide awareness, blowout prevention, workplace hazardous materials information system (WHMIS), transportation of dangerous goods (TDG), cryogenic safety or in other safety concerns may be required.
• Rig technician certification for motorhands and derrickhands may be required by some employers.

Other considerations

Movement to oil and gas well driller or service rig operator is possible with experience. Movement to supervisor of well services is possible for gas and oil well services operators.

Regulations

Contacts