Career Details :: Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas
Description
Set up or operate a variety of drills to remove petroleum products from the earth and to find and remove core samples for testing during oil and gas exploration.
Experience
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Education
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some may require a bachelor's degree.
Training
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers.
Tasks
- Observes pressure gauge and moves control to regulate speed of rotary table and pressure of tools at bottom of borehole.
- Pushes levers and brake pedals to control draw works, which lower and raise drill pipe and casing in and out of well.
- Withdraws core barrel from hole and extracts core from barrel.
- Repairs or replaces defective parts of machinery, using hand tools.
- Examines operation of slush pumps to ensure circulation and consistency of mud (drilling fluid) in well.
- Examines drillings or core samples from bottom of well to determine nature of strata.
- Selects and changes drill bits according to nature of strata, using hand tools.
- Keeps record of footage drilled, location and nature of strata penetrated, and materials used.
- Fishes for and recovers lost or broken bits, casing, and drill pipes from well, using special tools.
- Positions truck-mounted derrick at drilling area specified on field map.
- Caps well or turns valves to regulate outflow of oil from well.
- Lowers and explodes charge in borehole to start flow of oil from well.
- Connects sections of drill pipe, using hand tools and powered wrenches and tongs.
- Counts sections of drill rod to determine depth of borehole.
Related Careers
- Continuous Mining Machine Operators
- Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas
- Grader, Bulldozer, and Scraper Operators
- Loading Machine Operators, Underground Mining
- Operating Engineers
- Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators
- Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
Important Abilities
General Work Activities
- Controlling Machines and Processes
- Performing General Physical Activities
- Handling and Moving Objects
- Monitor Processes, Material, Surroundings
- Repairing & Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
Important Skills
Frequent Work Context
- Degree of Automation
- Consequence of Error
- Outdoors
- Importance of Being Sure All Is Done
- Frustrating Circumstances
Institutions Offering Related Majors
No institutions found.