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Career Details :: Service Unit Operators, Oil, Gas, and Mining
Description
Operate equipment to increase oil flow from producing wells or to remove stuck pipe, casing, tools, or other obstructions from drilling wells. May also perform similar services in mining exploration operations.
Experience
A minimum of two to four years of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Education
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Training
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Tasks
- Directs other worker to assemble and connect pipe and hydraulic lines of flushing equipment to wellhead.
- Directs drilling crew in installation of well-bottom equipment.
- Starts pumps that circulate water, oil, or other fluid through well, removing sand and other materials obstructing free flow of oil.
- Directs activities of preparing for and drilling around lodged obstacles or specified earth formations with specialized tools and whipstocks.
- Perforates well casing or sidewall of borehole with explosive charge.
- Analyzes conditions of unserviceable oil or gas wells and directs recovery of lost equipment and other obstacles from boreholes.
- Moves controls to back off pipe or to sever pipe at point of obstruction.
- Assembles and lowers detection instruments into wells having drill pipe, drilling tools, or other obstructions wedged in well.
- Operates hoist to lower and raise tools.
- Operates equipment to increase oil flow from producing wells.
- Plans fishing methods and selects tools for removing obstacles, such as liners, broken casing, screens, and drill pipe from wells.
- Directs lowering of specialized equipment to point of obstruction.
- Assembles and operates sound wave-generating and -detecting mechanisms for determining fluid level in wells.
- Operates equipment to remove stuck pipe, casing, tools, or other obstructions from drilling wells, using specialized subsurface tools and instruments.
- Prepares reports of services rendered, tools used, and time required.
- Observes variations on gauges, mud pumps, and pressure indicators, and listens to equipment to detect faulty operations or unusual conditions.
- Confers with other personnel to gather information regarding size of pipes and tools and borehole conditions in wells.
- Interprets instrument readings to ascertain depth of obstruction.
Related Careers
- Crane and Tower Operators
- Dredge Operators
- Excavating and Loading Machine Operators
- Geological Sample Test Technicians
- Marine Engineers
- Mine-Cutting and Channeling Machine Operators
- Power Distributors and Dispatchers
- Ship Engineers
Important Abilities
General Work Activities
- Getting Information Needed to Do the Job
- Controlling Machines and Processes
- Monitor Processes, Material, Surroundings
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, Material
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
Important Skills
- Operation and Control
- Operation Monitoring
- Equipment Selection
- Problem Identification
- Judgment and Decision Making
Frequent Work Context
- Job-Required Social Interaction
- Frustrating Circumstances
- Consequence of Error
- Importance of Being Sure All Is Done
- Degree of Automation
Institutions Offering Related Majors
No institutions found.