Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas

About the job

Set up or operate a variety of drills to remove underground oil and gas, or remove core samples for testing during oil and gas exploration.

What you'll do

• Bolt together pump and engine parts, and connect tanks and flow lines.
• Cap wells with packers, or turn valves, to regulate outflow of oil from wells.
• Clean and oil pulleys, blocks, and cables.
• Dig holes, set forms, and mix and pour concrete, for foundations of steel or wooden derricks.
• Line drilled holes with pipes, and install all necessary hardware, to prepare new wells.
• Lower and explode charges in boreholes to start flow of oil from wells.
• Plug observation wells, and restore sites.
• Position and prepare truck-mounted derricks at drilling areas specified on field maps.
• Remove core samples during drilling to determine the nature of the strata being drilled.
• Repair or replace defective parts of machinery, such as rotary drill rigs, water trucks, air compressors, and pumps, using hand tools.

Things you need to know

• Mechanical – Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Mathematics – Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Administration and Management – Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Education and Training – Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Personnel and Human Resources – Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

Abilities you'll need to have

• Operation and Control – Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
• Critical Thinking – Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Operation Monitoring – Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
• Monitoring – Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Active Listening – Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Instructing – Teaching others how to do something.
• Speaking – Talking to others to convey information effectively.