Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas

Wages
In 2015, the average annual wage in a Alabama was $36,850 with most people making betweeen $25,410 and $62,670
Wages by Industry
  • Support Activities for Mining $58,510.00
  • Oil and Gas Extraction $66,820.00
Education Required
These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Common Majors
  • Well Drilling/Driller
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.