Oil Production
It is a good idea to start focusing on the “oil production” sector if one is looking for entry-level oil and gas positions. The process of drilling and extracting oil from reservoirs located under the earth’s surface. These reservoirs are located both onshore and offshore. The action of exploratory drilling is one of the major reasons individuals get so excited about the oil and gas industry today. These activities will help to determine the level of oil and gas not yet discovered in our exploratory areas today.
There is so much more of the world to discover today. With the global tensions of today in the Middle East as well as a growing demand for oil worldwide, it is expected that the United States will begin to allow for more offshore drilling, including the Alaska frontier. This increase in demand will drive the need for more jobs and needed people. The Minerals Management Service (MMS) forecasts that deepwater drilling will sustain between 80,000 and 100,000 jobs by 2010. Approximately half of these jobs will continue into the next decade as exploration and development activities proceed.
Who Works in Oil Production
The following jobs are ranked from top to bottom in both responsibility and compensation. The positions are: The rig leader, driller, derrick operator, motorman, roughneck and roustabout. The rig’s drilling contractor is responsible for hiring these positions.
Rig Manager or Toolpusher
The rig manager is in direct supervision of the driller and his various drilling and production crews. The rig manager is the drilling company representative on the rig and is responsible for getting the holes drilled safely, efficiently and on budget. Keeping the drilling costs down and the equipment in good running order is one of the top priorities of a rig manager. A good rig manager is on call 24 hours a day to make sure that the rig and the personnel on it are working at peak form and safety levels.
To become a rig manager you should have a background in the oil industry with courses under your belt, which can include safety, management and organizational training. Many companies offer ongoing training throughout the year to its personnel in order to keep abreast of many safety and regulatory details and changes. First aid, WHMIS, Fall Protection, Second Line BOP, Dangerous Goods, High Angle Rescue and other training courses will go far to help you get the rig manager job you want.
Average pay: $60,000-155,000 (Source: OilJobs411.com)
Driller
What They Do: The driller is second in command, next to the toolpusher, on a drilling operation. The driller supervises all work done on the rig crew under the supervision of the tool pusher. With this knowledge one can expect that similar experience and certifications compared to the tool pusher are required in this position. This position is very hands on in addition to the supervisory requirements. The driller is very involved in the physical labor required in the operating of the rig’s hoisting and drilling equipment at the well head. This would include the overseeing and operating of various gauges, meters, valves, and throttles at this location. Preventing blow-out activities is a task that is managed and carried out by the driller.
Being a Driller on an oil rig means being responsible for overseeing various crews of workers while the oil drilling work is being done. The driller is in turn under the supervision of a rig manager or toolpusher. While some of the responsibilities of a driller are similar in some ways to those of a rig manager, the driller's duties can include many more jobs, depending on the way the crews are set up under the rig manager. The driller's responsibilities usually include getting the work on the rig done safely, efficiently and within the regulations set down by government or the company itself.
To be a successful driller, the candidate should have excellent organizational skills, be able to communicate and listen equally well and be capable of working quickly with an eye for detail. The driller, as the head of a drilling crew, also needs to be able to work well with others in order to develop a good crew, capable of working efficiently together. It won't take long for a company to find out which driller's crew isn't working to their best capacity as a team and have a talk with that driller about his communication problems.
Average Pay: $85,000 per year (Source: OilJobs411.com)
Derrick Operations
(Source: Drilling Engineering Association)
What They Do: An individual in this position carries out a process called “tripping,” this is the process of where the derrick operator handles the top portion of the drilling pipe string as it is lowered into, or brought up from, the wellbore. Typically a derrick operator is being groomed for a driller position and thus reports to the driller. Some of the tasks required of this position are mixing the drilling fluids, also known as drilling muds, assisting in the repairing of equipment, or in most cases assisting the driller directly.
You should be physically fit and have a strong work ethic and not stop until the job is done. There's no quitting halfway through on an oil rig job where millions of dollars of oil are at stake at any one time. You have to be certain that you are capable of doing the work before you sign on for this type of duty. You must also be capable of traveling to remote locations and must be able to work outdoors for long periods of time, regardless of the weather conditions. The work is hard but the compensation is always worth the trouble.
Average Pay: : $30-45 per hour (Source: OilJobs411.com)
Motorman
What They Do: An individual with strong mechanical aptitude will see this as their first promotion from roughneck. Responsibilities for this position include keeping the engines used to power the well drilling equipment running smoothly and efficiently. Equipment in this category includes engines that turn the rotary table to lift the pipe and heavy drill bit. Also under the responsibility of the motorman is the supporting of the engines responsible for mixing the mud continuously. Some of the other requirements of the motorman are handling the rig’s boilers, ordering replacement tools and equipment parts, as well as training other roustabouts and roughnecks when needed. Safety and first aid training is also a requirement of this position.
A motorman is the member of the oil rig crew responsible for maintenance of the engines. While all members of the oil rig crew help with major repairs, the motorman does routine preventive maintenance, minor repairs, drive trucks and operate specialized hydraulic pumping systems to place cement in wells or to treat wells with chemicals, sand mixtures or gases to stimulate production.
Motormen are employed by oil drilling and well service contractors and by petroleum producing companies.
Average Pay: $35,000-50,000 per year (Source: 1-oiljob.com)
Roughneck
What They Do: The entry-level job where a worker is allowed to give hands-on support to higher-level drilling crew members is the roughneck position. The roughneck helps repair well drilling equipment as well as carries out general chores as assigned.
Some of the duties that roughnecks are responsible for can include cleaning up spilled oil and bailing it into barrels set up for just this purpose. They also handle all mechanical tasks that need to be taken care of on the oil rig and drilling platform. This can mean everything from using manual wrenches to compressed air tools to perform the work. When pipes need to be tightened or loosened it's the roughneck who'll be doing all the work. The same is true for any pump and engine parts that need to be taken care of on the rig deck.
Average Pay: $17-25 per hour (Source: OilJobs411.com)
Roustabout
What They Do: The position lowest on the totem pole is the roustabout. This is an entry-level position where most individuals get their start on drilling rigs. Individuals can skip this position if they have related experience. This position is a necessity when it comes to supporting the drilling operations. There is a lot of lifting, loading and unloading, scraping, painting, post hole digging, and any other not so pleasant task needed by the crew. A good attitude and work ethic can go a long way to getting to the next step on the operation. A good level of competence in activities related to supporting the roughnecks is also a factor that goes into a fast promotion.
Many people who begin working in the oil and gas industry start out by working as roughnecks. This position is an essential one even though it may be at the bottom of the ladder in the scale of pay in the industry. This is not to say that roughnecks don't earn a high wage of pay, because that's simply not the case. The majority of people finding work in the oil and gas industry start out by working as roughnecks. Many people, who start out as roughnecks, go on to be promoted to higher-paying and more responsible positions, such as a driller or eventually oil rig toolpusher, in a relatively short period of time.
Some of the duties that roughnecks are responsible for can include cleaning up spilled oil and bailing it into barrels set up for just this purpose. They also handle all mechanical tasks that need to be taken care of on the oil rig and drilling platform. This can mean everything from using manual wrenches to compressed air tools to perform the work. When pipes need to be tightened or loosened it's the roughneck who'll be doing all the work. The same is true for any pump and engine parts that need to be taken care of on the rig deck.
Average Pay: : $15 per hour (Source: OilJobs411.com)
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Project Manager (Gas Processing)
Details: This opportunity is located in Denver, CO. We are offering relocation assistance to that area for this position. Job is at a senior project management level. Role is to be responsible for planning, organizing, and executing major fa
Project Manager (Gas Processing)
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