Rotary Drill Operator / Oil / Gas

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.

O*NET reports this occupation under titles such as: Daylight Driller; Drill Operator; Driller; Motor Man; Oil Rig Driller; Oil Well Driller; Relief Driller; Rig Operator; Rotary Drill Operator; Rotary Driller

Tasks

• Train crews, and introduce procedures to make drill work more safe and effective.
• Observe pressure gauge and move throttles and levers to control the speed of rotary tables, and to regulate pressure of tools at bottoms of boreholes.
• Maintain records of footage drilled, location and nature of strata penetrated, materials and tools used, services rendered, and time required.
• Push levers and brake pedals to control gasoline, diesel, electric, or steam draw works that lower and raise drill pipes and casings in and out of wells.
• Connect sections of drill pipe, using hand tools and powered wrenches and tongs.
• Count sections of drill rod to determine depths of boreholes.
• Maintain and adjust machinery to ensure proper performance.
• Direct rig crews in drilling and other activities, such as setting up rigs and completing or servicing wells.
• Weigh clay, and mix with water and chemicals to make drilling mud.
• Start and examine operation of slush pumps to ensure circulation and consistency of drilling fluid or mud in well.
• Clean and oil pulleys, blocks, and cables.
• Monitor progress of drilling operations, and select and change drill bits according to the nature of strata, using hand tools.
• Repair or replace defective parts of machinery, such as rotary drill rigs, water trucks, air compressors, and pumps, using hand tools.
• Locate and recover lost or broken bits, casings, and drill pipes from wells, using special tools.
• Line drilled holes with pipes, and install all necessary hardware, to prepare new wells.

Knowledge

• Mechanical
• Mathematics
• Administration and Management
• Education and Training
• Personnel and Human Resources

Skills

• Critical Thinking
• Monitoring
• Active Listening
• Speaking
• Reading Comprehension
• Writing
• Learning Strategies

Abilities

• Problem Sensitivity
• Control Precision
• Near Vision
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
• Manual Dexterity
• Multilimb Coordination
• Oral Comprehension
• Oral Expression
• Information Ordering
• Finger Dexterity
• Deductive Reasoning
• Inductive Reasoning
• Selective Attention
• Rate Control
• Written Expression
• Written Comprehension
• Category Flexibility
• Perceptual Speed
• Reaction Time
• Auditory Attention
• Speech Recognition
• Speech Clarity
• Flexibility of Closure
• Visualization