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Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas

It's a bright outlook for

This career will grow rapidly in the next few years.

Learn more about what they do.

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.

Related: Earth Drillers Helpers--Extraction Workers Roustabouts, Oil & Gas Service Unit Operators, Oil & Gas Wellhead Pumpers

Industries: Mining, Oil, & Gas

Summary
Details

Monitor progress of drilling operations, and select and change drill bits according to the nature of strata, using hand tools.
Line drilled holes with pipes, and install all necessary hardware, to prepare new wells.
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.
Bolt together pump and engine parts, and connect tanks and flow lines.
Maintain records of footage drilled, location and nature of strata penetrated, materials and tools used, services rendered, and time required.
Maintain and adjust machinery to ensure proper performance.
Monitor progress of drilling operations, and select and change drill bits according to the nature of strata, using hand tools.
Monitor progress of drilling operations, and select and change drill bits according to the nature of strata, using hand tools.
Cap wells with packers, or turn valves, to regulate outflow of oil from wells.
Count sections of drill rod to determine depths of boreholes.
Plug observation wells, and restore sites.
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.
Start and examine operation of slush pumps to ensure circulation and consistency of drilling fluid or mud in well.
Direct rig crews in drilling and other activities, such as setting up rigs and completing or servicing wells.
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.
Weigh clay, and mix with water and chemicals to make drilling mud.
Repair or replace defective parts of machinery, such as rotary drill rigs, water trucks, air compressors, and pumps, using hand tools.
Clean and oil pulleys, blocks, and cables.
Clean and oil pulleys, blocks, and cables.
Connect sections of drill pipe, using hand tools and powered wrenches and tongs.
Weigh clay, and mix with water and chemicals to make drilling mud.
Train crews, and introduce procedures to make drill work more safe and effective.
Start and examine operation of slush pumps to ensure circulation and consistency of drilling fluid or mud in well.
Locate and recover lost or broken bits, casings, and drill pipes from wells, using special tools.

Active Learning
- Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Social Perceptiveness
- Understanding people's reactions.
Writing
- Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Persuasion
- Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
Quality Control Analysis
- Testing how well a product or service works.
Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
Learning Strategies
- Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
Systems Evaluation
- Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Equipment Maintenance
- Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
Active Listening
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Complex Problem Solving
- Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Programming
- Writing computer programs.
Systems Analysis
- Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
Operation and Control
- Using equipment or systems.
Time Management
- Managing your time and the time of other people.
Speaking
- Talking to others.
Troubleshooting
- Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
Judgment and Decision Making
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
Operations Analysis
- Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
Management of Personnel Resources
- Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
Reading Comprehension
- Reading work-related information.
Instructing
- Teaching people how to do something.
Service Orientation
- Looking for ways to help people.
Science
- Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
Technology Design
- Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
Management of Material Resources
- Managing equipment and materials.
Mathematics
- Using math to solve problems.
Coordination
- Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Monitoring
- Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Critical Thinking
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Negotiation
- Bringing people together to solve differences.
Equipment Selection
- Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
Management of Financial Resources
- Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

Perceptual Speed
- Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Control Precision
- Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
Spatial Orientation
- Knowing where things are around you.
Response Orientation
- Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
Dynamic Flexibility
- Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Extent Flexibility
- Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Peripheral Vision
- Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
Mathematical Reasoning
- Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
Time Sharing
- Doing two or more things at the same time.
Speed of Limb Movement
- Quickly moving your arms and legs.
Deductive Reasoning
- Using rules to solve problems.
Written Comprehension
- Reading and understanding what is written.
Speed of Closure
- Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
Wrist-Finger Speed
- Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
Manual Dexterity
- Holding or moving items with your hands.
Oral Expression
- Communicating by speaking.
Oral Comprehension
- Listening and understanding what people say.
Problem Sensitivity
- Noticing when problems happen.
Number Facility
- Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
Selective Attention
- Paying attention to something without being distracted.
Finger Dexterity
- Putting together small parts with your fingers.
Category Flexibility
- Grouping things in different ways.
Gross Body Equilibrium
- Keeping your balance or staying upright.
Hearing Sensitivity
- Telling the difference between sounds.
Dynamic Strength
- Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
Stamina
- Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
Night Vision
- Seeing at night or under low light.
Near Vision
- Seeing details up close.
Speech Recognition
- Recognizing spoken words.
Rate Control
- Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
Visualization
- Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
Originality
- Creating new and original ideas.
Written Expression
- Communicating by writing.
Information Ordering
- Ordering or arranging things.
Gross Body Coordination
- Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
Glare Sensitivity
- Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
Far Vision
- Seeing details that are far away.
Sound Localization
- Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
Trunk Strength
- Using your lower back and stomach.
Visual Color Discrimination
- Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
Depth Perception
- Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
Reaction Time
- Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
Multilimb Coordination
- Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Keeping your arm or hand steady.
Flexibility of Closure
- Seeing hidden patterns.
Static Strength
- Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
Inductive Reasoning
- Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Fluency of Ideas
- Coming up with lots of ideas.
Memorization
- Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
Speech Clarity
- Speaking clearly.
Explosive Strength
- Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
Auditory Attention
- Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

Public Safety and Security
- Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Therapy and Counseling
- Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Administrative
- Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Engineering and Technology
- Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Design
- Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Sociology and Anthropology
- Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Philosophy and Theology
- Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
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.
Biology
- Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Foreign Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
History and Archeology
- Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
Transportation
- Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
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.
Fine Arts
- Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Customer and Personal Service
- Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Mechanical
- Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Medicine and Dentistry
- Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Telecommunications
- Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Physics
- Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
Law and Government
- Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Mathematics
- Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Production and Processing
- Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
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.
Food Production
- Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Chemistry
- Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
English Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Sales and Marketing
- Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Building and Construction
- Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Geography
- Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Computers and Electronics
- Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Economics and Accounting
- Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Communications and Media
- Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Psychology
- Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

Education

No formal educational credential

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

1 to 12 months on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

U.S. Annual Salary

65010/yr

U.S. Hourly Wage

31.26/hr

Currently Employed

13,100

Yearly Projected Openings

1300

Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:

Dependability
Attention to Detail
Leadership
Cooperation
Initiative
Stress Tolerance

Air compressors
Blocks or pulleys
Blowout preventer controls
Blowout preventers
Carbon steel pipe spectacle blind flange
Casing head spool
Cement pumping units
Choke manifolds
Claw hammer
Crown blocks
Derricks
Detonators
Diesel engines
Downhole fishing poles
Drawworks
Drill collars
Drill pipe
Drill rig rotary tables
Drill swivels
Drilling casings
Electric rotary converters
Flowmeters
Gasoline engines
Hard hats
Hoists
Impact wrenches
Industrial drill bits
Makeup tongs
Mud mixers
Mud pumps
Oilfield cementing tools
Packers or tubing anchors
Personal computers
Pipe handling equipment
Pressure indicators
Rotary drills
Safety glasses
Safety harnesses or belts
Safety vests
Specialty wrenches
Taglines
Torque wrenches
Tubing head adapter
Two way radios
Wellhead production chokes
Wellhead tees or crosses

Analytical or scientific software
Customer relationship management CRM software
Data base user interface and query software
Enterprise resource planning ERP software
Industrial control software
Object or component oriented development software
Office suite software
Spreadsheet software
Word processing software

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas

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