About This Career

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

This career is part of the Energy cluster Production pathway.

A person in this career:

• Trains crews, and introduces procedures to make drill work more safe and effective.
• Observes pressure gauge and moves throttles and levers to control the speed of rotary tables, and to regulate pressure of tools at bottoms of boreholes.
• Counts sections of drill rod to determine depths of boreholes.
• Pushes 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.
• Connects sections of drill pipe, using hand tools and powered wrenches and tongs.
• Maintains records of footage drilled, location and nature of strata penetrated, materials and tools used, services rendered, and time required.
• Maintains and adjusts machinery to ensure proper performance.
• Starts and examines operation of slush pumps to ensure circulation and consistency of drilling fluid or mud in well.
• Locates and recovers lost or broken bits, casings, and drill pipes from wells, using special tools.
• Directs rig crews in drilling and other activities, such as setting up rigs and completing or servicing wells.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 20 lbs., sometimes up to 50 lbs. You might do a lot of lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling.
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Exposure to pollutants, gases, dust, fumes, odors, poor ventilation, etc.
• Conditions are very hot (above 90 F) or very cold (under 32 F)
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Exposed to conditions such as high voltage electricity, combustibles, explosives, and chemicals more than once a month
• Exposed to hazardous equipment such as saws, machinery, or vehicular traffic more than once a month
• Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
• Work in this occupation requires being outside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time
• Whole body vibrations, such as when operating a jackhammer
• Work at heights above 8 feet more than once a month on structures such as ladders, poles, scaffolding, and catwalks

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Picking out a particular sound in the presence of other sounds
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Overnight travel