Oil Rig Job Definitions
Offshore oil drilling platforms, or oil rigs, are built to access undersea oil deposits. They're all over the planet -- off the California coast, in the Persian Gulf and the North Sea, in the Gulf of Mexico and many other places.
Working on rigs can be physically demanding, but the pay is very good -- entry-level people, learning on the job, can make $40,000 a year. This is alongside (while on the rig) food and accommodations at the company's expense. Most rig crewpeople rotate on a 14/21-day schedule -- two weeks on the rig, three weeks on shore.
Other People Are Reading
-
Driller
-
"Most oil rigs," says Jobmonkey.com, "have either 2 or 3 crews made up of several people doing different types of jobs. Generally, the driller supervises each of the crews while himself under the supervision of the rig manager."
As team leaders, drillers need good organization and communication skills; they're in charge of people and have to make sure the work gets done. They maintain records, move drilling equipment around, analyze information and operate drilling controls.
Below the driller, there's a number of roles.
Roustabout
-
Roustabouts/roughnecks (the terms are considered interchangeable) are the entry-level jobs on oil rigs. Training (especially in mechanical areas) is helpful but generally not necessary.
Roustabouts work on drill teams doing unskilled or semi-skilled work -- they paint, scrape rust, clean equipment, maintain equipment and do anything else that needs to be done. They tighten and loosen pipes, clean spilled oil and run errands such as fetching tools and equipment.
Most people on oil rigs began as roustabouts -- with education and experience, there's a lot of room to get promoted into more responsible jobs. -
Derrickman
-
One job that roustabouts can move into is derrickman, or derrickhand. Derrickmen (who can be either male or female, of course), work on the rigs' masts, or derricks, high above the rig "floor." Wearing a safety harness, they reach from the platform to deploy and retract the drill pipes.
They're also responsible for maintaining and inspecting the derrick itself, and for handling drilling fluids -- known as "mud" -- that are used to lubricate drill bits and parts.
Motorman
-
Another mid-level job is motorman, the crew member responsible for the engines that drive the drills. Motormen are essentially mechanics (and mechanical certifications are very helpful in the job) -- they perform repairs and maintenance, operate the rig's pumping system and assemble/disassemble equipment.
Toolpusher
-
The senior person on each rig is known as the toolpusher. Usually supervising two or three drilling teams, the toolpusher is responsible for everything that happens on the rig.
As fits the job's responsibility, toolpushers are experienced people, often having worked their way up from roustabout. As well as managing the drilling crews, the toolpusher is in charge of logistics -- making sure the rig is well-supplied with everything needed for safe and productive operations.
Medic
-
Oil rigs are often isolated and can be dangerous. Rig workers operate heavy machinery, sometimes from great heights, in an often-flammable environment. As a result, they also need medical staff. Rig medics treat accident victims as well as taking care of workers' general health. They handle dental and psychiatric care, for instance, until the worker can be taken to a specialized center.
Depending on the company, according to staffing contractor Don Pedro Shipping, a medic is also expected "to act as personnel officer, administrator, and, with some companies, Safety Officer, Helicopter Landing Officer, and storeman."
-
