Description
Drill operators supervise a team during rigging and drilling operations. They monitor well activity and take measures in case of emergencies.
Duties
The duties of a drill operator include, but are not limited to:
- Operating a jackhammer to break up hard surfaces such as concrete or rock
- Inspecting the progress of a drill site at regular intervals to ensure that it is progressing according to schedule
- Reporting any problems with equipment or procedures to supervisors or engineering staff as necessary
- Reviewing blueprints or other plans to determine where to begin drilling holes
- Assisting an engineer or geologist in planning where to drill in order to obtain samples of minerals or rock for testing purposes
- Monitoring equipment to ensure that it is working properly and taking steps to repair it if it malfunctions
- Operating a variety of drilling equipment including rotary rigs, percussion rigs, cable tool rigs, and air hammer rigs
- Maintaining the safety of fellow workers by observing for unsafe conditions and reporting them to supervisors
- Installing and removing drilling equipment as needed to drill holes in the earth
Working conditions
Drill operators typically work in the oil and gas industry on offshore drilling rigs or in land-based operations. They typically work a two-week on/two-week off schedule, which means they work for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week while they are on duty. When they are off duty, they have two weeks to rest and relax before their next shift. Drill operators must be able to work in a variety of weather conditions and be able to tolerate long periods of time away from family and friends.
Other titles
The following job titles also refer to drill operator:
oil rig driller
rig drill operator
rig driller
Minimum qualifications
A high school diploma is generally the minimum required to work as drill operator.
ISCO skill level
ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:
- the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
- the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
- the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.
Drill operator is a Skill level 2 occupation.
Drill operator career path
Similar occupations
These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to drill operator.
well-digger
tool pusher
derrickhand
underground miner
rigging supervisor
Long term prospects
These occupations require some skills and knowledge of drill operator. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of drill operator with a significant experience and/or extensive training.
desalination technician
mine safety officer
mine surveying technician
petroleum pump system operator
dismantling supervisor
Essential knowledge and skills
Essential knowledge
This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of drill operator.
- Mine safety legislation: The laws, regulations and codes of practice relevant to safety in mining operations.
- Mechanics: Theoretical and practical applications of the science studying the action of displacements and forces on physical bodies to the development of machinery and mechanical devices.
Essential skills and competences
These skills are necessary for the role of drill operator.
- Operate pumping equipment: Operate pumping equipment; oversee gas and oil transport from wellheads to refineries or storage facilities.
- Work ergonomically: Apply ergonomy principles in the organisation of the workplace while manually handling equipment and materials.
- Keep task records: Organise and classify records of prepared reports and correspondence related to the performed work and progress records of tasks.
- Supervise worker safety: Ensure safety of site personnel; supervise correct use of protective equipment and clothing; understand and implement safety procedures.
- Evaluate employees work: Evaluate the need for labour for the work ahead. Evaluate the performance of the team of workers and inform superiors. Encourage and support the employees in learning, teach them techniques and check the application to ensure product quality and labour productivity.
- Install oil rig: Transport and set up oil rig at designated location; disassemble oil rig when drilling activities have finished.
- Write work-related reports: Compose work-related reports that support effective relationship management and a high standard of documentation and record keeping. Write and present results and conclusions in a clear and intelligible way so they are comprehensible to a non-expert audience.
- Schedule shifts: Plan staff time and shifts to reflect the demands of the business.
- Present reports: Display results, statistics and conclusions to an audience in a transparent and straightforward way.
- Operate drilling equipment: Operate a range of drilling equipment, pneumatic as well as electrical and mechanical. Tend drilling equipment, monitor and operate it, according to regulations. Safely and efficiently drill holes using the correct equipment, settings, and drill bits.
- Liaise with managers: Liaise with managers of other departments ensuring effective service and communication, i.e. sales, planning, purchasing, trading, distribution and technical.
Optional knowledge and skills
Optional knowledge
This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of drill operator. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
- Health and safety hazards underground: The rules and risks affecting health and safety when working underground.
- Chemistry: The composition, structure, and properties of substances and the processes and transformations that they undergo; the uses of different chemicals and their interactions, production techniques, risk factors, and disposal methods.
Optional skills and competences
These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of drill operator. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
- Inspect pipelines: Walk flow lines to identify damage or leaks; use electronic detection equipment and conduct visual inspections.
- Monitor stock level: Evaluate how much stock is used and determine what should be ordered.
- Recruit employees: Hire new employees by scoping the job role, advertising, performing interviews and selecting staff in line with company policy and legislation.
- Maintain circulation system: Maintain the fluid pumps and circulation systems of an oil pumping system.
- Train employees: Lead and guide employees through a process in which they are taught the necessary skills for the perspective job. Organise activities aimed at introducing the work and systems or improving the performance of individuals and groups in organisational settings.
- Follow safety procedures when working at heights: Take necessary precautions and follow a set of measures that assess, prevent and tackle risks when working at a high distance from the ground. Prevent endangering people working under these structures and avoid falls from ladders, mobile scaffolding, fixed working bridges, single person lifts etc. since they may cause fatalities or major injuries.
ISCO group and title
8113 – Well drillers and borers and related workers
References
- ESCO
- Drill Operator Job Description: Salary, Duties, & More – ClimbtheLadder
- Featured image: By Gennady Grachev from Moscow, Russia – Around Moscow, CC BY 2.0