Drilling and Service Rig Labourer Spotlight

Drilling and Service Rig Labourers are often just starting out in the oil and gas industry. They learn the ropes by assisting others in their duties, such as cleaning equipment to make sure it is properly functioning.

What a typical day looks like:

Drilling and Service Rig Labourers assist operators on drilling rigs and service rigs with duties that generally require less skill, such as Floorhand or Leasehand tasks. On a drilling rig, Floorhands assist with placing pipe into wells, collecting samples of drill debris for analysis, mixing mud and chemicals and cleaning and maintaining equipment. Leasehands typically perform general labour and maintenance tasks around the rig site including loading and unloading trucks.

On a service rig, Floorhands assist with moving the rig and equipment from one site to another and can also help move tubing in and out of the wellbore. Onshore service rigs are mobile and Service Rig Labourers are also responsible for getting the rig and supporting equipment from one well site to the next.

Regardless of their location or role, Drilling and Service Rig Labourers attend daily safety meetings and learn proper safety procedures for the tasks at hand. They clean tools, organize materials, dismantle extracting and boring equipment and ultimately make sure that everything is ready when an operator needs it. This also means that they perform physically demanding activities in a variety of weather conditions.

Land-based drilling is seasonal with most of the work occurring in the fall and winter months. Offshore drilling is carried out by drill ships or platform drill rigs known as “jackup rigs.” Both onshore and offshore drilling rigs operate 24 hours a day and can take several weeks to drill a single well. Due to this, Drilling and Service Rig Labourers often work at a drilling site for weeks or months as new wells are drilled.

The kinds of problems Drilling and Service Rig Labourers solve at work:

Drilling and Service Rig Labourers assist operators with ongoing problem-solving to make sure the equipment is maintained and the job can be completed. Since this is considered an entry-level position, Drilling and Service Rig Labourers receive a lot of ongoing on-the-job training to ensure they are equipped with the skills they need to perform their work safely and competently. They are an important part of the drilling team.

Skills used most on the job:

Drilling and Service Rig Labourers often do not have much experience working in the oil and gas industry; however, not much industry knowledge is required to be successful in the role. It is more important that they have a positive attitude, a willingness to learn and a strong work ethic. They also pay attention to details and know the importance of staying safe. Since they work with other operators, they also need to be good listeners, handle stressful situations well and have some mechanical knowledge.

Drilling and Service Rig Labourers are often new to the oil and gas industry but have the opportunity to learn a lot through their work and on-the-job training. They are an important part of the drilling team.