Solids Control Technician Spotlight

Solid Control Technicians use their skills to separate the solids produced by crushed drill bits and other debris from drilling fluids and mud. But like the fluids they work with they’re a mix – part electrician, part millwright, part chemist and part customer service representative.

What a typical day looks like:

Solids Control Technicians operate stages of specialized equipment or train field workers to operate them. Every stage removes finer and finer solid particles until the drilling fluid or mud can be reused.

Solids Control Technicians work in the field, traveling between sites, rigging up equipment, experimenting with different configurations, taking samples, ensuring compliance and training operators. They also inspect solids control equipment and associated systems, arrange for the disposal of collected solids, perform maintenance and participate in on-site safety and emergency drills.

Every job is different because every rig has different conditions – different ground formations, drilling muds, styles of drill bits and drilling programs. But no matter where Solids Control Technicians go, they work in shifts in all weather conditions.

The kinds of problems Solids Control Technicians solve at work:

A Solids Control Technician’s main issue is always helping customers achieve their solids control goals, which can often mean that they need to troubleshooting mechanical or electrical issues. With enough experience, they may even be able to solve problems without going out to the field.

Skills used most on the job:

Solids Control Technicians need soft skills, like customer service and communication. They also have solid hard skills, particularly when it comes to machinery and chemistry. It’s a mix that, unlike drilling mud, requires no separation: the combination is what makes a solid Solids Control Technician.