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Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas

The occupation Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas covers people who set up or operate a variety of drills to remove underground oil and gas, or remove core samples for testing during oil and gas exploration. The job can ask you to train crews, and introduce procedures to make drill work more safe and effective. The strongest interest signal is Realistic (7.0 of 7), then Conventional (3.8) and Investigative, which gives it the code RCI. Plan on a few months to a year of learning on the job; O*NET labels this some preparation. Strength in operations monitoring, operation and control, and critical thinking helps most here. It tends to suit people who want hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world, and it offers little for anyone seeking creative work with room for original expression.

What they do

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

Main tasks

  • Train crews, and introduce procedures to make drill work more safe and effective.
  • Observe pressure gauge and move throttles and levers to control the speed of rotary tables, and to regulate pressure of tools at bottoms of boreholes.
  • Maintain records of footage drilled, location and nature of strata penetrated, materials and tools used, services rendered, and time required.
  • Push 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.
  • Connect sections of drill pipe, using hand tools and powered wrenches and tongs.
  • Count sections of drill rod to determine depths of boreholes.

Skills

  • Operations Monitoring
  • Operation and Control
  • Critical Thinking
  • Monitoring
  • Instructing
  • Active Listening

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You like ending the day with a physical result you can point to.
  • You like clear rules and getting the details right.
  • You want to start work after a short stretch of training.
  • You are comfortable relying on operations monitoring and operation and control.

May not suit you if

  • You would rather stay away from physical, hands-on tasks.
  • You need creative expression to be a big part of your day. Artistic rates 1.0 out of 7 here.
  • You want a career built on years of advanced study.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code RCI takes the three highest, and Realistic comes first here.

Preparation

Some preparation. Most people start with a high school diploma, then learn from experienced coworkers over a few months to a year.

Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Less than a High School Diploma. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.

Also called

  • Daylight Driller
  • Drill Operator
  • Driller
  • Motor Man
  • Oil Rig Driller

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.