Drilling rig personnel set up and use drilling rigs to explore viable sites for producing oil, gas, helium, potash, lithium, and hydrogen. Each rig consists of a derrick, draw-works, and other surface equipment to drill a wellbore down into the earth. After the drilling rig reaches the target formation, it is dismantled and removed from the site, and then a service rig moves onsite to complete the well.
Service rigs maintain, complete, and abandon wells. They are fully mobile units, carrying the derrick and rig floor to well sites. Service rig personnel drive rig equipment in convoy with other service rig vehicles from one well location to another.
On a drilling rig, there are several positions from junior to senior, including leasehand, floorhand, motorhand, derrickhand, and driller.
On a service rig, there are typically three positions from junior to senior, including floorhand, derrickhand, and operator/driller.
Drilling and Service Rig Positions
Leasehands perform housekeeping tasks, such as:
- Clean ice from walkways
- Clean tools and equipment
- Put rig tools and equipment away after use
- Help other crew members do odd jobs
- Help other crew members fulfil rig manager requests
- Watch for and remove hazards, such as debris and objects that are in the way of travel
- After they are trained and certified on load equipment, they may load and unload casing, tubing trucks, or mud trucks
Floorhands:
- Clean and organize tools, tool sheds, and rig equipment work areas
- Learn to operate power tongs, which connect and disconnect the lower thread ends of tubing or drill pipe (when it is being lowered into and pulled from the cased or open-hole wellbore)
- Catch samples of circulation returns or drilled cuttings on a drilling rig (to be analyzed by geologists on site)
- Help run tubing or casing into a well after drilling is completed
- Clean and maintain equipment as per the rig manager‘s or company’s policies
- Perform housekeeping tasks, such as keeping the service rig work floor or drilling floor clean; painting, organizing, or scrubbing around the rig, and helping the service or drilling crew members as instructed
Motorhands:
- Regularly maintain drilling rig engines, transmissions, heating systems, diesel electric generators and motors, hydraulic systems, and other mechanical equipment
- Maintain equipment logs and preventive maintenance records
- Monitor inventories of fuels, oil filters, lube oils, greases, and other service items
- Work under the direction of the derrickhand and driller
- Supervise, train, and work with floorhands and labourers
- Ensure floorhands and labourers safely and efficiently participate in rig mobilization and de-mobilization (rig-up and tear-out)
Derrickhands:
- Work under the direction of the driller
- Assist the driller with crew supervision, ensuring the crew works safely and efficiently
- Participate in rig mobilization and de-mobilization
On drilling rigs, derrickhands:
- Operate and maintain drilling fluid systems and pumps during drilling
- Mix fluid chemicals and additives as required
- Handle sections of drill string from a platform high above the rig floor on the derrick during tripping operations
- Monitor and record mud flows, volumes, and fluid properties (mud weight)
On service rigs, derrickhands:
- Work high above the rig floor on a platform called a tubing board
- Guide lengths of tubing, testing instruments, or special servicing tools such as fishing tools or paraffin scraping devices as they are raised from or lowered into the well
- Steady items while they are connected or disconnected
- Inspect the derrick before it is raised or lowered
- Operate the rod basket, which is used to store sucker rods pulled from the well
- Pump fluid and maintain the pump and tank on location
Drillers or Operators:
- Operate the draw-works, rotary equipment, and pumps, and supervise the assembly of drill string (on drilling rigs)
- Operate hoisting equipment control panels (on service rigs)
- Ensure that safety and support equipment is functioning properly
- Keep a current record of operations and drilling progress
- Supervise rig mobilization and de-mobilization
- Supervise rig crews and the operation of equipment, ensuring they work safely and efficiently
- Train crew members
- Introduce procedures to help the crew work more safely and effectively
- Report directly to drilling or service rig manager
