Slickline Operator

In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.

The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used. Here is how this occupation has been classified over time:

• 2006 NOC: Oil and Gas Well Loggers, Testers and Related Workers (8232.2) 
• 2006 NOC-S: Oil and Gas Well Drillers, Servicers, Testers and Related Workers (I132) 
• 2011 NOC: Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers (8232) 
• 2016 NOC: Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers (8232) 

Slickline operators draw their name from the slender, flexible, metal cable used to lower special instruments into oil and gas wells. The length and grade of slickline used depends on the job (for example, the weight of the tools it is raising or lowering) and the depth of the well hole. Slicklines are used for temperature and pressure surveys, downhole completion operations, well optimization and production enhancement. They are connected at one end on the surface to spooled drums on slickline trucks and at the other end to slickline sheaves that direct the slickline down the wellbore.

From the surface, slickline operators:

• Remove sand and paraffin from the wellbore
• Use weight indicator gauges and depth counters to monitor the tension and depth of the slickline
• Run instruments to record bottom hole pressure and temperature
• Install and retrieve valves, plugs and pressure regulators
• Lower and raise downhole tools and plugs to proper depth
• Direct fishing tools used to retrieve broken or lost wire or equipment
• Mechanically manipulate downhole tools from operator compartments in slickline trucks
• Operate hydraulic pumps to spool slickline back onto reel drums

In Alberta, this is a designated occupation with the following levels:

• Assistant operators provide support and assist with pre- and post-job operations.
• Level 1 operators perform job planning, implementation and evaluation of pressure control equipment, as well as the running of slickline tools. They may also service equipment and ensure conformance to industry practices.
• Level 2 operators, in addition to the tasks above, these operators may perform fishing, bailing and perforating. This role involves implementing health and safety policies and environmental policies, supporting relationship with customers and supervising crew training.
• Level 3 operators may perform the duties of level 2 operators as well as perform complex operations in sour critical and high-pressure wells and supervise other operators.

Precision and accuracy in the direction of slickline operations is extremely important and involves a great deal of skill.

Slickline operators primarily work outdoors and may find themselves on tasks up to 5 metres from the ground. They are sometimes exposed to extremes in weather as well as to the dirt, dust, noise and fumes common around wells. Other times they may be working in heated and air-conditioned operators compartments.

Hours of work vary from one company to another but may include 12-hour rotating shifts with 2 weeks on and 1 week off. Occasionally operators will need to work overnight or be on 24-hour call. When wells are in remote locations, slickline operators may stay in camps or hotels.

The work is physically demanding and may involve lifting items that weigh up to 25 kilograms. Workplace hazards include working on high-pressure sour gas wells, working near or with heavy tools and moving machinery, and exposure to chemical substances such as paint, motor oil and drilling mixture substances and explosives.

Safety is very important in slickline operations, so operators must follow safety practices and participate in safety meetings and emergency procedure drills.

Slickline operators are employed by:

• Companies that specialize in slickline activities
• Oil field service companies that provide slickline services as part of their operation

New employees usually begin as helpers or junior operators and often are hired initially as seasonal workers for the winter months. With experience, they have the opportunity to take on higher levels of responsibility. Advancement depends on the company and the worker’s ability and potential to assume responsibility and supervise operations.

Some employers perform routine drug testing of their employees.

Slickline operators are part of the larger 2011 National Occupational Classification 8232: Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers. In Alberta, 82% of people employed in this classification work in the Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction [pdf] industry.

The employment outlook [pdf] in this occupation is influenced by a wide variety of factors including:

• Trends and events affecting overall employment, especially in the Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction industry
• Location in Alberta
• Employment turnover (when people leave existing positions)
• Occupational growth (when new positions are created)
• Size of the occupation

In Alberta, the 8232: Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers occupational group is expected to have a below-average annual growth of 1.3% from 2019 to 2023. In addition to job openings created by employment turnover, 332 new positions are forecasted to be created within this occupational group each year.

Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training website: tradesecrets.alberta.ca

Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors (CAODC) website: caodc.ca

Energy Safety Canada website: www.energysafetycanada.com

PetroLMI, Career in Oil and Gas (COG) website: careersinoilandgas.com

Petroleum Services Association of Canada (PSAC) website: www.psac.ca

Get information and referrals about career, education, and employment options from Alberta Supports.