Derrick operators for oil and gas rig derrick equipment and operate pumps to circulate mud or fluid through drill holes.
Inspect derricks, or order their inspection, prior to being raised or lowered.
Inspect derricks for flaws, and clean and oil derricks to maintain proper working conditions.
Control the viscosity and weight of the drilling fluid.
Repair pumps, mud tanks, and related equipment.
Set and bolt crown blocks to posts at tops of derricks.
Listen to mud pumps and check regularly for vibration and other problems to ensure that rig pumps and drilling mud systems are working properly.
Start pumps that circulate mud through drill pipes and boreholes to cool drill bits and flush out drill cuttings.
Position and align derrick elements, using harnesses and platform climbing devices.
Supervise crew members, and provide assistance in training them.
Guide lengths of pipe into and out of elevators.
Prepare mud reports, and instruct crews about the handling of any chemical additives.
Clamp holding fixtures on ends of hoisting cables.
Weigh clay, and mix with water and chemicals to make drilling mud, using portable mixers.
String cables through pulleys and blocks.
Steady pipes during connection to or disconnection from drill or casing strings.
Work Context
Work Context information for this career will be available soon.
Work Activities
Controlling Machines and Processes — Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment — Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
Handling and Moving Objects — Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Performing General Physical Activities — Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment — Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others — Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
Coaching and Developing Others — Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Training and Teaching Others — Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Mathematics
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Education and Training
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Operation Monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Operation and Control
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Repairing
Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Quality Control Analysis
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Troubleshooting
Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Equipment Maintenance
Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Management of Personnel Resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Control Precision
The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Manual Dexterity
The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Arm-Hand Steadiness
The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Reaction Time
The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
Static Strength
The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
Problem Sensitivity
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Extent Flexibility
The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Depth Perception
The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
Hearing Sensitivity
The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
Auditory Attention
The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
Stamina
The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
Trunk Strength
The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
Gross Body Equilibrium
The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
Selective Attention
The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Far Vision
The ability to see details at a distance.
Flexibility of Closure
The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Deductive Reasoning
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Oral Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Speech Clarity
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Near Vision
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Gross Body Coordination
The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together when the whole body is in motion.
Speech Recognition
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Oral Comprehension
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Inductive Reasoning
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Response Orientation
The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
Finger Dexterity
The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Visualization
The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Perceptual Speed
The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Information Ordering
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Visual Color Discrimination
The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
Rate Control
The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
Speed of Limb Movement
The ability to quickly move the arms and legs.
Speed of Closure
The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
Category Flexibility
The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
