"Rotary Drill Operator, Oil and Gas" - Part 1
Job Description, Duties and Jobs

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Duties / Tasks	Activities	Skills	Abilities	Knowledge

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Basic Job Description:

Set up or operate a variety of drills to remove petroleum products from the earth and to find and remove core samples for testing during oil and gas exploration.

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Job Duties and Tasks for: "Rotary Drill Operator, Oil and Gas"

Bolt together pump and engine parts, and connect tanks and flow lines.

Cap wells with packers, or turn valves, in order to regulate outflow of oil from wells.

Clean and oil pulleys, blocks, and cables.

Connect sections of drill pipe, using hand tools and powered wrenches and tongs.

Count sections of drill rod in order to determine depths of boreholes.

Dig holes, set forms, and mix and pour concrete, for foundations of steel or wooden derricks.

Direct rig crews in drilling and other activities, such as setting up rigs and completing or servicing wells.

Line drilled holes with pipes, and install all necessary hardware, in order to prepare new wells.

Lower and explode charges in boreholes in order to start flow of oil from wells.

Monitor progress of drilling operations, and select and change drill bits according to the nature of strata, using hand tools.

Observe pressure gauge and move throttles and levers in order to control the speed of rotary tables, and to regulate pressure of tools at bottoms of boreholes.

Position and prepare truck-mounted derricks at drilling areas that are specified on field maps.

Push levers and brake pedals in order to control gasoline, diesel, electric, or steam draw works that lower and raise drill pipes and casings in and out of wells.

Remove core samples during drilling in order to determine the nature of the strata being drilled.

Start and examine operation of slush pumps in order to ensure circulation and consistency of drilling fluid or mud in well.

Weigh clay, and mix with water and chemicals to make drilling mud.

Locate and recover lost or broken bits, casings, and drill pipes from wells, using special tools.

Maintain and adjust machinery in order to ensure proper performance.

Maintain records of footage drilled, location and nature of strata penetrated, materials and tools used, services rendered, and time required.

Plug observation wells, and restore sites.

Repair or replace defective parts of machinery, such as rotary drill rigs, water trucks, air compressors, and pumps, using hand tools.

Train crews, and introduce procedures to make drill work more safe and effective.