Drilling is an important part of oil exploration and extraction in Canada and through out the world. Drilling is one of the most important methods used to access hydrocarbon formations. Rig technicians work on drilling rigs and other specialized equipment to drill holes to retrieve these hydrocarbons.

 

Drilling rigs are owned by companies specializing in drilling, called drilling contractors. Some of these contractors are larger than others and some specialize in certain types of operations. Usually, all contractors offer their drilling equipment and the services of their employees to exploration companies on a contract agreement.

 

A rig crew’s operational structure is organized by an importnatly defined set of responsibilities and duties. After gaining entry level experience as a leasehand and floorhand, workers in this trade must progress throughout the ranks of motorhand level 1 and derrickhand level 2 in order to become a fully qualified rig technician level 3.

 

A drilling rig consists of a derrick, draw-works and other surface equipment that provide the forces needed for drill pipe to bore a hole into the earth. The drilling rig drills the initial hole for the oil or gas well. After the drilling rig reaches the layer of earth that contains oil or gas, the rig is removed from the site. Special equipment, such as service rigs and pump jack, operated by skilled workers from the oil field service industry, are then used to complete the well construction and access the oil and gas.

 

Working conditions may vary with the tasks performed, rig locations and weather conditions. People in these occupations often work outdoors in remote locations. They are often exposed to extreme weather conditions as well as to the dirt, dust, noise and fumes that often exist around a rig.

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Industry Changes

 

The Rig Technician is an incredibly growing trade and is becoming increasingly high in demand. All the industry advancement and changes with more sophisticated equipment will require a higher level of skill and knowledge and will need to keep up to date with industry changes. Employment in these occupations may be seasonal. Winter is the busiest season for drilling activity.

 

The Rig technician trade has minimal entry-level requirements, generous wages, attractive work and time-off schedules and opportunities for rapid advancement. It can be a stepping stone to variety of other employment opportunities in the oil and gas industry. Rig technicians may be promoted to rig managers, or to management positions within the drilling industry. Experienced rig technicians may also be hired by specialist companies for occupations such as mud technician, directional driller, or for service occupations. They may go on to drilling related equipment sales, employment as rig training providers, occupations in rig regulation, occupations in rig supervision, oil and gas well supervision or rig safety, or various other career paths.

 

Diagnostic equipment and acoustic monitoring technology such as vibration analyzers, flow-meters, bore scopes and computerized laser alignment equipment are a few newer types of equipment that are increasingly used to view and troubleshoot internal components. Rig Technicians will need to have the operation knowledge of these equipments.

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Apprenticeship

 

To work as a rig technician 1 in Alberta, a person must be a registered apprentice in the rig technician 3 program, be an Alberta-certified journeyperson, have a qualification or equivalency credential, or hold a valid recognized credential.

 

The Rig Technician Apprenticeship program combines both theory and practical skills to help you work toward becoming a Rig Technician 3 Journeyperson. There are three levels to the program with each one covering a variety of topics and skills, as well as increasing the degree of responsibility and leadership. The requirements of each level must be completed to become a Rig Technician 3 Journeyperson and ultimately advance to management positions. Normally an apprentice will spend at least a year in each position.

 

A Rig technician 3 learns their skills and abilities by registering with Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training to participate in an apprenticeship training program in the Rig Technician 3 program. Upon successful completion, they are awarded the Alberta Journeyman Certificate for Rig Technician 3.

 

Rig Technician 1 journeyman certification is NOT available. Persons may qualify for a Rig Technician 1 credential by applying to the Qualification Certificate Program. A rig technician that holds a valid recognized credential and does not have a Red Seal may apply for the following:

• An Alberta trade certificate under the Qualification Certificat Program

• An Alberta Equivalency document under the Equivalency Program

                                         

Safety

Safe working practices and accident prevention are the primary importance to the health and safety of all person(s) at any or all work place environments. All person(s) including employee, employer and government, share this responsibility in order to keep everyone free of any dangers or accidents that may cause an individual(s) serious bodily harm or death.

 

The Occupational Health and Safety Acts and Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) Regulations, should be consistently reviewed and enforced in every work place environment. Educating and understanding these regulations is everyone’s responsibility in order to keep a safe work place environment.

 

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) has contributed to a safer work place environment. Health and safety has become a high priority in the workplace due to increased awareness of dangers and the identifications of hazardous materials. Practicing health and safety is a tremendous contribution to a safe and accident free work place environment.

 

Job Tasks

 

Motorhands:

• Maintain drilling rig engines

• TransmissionsHeating systems

• Diesel electric generators and motors

• Hydraulic systems and other mechanical equipment

• Maintain equipment logs and records Monitor fluid and supply levels

• Ensuring the crew works safely and efficiently

• Participate in rig mobilization (rig up) and demobilization (rig out)

• Supervise and able to do all duties performed by floorhands and leasehands.

 

Derrickhands:

• Operate drilling fluid systems and pumps during drilling

• Mix chemicals and additives

• Handle sections of the drill string assembly from the monkeyboard during tripping operations

• Ensuring the crew works safely and efficiently

• Monitor and record volume and properties of drilling fluids

• Supervise motorhands, floorhands and leasehands

• Able to do all duties performed by motorhands

 

Drillers:

• Operates the drawworks, rotary equipment and pumps

• Supervises the assembly of drill string

• Ensures that safety and support equipment is functioning properly

• Monitor the progress of the drilling operation and communicate with well-site supervisors

• Introduces procedures which may help the crew to work more safely and effectively

• Supervises rig mobilization and de-mobilization (rig-up and tear-out)

• Inspects rig

• Maintains records of drilling operations

• Able to perform all duties performed by any crew member

• Responsible for the safety, training and supervision of the crew members

 

Rig technicians (drillers) report directly to the drilling rig manager. The scope of the rig technician for this analysis covers the duties of motorhands, derrickhands and drillers.

 

Tools

A rig crew works with a variety of hand and power tools, as well as motorized equipment, lifting and hoisting equipment, and personal protective and safety equipment. Computers are an important tool in this trade to maintain operational records and interpret data related to drilling activities.

• Adjustable wrenches

• Alignment bars

• Banding tools

• Cable cutter

• Casing cutters

• Chisels, punches

• Chain tongs

• Chain, bench and pipe vises

• Cleaning tools (brooms, scrub brushes, etc.)

• Combination wrenches

• Crowbar, pinch bar

• Drill bits

• EZ outs

• Files

• Flaring tool

• Hammer wrench

• Hammers (ball peen, 5 lb. 10 lb. sledge hammer)

• Hex keys

• Jacks

• Levels

• Limbing saw (swede saw)

• Oil filter wrench

• Paint brushes

• Pipe cutters

• Pipe threader

• Pipe wrenches

• Pliers (locking needle nose etc., channel locks, side cutter)

• Safety equipment(goggles, boots, face shield etc)

• Saws (hacksaw, wood saw, hole saw)

• Screwdriver

• Shovels, spades, picks

• Snap ring pliers

• Socket sets

• Specialty tools for installing, removing jets

• Taps and dies

• Torque wrench

• Vice grips or locking pliers

• Wire brushes

• …and much more

• Uses manual rigging equipment.

• ability to recognize potential hazards such as pinch points and wet surfaces

• ability to recognize safe lifting locations or points

• ability to recognize tags on slings to identify load limits

• ability to recognize worn, damaged or defective manual rigging equipment

• knowledge of manual rigging equipment such as come-alongs, chain hoists, chains and slings

• knowledge of applications and limitations of manual rigging equipment

• knowledge of sling configurations such as basket, choke and belly

 

Skills

• Ability to pay careful attention to detail

• Critical Thinking

• Computer Knowledge

• Decision Making

• Desire to keep up-to-date with technological developments

• Manual dexterity and patience

• Mathematical, scientific, mechanical and logical reasoning abilities

• Numerical

• Oral Communication

• PLC Knowledge

• Problem Solving

• Reading Blueprints and schematics

• Writing

• Physical strength and stamina

• Emotional stability

• Mechanical aptitude

 

 

General Wages

 

• Motorhands - $27.60 an hour plus a living or subsistence allowance

       (from $50 a day when in camp to $135 a day where there is no camp)

• Derrickhands - $32.55 an hour plus a living or subsistence allowance

       (from $50 a day when in camp to $135 a day where there is no camp)

• Drillers - $38.25 an hour plus a living allowance

       (from $50 a day when in camp to $135 a day where there is no camp)

 

*Wages may be subject to change by different Companies*

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Sample Questions

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1. How is the complete loss zone recognised during Well Control Operation?

a. monitoring the active mud tank volume

b. monitoring the return flow with the flow meter

c. monitoring the pump SPM

d. monitoring the weight indicator

Ans. A

 

2. Which of the following is the main reason the stand pipe pressure gauge shows little less pressure than pump pressure gauge?

a. hydrostatic head of the mud in stand pipe.

b. gauge error.

c. dynamic pressure losses from the pump to the stand pipe.

d. position of stand pipe pressure gauge is lower than pump pressure gauge.

Ans. C

 

3. Which of the following may be the possible reason in relation to a well that was flowing when in static condition but was not flowing during the circulation?

a. pressure loss in drill string caused over balance while circulating at the bottom

b. pressure loss in the annulus caused over balance while circulating at the bottom

c. pressure loss across the bit caused over balance while circulating at the bottom

Ans. B

 

4. Which of the following is the first action to be done during killing operation and there is a sudden loss in the drill pipe pressure?

a. continue killing at same rate

b. shut the well & investigate the problem of pressure loss

c. close choke to compensate for pressure loss in drill pipe

d. increase the pump rate

Ans. D

 

5. Which of the following is the first action is to be taken while circulating out a kick mud pump failed?

a. repair the mud pump

b. change mud pump

c. shut in the well

d. no necessary action is needed

Ans. C

 

6. Which of the following may be the cause when a well was shut in on a gas kick and the SIDPP and SICP had stabilized. After sometime both start rising slowly by the same amount?

a. influx is migrating up the well bore.

b. further influx is entering the hole.

c. gauges are faulty.

d. BOP stack is leaking.

Ans. A

 

7. To prevent losses in top hole drilling, which of the following practices should be followed?

a. use of high mud weight.

b. drilling with controlled rate of penetration.

c. drilling with low circulating rate to reduce circulating pressure loss.

d. pump cement into the annulus.

Ans. B