Any work related to the oil industry is very prestigious and in demand in Russia. The rig operator is just such a profession. All of its features will be described in this article.
About the profession
A drilling rig operator is a worker engaged in the production of drilling while finding gas and oil fields, mineral exploration, etc. The representative of the profession in question is obliged not only to operate drilling machines, but also to repair them. A competent specialist in the field of drilling must know all the operating modes of the existing equipment, must be able to establish a cooling system, protection or control of equipment at a distance.
The rig operator has a huge number of functions and responsibilities. In fact, he is fully responsible for the production drilling process. It is worth noting that the specialist in question must also have a large amount of knowledge. Only thanks to the knowledge, the rig operator will be able to competently organize his professional activities.
Profession training
What about the training of rig operators? To get a profession, you have to go to college or college for the relevant specialty.
There is the opportunity to take special courses, but they are not available everywhere.
During training, the future rig operator receives all the necessary knowledge about the design and operation of drilling machines, various devices, mechanisms, etc. Here are the main subjects and disciplines that a training course usually includes:
- socio-economic foundations;
- professional and special courses;
- occupational Safety and Health;
- drilling rules and methods;
- geology;
- operation of drilling machines ;
- practice and some other subjects.
It is worth noting that upon graduation, a graduate will be issued a special certificate and certificate, thanks to which the rig operator can get a job.
What should a rig operator know?
Only a person who has a secondary vocational education and at least one year work experience is able to become a master of a drilling rig.
Such an employee must have a special certificate of completion of education and a certificate necessary for admission to work. In addition to all of the above, the rig operator must have certain knowledge at a qualitative level. Of course, the amount of knowledge necessary for work depends on the rank of a professional. However, we can highlight some general points about which the representative of the profession in question should have an idea:
- labor legislation (or its basis);
- documentation: administrative, methodological or regulatory, but one way or another relating to the conduct of drilling operations;
- safety and internal labor regulations;
- labor protection basics;
- rules of sanitation and hygiene.
Functions and responsibilities of the rig operator
The profession in question is an incredibly complex, responsible and hard work.
The rig operator has a very large number of functions and responsibilities. Among them are:
- drilling operations at the designated construction site;
- mining operations;
- selection and packaging of certain soil and groundwater samples;
- transportation of necessary items.
It is worth noting that the specialist in question is obliged to perform all the functions assigned to him strictly under the supervision of a professional with higher qualifications. The employee must remember to observe safety precautions, as well as the compliance of all works with certain technological standards (these are, first of all, standards for the selection, packaging, and transportation of products).
In addition to all of the above, the rig operator is required to confirm or improve his skills every 5 years.
About the rights of the rig operator
Like any other employee, the specialist in question has certain professional rights.
What is a rig operator entitled to?
- Worker's watch must meet all safety requirements. A specialist has the right to contact the authorities in case of any violations, whether it is a failed equipment, a shortage of any tools, etc.
- The employee has the right to discuss draft decisions with the management (if these projects somehow concern the work activities of the specialist in question).
- The rig operator is able to coordinate with the management the involvement of any specialists in his work.
- The specialist in question has the right to demand assistance from his superiors in case of unforeseen situations, any problems, etc.
Thus, the rig master has a fairly wide range of professional rights.
About the responsibility of the rig operator
A large number of rights and obligations always generates a huge responsibility. In the case of a rig operator, this is precisely the case.
What is the responsible specialist responsible for?
- Like any other worker, the rig operator is responsible for the improper performance of his professional functions and duties. Everything that the job description prescribes about the functions of the specialist in question should be strictly observed, and very qualitatively and competently.
- The specialist in question is strictly responsible for violation of the labor legislation of the Russian Federation, as well as of regulations concluded with the employer.
- The employee is responsible (up to criminal) for committing offenses, crimes or any other unlawful acts in the workplace.
- For causing harm to the organization, the employee is also able to bear responsibility (in the manner prescribed by the Labor Code of the Russian Federation).
Thus, the responsibility of the rig operator is not much different from the responsibility of any other employee. However, it is important to remember about the huge number of functions assigned to the employee. Incorrect execution may well entail liability.
On the demand for the profession
Is a drilling rig operator in demand on the labor market?
Jobs, it is worth noting, there really are, but not everywhere. Everything will depend on the region (whether mining is carried out in it or not).
Nevertheless, it is worth noting one very important point: the profession in question, at least in the Russian Federation, is quite promising and prestigious. The thing is that drilling operations are somehow related to the extraction of some useful products: oil, gas, minerals, etc. The country needs these resources, and therefore professions related to mining will always be encouraged.
And what about career growth in the profession in question? Here everything will depend only on the experience of the employee and on his desire to learn. It is very important to improve your skills in a timely manner. So, an assistant rig operator can become a master, and a simple master can grow to an engineer and technical worker. It is worth mentioning such positions as the senior technician, the head of the section, the head of the unit, etc. The rig operator, having the proper desire, may well take these places.
Machinists of drilling rigs 3 and 4 categories
What can be said about the rig operator, having a third category? It is worth starting with the fact that this is the most low-skilled worker. As a rule, the third category is for beginners who have just started working after studying and practicing. A specialist with a third rank has the following responsibilities:
- participation in the drilling of first-class installations;
- the use of motor drills, portable hand sets, special rods.
An employee with the fourth category has slightly wider functions. These include:
- drilling operations using non-self-propelled impact-rotary machines;
- drilling using self-propelled rotary machines with a capacity of not more than 50 kW;
- drilling using sounding machines and much more.
Thus, a specialist with the fourth category has much more technical equipment available than a specialist with a qualification below.
Machinists of drilling rigs 5 and 6 categories
A specialist having a fifth, penultimate rank, works with the following types of equipment:
- cable drum machines;
- self-propelled rotary drilling machines;
- installations of the second class (the higher the class, the greater the load capacity of the installations);
- can use perforators, special electric drills, etc.
And what about a worker who has the sixth, most recent and most important rank? Undoubtedly, such an employee has a large number of duties and rights. As a specialist with the highest qualifications, the sixth-grade drilling rig operator is required to monitor the performance of labor duties of all other workers. Of course, a specialist with a sixth rank has a much broader range of rights and obligations.
Advantages and disadvantages of the profession
The profession in question has a number of pluses and minuses. It is worth starting with the disadvantages of work.
These include:
- Inaccessibility of getting a job in some regions. The thing is that in some areas mining is not carried out, in principle, and therefore it will be quite problematic to find a job.
- Too many responsibilities and too high responsibility. Drilling work is really quite difficult and problematic to carry out. After all, even a small mistake by a specialist can lead to serious problems.
The advantages of the profession include the following points:
- Kudos . Any work in one way or another related to mining is considered prestigious in Russia.
- Demand . Quite easily able to find a rig operator vacancy. True, the watch may not be available in all regions. Nevertheless, getting a profession is not very difficult.
- Good salary.
- The possibility of an early career growth. With due desire, the rig operator will also be able to climb the career ladder. There are enough direct employers interested in competent employees in any industry.