Wages / Positions Available
There certainly are a lot of different reports about the wages one will
make offshore. These reports range from mildly out of line to out right absurd.
While they might seem absurd to me, to someone who has never been in the
patch I imagine they are quite believable.
The oilfield always has (and still does) have the reputation of for being
a place to work and earn a good salary. This is due to the fact that wages
are computed on an 84 hour work week. Normally, everything after 40 hours is
time and one half. I say normally as this is the way most companies do it.
However there are some companies that splith up the work week and you don't
end up with the 44 hours of overtime.
I've never worked with a company like that, so I can't tell you first
hand how it works, but I do know it happens. Before I talk about actual
wages, I want to give you a few things to be leery of.
If you are entry level are a skilled trades person there is not way
you are going to make $100,000 per year. You are not going to make $60,000
per year. I was recently at one site which claimed the average starting wage
was $65,000.
I was at another site that claimed you could be working in as little as 2
weeks and earning upwards of $100,000 per year. The key word here is COULD.
For example, you COULD win the lotto. Are you starting to get the point?
One site claims £60,000 per year. One site has many claims:
- Maintenance Roustabout ($60,000)
- Maintenance Foreman ($65,000)
- Assistant Crane Operator ($65,000)
- Crane operator ($67,500)
- Roughneck ($60,000)
- Pumpman (Assistant Dereckman) ($65,500)
- Dereckman ($65,000)
- Steward/ess ($48,000)
- Cook ($60,000)
- Night baker ($60,000)
- Camp boss ($70,500)
- Maintenance supervisor (Electrical)($90,500)
- Control Room Operator (CRO) ($65,000)
- Motorman($60,500)
- Assistant mechanic($65,000)
- Welder ($65,000)
- Medic($65,000)
- Rig Safety & Training Co-ordinator (RSTC)($80,000)
- Materials man/woman(Storeman/woman)($65,000)
- Painter($60,500)
Offshore Drilling
Drilling Department
There are many good positions available not only in the offshore drilling industry, but
in the onshore oil exploration industry. Since the actual drilling of the well, called
making
hole, is basically the same onshore as offshore, I have included positions available
for onshore as well as offshore.
Whether a well is being drilled offshore or onshore, the actual drilling is performed
by a group of men called the drill crew. The drill crew provides the muscle for the
drilling operation, consisting of:
Driller
The driller is in charge of the operation on the rig floor and controls the
drilling process. He has a very responsible position and is required to have a great deal
of technical knowledge. The safety of everyone on the rig is often dependent on his
decisions. He has to be thoroughly familiar with drilling fluids, well pressures and
characteristics, and emergency procedures. It takes many years of working as a roughneck
and derrickman to possess the experience to be a good driller.
Derrickman
- The derrickman, not surprisingly, gets his title because he spends a lot of time at the
top of the derrick racking pipe during trips. A trip is when the drill string
is pulled out of the hoe or put back in. (A string is individual joints of pipe connected
together. A string can be many miles long.) When he is not tripping pipe, the Derrickman
will normally be found in the pump room, where the tremendously high- pressure pumps used
to pump drilling fluids (which control well pressures) are located. His responsibility
there is for the maintenance of the mud pumps and related equipment. Also, he is
responsible for the mixing of the drilling fluids, called mud, to see that it is
the right consistency and has the proper chemicals in it.
Shakerhand or Mudman
- The shakerhand, sometimes called the mudman, works in the shaker room when drilling is
in progress to monitor the shakers. These are screens mounted on a vibrating
motor that separate the down-hole cuttings from the drilling fluid. The shakerhand
maintains this equipment and weighs the mud. If the mud weighs less coming out of the hole
than going in, the driller knows it is being cut by gas. If the driller doesn't do
something to change that condition, a kick could result, turning into a
full-scale blowout in a short period of time. While kicks are common in the industry,
resulting when well pressures get out of hand, blowouts are a rarity. When the rig floor
is tripping pipe, the shaker hand is on the floor, assisting the floormen.
Floormen or Roughnecks
- Floormen and roughnecks are the general laborers on the rig floor. During a trip, they
work the tongs, which are very large wrench-like devices used to tighten and
loosen the drill pipe. They also work other assorted equipment, such as a spinning chain
or a spinning wrench. When they are not actually making a trip, they will be found doing
general maintenance on the rig floor, painting or whatever needs to be done.
Motorman
- The motorman works in the motor room and controls the engines that supply power for the
rig. The motorman is also responsible for the air compressors and water makers. Water
makers change sea water into fresh water. The motorman also does reports on the equipment,
keeps up with running-time hours, changes oil, filters, etc.
The above positions encompass the actual drill crew. On many rigs there are other
positions which are not necessarily involved in the actual drilling process but come under
the classification of drill drew.
Assistant Driller
- On rigs that have an AD slot, the job is really that of a driller trainee. He also helps
the floorhands during a trip and supervises the men when the driller is concentrating on
his job.
Crane Operator
- The cranes on a drilling rig range anywhere from a 15-ton to an 80-ton lifting capacity.
Most supplies, pipe, casings, specialized equipment, groceries, etc., come to the rig by
means of a supply or crew boat. The CO tries to get these supplies off the boat and onto the rig
without undue damage. He is also responsible for supplying the rig floor with everything
needed and is in charge of the roustabout crew. He does general maintenance on the cranes
and general cleaning and painting on the rig. Running a crane offshore is very
different from running one onshore because the rig, especially a floating rig, is
constantly moving due to the wave and wind action. The supply boat is also bouncing up and down as
it is being unloaded or loaded. Crane operators need to have keen reflexes and a very good
sense of depth perception. A good sense of humor is a plus too.
Roustabouts
- Usually four roustabouts work under the crane operator's supervision. These are the
riggers and general laborers for the rig. When a boat comes in, two roustabouts board it
and two stay on the rig. The two on the boat hook up the supplies and equipment, and the
two on the rig unhook it. They do the general cleaning, painting, light maintenance, and
everything else that needs to be done.
All the above positions make up the complete rig drill crew. However, onshore rigs do
not usually have a crane operator or roustabouts on duty at all times as is required
offshore. On an offshore drilling vessel, two complete drill crews are required to be on
board at all times.
Maintenance Department
The heart of the rig is the maintenance crew. They keep the life flow of the rig a
reality. Without them, nothing else would function.
Senior Mechanic/Electrician
- The senior mechanic is in charge of the maintenance crew. He supervises their day-to-day
activities, ensures that the maintenance program for the rig is always kept up-to-date,
and serves as an extra hand in the event of mechanical or electrical failures.
Rig Mechanic
- The rig mechanic maintains the rig's equipment on a PM (preventive maintenance) program
and repairs it when it goes down. Rig mechanics must be familiar with diesel engines,
hydraulic systems, piping and valve systems, and any other type of mechanical equipment on
the rig.
Rig Electrician
- The rig electrician works on and repairs all the electrical systems
aboard the rig, from ice cream machines to the Silicon Controlled Rectifier system. The
SCR system changes the kinetic energy of diesel engines into the AC and DC power that all
the rig components operate on. The rig electrician and rig mechanic both need to be good
troubleshooters.
Rig Welder
- Since almost everything on the rig is made from metal, a welder is right at home.
Anything added to the rig must be built from scratch. A rig welder must be skilled at
layout, fabrication, and sometimes design. He must be able to improvise on the spot. And,
he must be very competent at welding. Some of the pipe he welds will carry very high
pressure. The safety of others will depend on his competence.
Marine Department
The Marine Department is the nerve center of the rig. However, marine crews are usually
found only on semi-submersibles or drill ships, called floaters. (Remember, these
types of rigs actually float during drilling operations, hence their names.) The main
responsibility of the marine crew is to ensure that the rig remains afloat.
Barge Engineer
- The barge engineer is in charge of the marine department on all floaters that are not
self-propelled. His main responsibilities include, safety, fire and abandon rig
procedures, and the adherence of the rig to Coast Guard regulations.
Ballast Controlman or Watchstander
- Before the rig can drill, it must be stable. The ballast controlman ensures that this
takes place. In his control room are relays which control ballast valves. These valves
allow sea water in or out of the rig to determine the rig's trim. The BC also writes
stability reports, takes on fuel, barite, drinking water, drill water, serves as a
radioman, and calls out football scores on Sundays and Mondays over the PA system.
Cleaner/Painter
- A cleaner/painter crewman does just that. They clean and paint and provide general
labor.
Captain and Chief Engineer
- On self-propelled rigs, a licensed captain and chief engineer will
have to be on board at all times while the vessel is underway. These positions are
available only through Coast Guard testing and certification, and can be gotten only after
many years of experience at sea.
Other Positions
On some floaters there are Able-bodied Seamen (called AB) and Ordinary Seamen. They
work in the Marine Department. The ABs are responsible for painting, mooring equipment,
and the upkeep of the lifeboats and escape capsules. Ordinary seamen work under the
supervision of an AB.
Toolpusher
All rigs have one of these fine gentlemen. He is the overall supervisor of the rig. The
boss! Toolpushers are responsible for coordinating plans of the oil company with the
drilling department, scheduling all work, handling personnel, promotions, terminations,
etc., authorization for ordering supplies, and supplying technical information when
needed.
Storekeeper
All of the larger rigs and most of the floaters have a storekeeper. His
responsibilities are very similar to those of a clerk in a parts house. He is responsible
for supplying rig personnel with all they need to complete their mission. Things such as
paint, soap, machinery parts, tools, etc. He also inventories these supplies and
requisitions them as necessary. The storeroom is also a place to get a good cup of coffee.
Rig Medic and Safety Man
This position has come into existence very strongly in the last ten years. It is a very
comforting thought to know that there is a trained medical technician on board. Some
companies take regular people and train them in advanced first aid courses. Other
companies prefer people with para-medical training and experience and often recruit
heavily from the military.
Sub Sea Engineer
A sub sea engineer is a mechanic for the underwater blow-out prevention system (BOP),
marine riser and tensioned systems. He is a highly trained individual, has been sent to
many schools by his company, and should be competent enough to trace and repair any
problem which may arise on any part of the BOP system. He also works the equipment or
gives advice in emergency situations.
(The BOP system is a four-story conglomeration of valves and hoses. It sits on the
ocean floor and is connected to the rig by a riser. The riser serves as an
insulator to keep seawater out during the drilling process. When a blowout occurs, high
pressure gas blasts upward through the hole toward the surface. If it is not controlled,
it could erupt on the rig, cause a fire, damage to property, and cause loss of life. The
BOP, when utilized correctly, will prevent these dangers from happening. People who have a
good background in hydraulics and pneumatics tend to qualify for these positions.)