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Oil and gas well drillers and well servicers

OaSIS code 83101.01

Oil and gas well drillers and well servicers control the operation of drilling and hoisting equipment on drilling and service rigs, and direct the activities of the rig crew under supervision of the rig manager.

Overview

Also known as

  • Driller - oil and gas drilling

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Oil and gas well drillers and well servicers
  • Direct rig crew in setting up rigs and drilling, completing or servicing oil and gas exploration and producing wells
  • Operate controls of drill or service rig drilling and hoisting machinery
  • Train or arrange for training of crew
  • Maintain records of drilling and servicing operations
  • Ensure safety procedures are followed.

Additional information

  • Mobility between jobs on drilling and service rigs is limited by the differences in the machinery, tools and operations performed, but mobility is possible especially from drilling to service rigs.
  • Progression to crew supervisor or manager is possible with experience and additional education and training.
  • The Red Seal endorsement allows for interprovincial mobility.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

  • Water well drillers (72501)
  • Oil and gas well drilling and related workers and services operators (84101)

NOC hierarchy breakdown

NOC version

NOC 2021 Version 1.0

Broad occupational category

8 – Natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations

TEER

3 – Occupations usually require a college diploma or apprenticeship training of less than two years; or more than six months of on-the-job training

Major group

83 – Occupations in natural resources and related production

Sub-major group

831 – Occupations in natural resources and fisheries

Minor group

8310 – Underground miners, oil and gas drillers and related occupations

Unit group

83101 – Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers

Occupational profile

83101.01 – Oil and gas well drillers and well servicers

Work characteristics

Work characteristics gathers the various components describing the work environment of each occupation, such as employers, work activities, and the work context. Each category displays up to 10 descriptors in descending order based, firstly, on their attributed ratings by the level of complexity (for Work Activities) or other measurement dimensions (for Work Context), and secondly, in alphabetical order. The whole list of descriptors and their ratings can be expanded at the bottom of each page.

Work Activities

Proficiency or complexity level
Controlling Machines and Processes
5 - Highest Level
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material
5 - Highest Level
Mechanical Maintenance
5 - Highest Level
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
5 - Highest Level
Performing General Physical Activities
5 - Highest Level

Work Context

Structural Job Characteristics

Structured versus Unstructured Work
Degree of freedom to determine tasks and priorities
2 - Low amount of freedom
Work Week Duration
Worked hours in a typical week
3 - More than 40 hours

Physical Work Environment

Physical Proximity
Physical distance from others
4 - Close (at arm’s length)

Physical Demands

Sitting
Duration
1 - Very little time
Standing
Duration
4 - More than half the time
Bending or Twisting the Body
Duration
3 - About half the time

Interpersonal Relations

Contact with Others
Frequency
4 - Every day, a few times per day
Duration
4 - More than half the time
Work with Work Group or Team
Importance
4 - Highly important
Frequency
4 - Every day, a few times per day

Workplaces/employers

  • Drilling and well servicing contractors
  • Petroleum producing companies

Skills and abilities

This section displays the various competencies required for an occupation. Each category displays up to 10 descriptors in descending order based, firstly, on their attributed ratings by the level of proficiency (for Skills and Abilities) or importance (for Personal Attributes) and secondly, in alphabetical order. The whole list of descriptors and their ratings can be expanded at the bottom of each page.

Abilities

Proficiency or complexity level
Auditory Attention
5 - Highest Level
Depth Perception
5 - Highest Level
Static Strength
5 - Highest Level
Trunk Strength
5 - Highest Level
Control of Settings
4 - High Level

Skills

Proficiency or complexity level
Operation and Control
4 - High Level
Preventative Maintenance
4 - High Level
Repairing
4 - High Level
Troubleshooting
4 - High Level
Coordinating
3 - Moderate Level

Personal Attributes

Importance
Collaboration
4 - Highly important
Adaptability
3 - Important
Analytical Thinking
3 - Important
Attention to Detail
3 - Important
Independence
3 - Important

Interests

The OaSIS uses the Holland Codes to describe the work-related interests. According to the Holland model, people work best in work environments that match their preferences, which means that people and work environments can be matched for a best fit. Occupational environments in Holland’s theory are described according to a combination of main interests and the activities they represent. There are six interests in the Holland typology: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising and Conventional. All occupations in OaSIS have up to three interests assigned to them.

Interests

Preferences for work environments and outcomes.

Interests profile: REC

Realistic (R)

Realistic occupations are characterized by the dominance of activities that entail the explicit, ordered or systematic manipulation of objects, tools, machines and animals. Many of these occupations do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Enterprising (E)

Enterprising occupations are characterized by the dominance of action-oriented activities to attain organizational or self-interest goals. They frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects, influencing, leading or mobilizing people, making decisions, and sometimes require risk taking and dealing with business.

Conventional (C)

Conventional occupations are characterized by the dominance of activities that entail following sets of procedures and routines. These activities may include systematic manipulation of data, such as keeping records, filing materials, reproducing materials, organizing written and numerical data according to a prescribed plan, and operating business and data processing. They often require following a clear line of authority and usually involve working with data and details more than with ideas.

Employment requirements

Employment requirements includes the education, training, certifications and the knowledge required to work in each occupation. The Knowledge category displays up to 10 descriptors in descending order based, firstly, on their attributed ratings by the level of proficiency, and secondly, in alphabetical order. The whole list of Knowledge descriptors and their ratings can be expanded at the bottom of each page.

Education, certification and licensing

  • Completion of secondary school is usually required.
  • Oil and gas well drillers and well servicers require three to six months of formal on-the-job training, college or petroleum industry-approved training courses and four or more years of work experience in subordinate rig crew positions.
  • A college diploma in drilling may be required.
  • Offshore work requires several years of experience in an equivalent position on land.
  • Certificates in first aid, hydrogen sulphide awareness, blowout prevention, well control, workplace hazardous materials information system (WHMIS), transportation of dangerous goods (TDG) and a special oil well operator (boiler) certificate are required.
  • A provincial blaster's licence, and seismic blaster and oil well blaster certification are required for well perforation services.
  • Trade certification for rig technician is compulsory in Alberta and available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories.
  • Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified rig technicians upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.

Knowledge

Knowledge level
Geoscience
2 - Intermediate Level
Vehicle, Machinery and Equipment Operations
2 - Intermediate Level
Clerical
1 - Basic Level
Geological Resources
1 - Basic Level
Languages
1 - Basic Level

Skills for success

 
Skills for Success Model
 
Skills for Success are skills that help you in a quickly changing world. Everyone benefits from having these skills. They can help you to get a job, progress at your current job or even change jobs. The skills also help you become an active member of your community and succeed in learning.
 
 
Linkages Between ESDC Skills Models and Frameworks
 
ESDC makes available a dictionary of over 300 terms (or descriptors) and definitions, known as the Skills and Competencies Taxonomy (SCT). Descriptor information from the Taxonomy is used in the Occupational and Skills Information System (OaSIS).
 
While there is general commonality of meaning between the descriptors in the SCT and the Skills for Success model, there are some differences in their definitions due to their distinct purposes. The Skills for Success Model [9 broadly defined skills] identifies the skills that are universally applicable. The SCT displays specific skills and competency requirements for 900 occupations. Users of the Skills for Success Model and Essential Skills content may find competency information from the Taxonomy and the OaSIS to be complementary.
 
Stay tuned to this section for more information and updates regarding linkages between the Skills for Success model and the OaSIS.

O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Employment and Social Development Canada has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

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