According to people in this career, the main tasks are...
| Task | Importance |
|---|---|
| Train crews, and introduce procedures to make drill work more safe and effective. | 90% |
| Observe pressure gauge and move throttles and levers to control the speed of rotary tables, and to regulate pressure of tools at bottoms of boreholes. | 89% |
| Count sections of drill rod to determine depths of boreholes. | 88% |
| Push levers and brake pedals to control gasoline, diesel, electric, or steam draw works that lower and raise drill pipes and casings in and out of wells. | 88% |
| Connect sections of drill pipe, using hand tools and powered wrenches and tongs. | 87% |
| Maintain records of footage drilled, location and nature of strata penetrated, materials and tools used, services rendered, and time required. | 87% |
| Maintain and adjust machinery to ensure proper performance. | 86% |
| Start and examine operation of slush pumps to ensure circulation and consistency of drilling fluid or mud in well. | 85% |
| Locate and recover lost or broken bits, casings, and drill pipes from wells, using special tools. | 85% |
| Weigh clay, and mix with water and chemicals to make drilling mud. | 84% |
| Direct rig crews in drilling and other activities, such as setting up rigs and completing or servicing wells. | 84% |
| Monitor progress of drilling operations, and select and change drill bits according to the nature of strata, using hand tools. | 83% |
| Repair or replace defective parts of machinery, such as rotary drill rigs, water trucks, air compressors, and pumps, using hand tools. | 81% |
| Cap wells with packers, or turn valves, to regulate outflow of oil from wells. | 81% |
| Clean and oil pulleys, blocks, and cables. | 80% |
| Line drilled holes with pipes, and install all necessary hardware, to prepare new wells. | 80% |
| Bolt together pump and engine parts, and connect tanks and flow lines. | 79% |
| Position and prepare truck-mounted derricks at drilling areas specified on field maps. | 78% |
| Remove core samples during drilling to determine the nature of the strata being drilled. | 76% |
| Plug observation wells, and restore sites. | 69% |
| Lower and explode charges in boreholes to start flow of oil from wells. | 68% |
| Dig holes, set forms, and mix and pour concrete, for foundations of steel or wooden derricks. | 58% |
