Oil rig jobs

Did you know that there are approximately 1.470 oil rigs across the globe? From this figure, it's comprehensible that oil rig jobs can take you anywhere - from the Gulf of Mexico, the Middle East, Australia, and Mittelplate in the German North Sea to Brent Bravo in Scotland or Ekofisk in Norway! This, may award you the opportunity to travel to several remote places on the earth, where not everyone can reach which is why it is one of the most rewarding international jobs.

On an oil rig, many different tasks need to be performed to keep the drilling platform running. These drilling platforms, in actuality, are isolated microcosms. To reach these self-sufficient mini-cities, you need to pass through various safety checks and training courses successfully. Moreover, you can reach these drilling platforms only by ship or helicopter.

Oil rig job opportunities are not only for engineers, but they're also open for electricians, drilling technicians, or necessary pantry staff members. Apart from drilling operations and maintenance, maintaining the infrastructure is also a part of the job.

There are a plethora of job roles that offshore oil rig work offers. They are detailed as follows:

Drilling Engineers/Assistant Drillers: Suppose you've completed your studies with a technical/mechanical degree, and you hold hands-on experience in handling mechanical systems, drilling fluids, and hydraulic equipment. In that case, you may be the perfect fit for the job role of drilling engineer/assistant driller. As an assistant driller, you'll need to supervise the drilling workers like derrickman and pumpman and organize their to-do list. Additionally, your job will also involve drilling equipment, monitoring and controlling indicators, and gauging temperature, pressure, condition of the systems, and so on. Simply put, drilling engineers on oil rigs are responsible for exploring and extracting oil from wells and taking care of the drilling and other necessary tools used in the extraction process.

Drillers: The driller is the person who supervises the assembly of the drilling tools and is in charge of the drilling operations on the installation. Besides, he or she is also responsible for running safety meetings and drills designated to avoid any possible problem or accident on board.

Ballast Control Operator: As a Ballast Control Operator (BCO), you'll be responsible for controlling the vessel's stability. Since an oil rig is a floating structure, it contains a ballast tank like a ship. It holds water and is used as ballast to provide stability for a vessel. When you're working as a ballast control operator in an oil rig, you need to shoulder the responsibility of maintaining the rig's position, keeping an eye on the ballast controls, and preparing reports of the rig's stability.

Derrickman: A derrick hand or derrickman is the individual who sits atop the derrick on an oil rig. The duties of a derrickman vary from one rig to another. The common responsibility areas include but are not limited to operating and servicing oil and gas wells, transporting drilling and service rigs, and laying out tubing. The derrickman directly reports to the driller.

Offshore Installation Managers: The Offshore Installation Manager (OIM) is one of the primary members of the offshore leadership team. He is the one who acts as a manager for all related offshore activities on a rig. From conducting maintenance and training sessions to ensuring perfect adherence to the procedures, everything comes under the job role of an OIM.

Other Associated offshore/Oil Rig Jobs: Apart from the ones stated above, there are a few more associated oil rig jobs. They look like the following:

• Electrician
• Offshore Piping Designer
• Production Technician
• Geologist
• Pump Operator
• Automation Systems Specialist
• Helicopter Pilot
• Welder
• Cooking Staff
• Well Services Supervisor