Derrickmen, assistant drillers and drillers are based on offshore facilities such as oil or gas rigs or drilling platforms. They work as part of a team of up to 20 people.

Derrickmen work on a platform 20-25 metres above the rig floor on the derrick, the mast that supports the drilling equipment. Duties include:

• handling and stacking sections of the drill pipe
• maintaining the derrick
• operating the lifting and hoisting machinery to position the drill
• controlling and maintaining mud pumps, and supervising mud pump operators.

They work under the supervision of the driller and assistant driller.

Assistant drillers coordinate the activities on the drill floor. They communicate instructions and information from the driller to the rest of the drilling team.

Drillers control the rate of drilling and supervise the drilling team. Their duties include:

• controlling operations on the drill floor
• overseeing assembly of the drilling tools, and connecting sections of the drill pipe
• operating and controlling the machinery that raises and lowers the drill
• keeping records of the drilling process
• making sure that the whole team follows health and safety rules.

Driller is a highly skilled role.

Hours and Environment

Derrickmen and drillers work up to 12 hours a day on a 24-hour shift rota. They normally work on a rig or platform for two or three weeks, followed by two or three weeks’ rest period ashore.

Oil drilling rigs are small, mobile structures; production platforms are larger, accommodating 50 to 100 workers. Facilities include cabins, canteens, recreational facilities and offices. Alcohol and smoking are banned. Working on a rig or platform can be physically demanding, working in all types of weather, often very cold, and at heights.

Offshore workers wear protective clothing, including eye protection, harnesses, hard hats, gloves, ear defenders and thermal boiler suits.

Skills and Interests

To be a derrickman or driller you should:

• have good practical skills
• be able to live and work as a member of a team
• be prepared to live and work away from home
• be assertive and able to follow and give instructions
• be aware of health and safety issues
• be physically fit
• be able to work at heights.

Entry

You do not need any formal academic qualifications. However, if you are aged under 24 you will often enter through an apprenticeship scheme, and for an apprenticeship you will normally need four GCSEs (A-C)/S grades (1-3), including maths, English, and other relevant subjects such as science, engineering or design and technology. See the Cogent and Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) websites for further details.

You must usually be aged 18 or over, although some apprenticeships may be available for young people aged over 16. You must be at least 1.63m (5ft 5ins) tall. You may have to pass a medical examination as part of the recruitment process. 

If you are not entering through an apprenticeship scheme, it will be useful if you have previous work experience in engineering, shipbuilding or construction.

If you have no relevant experience, you can join as a roustabout and progress to becoming a roughneck, followed by derrick and drilling roles. See the Roustabout/Roughneck profile for more details about entry-level jobs on offshore rigs.

For more information on job roles in the oil and gas extraction industries, see the Cogent and Oilcareers websites.

Training

All offshore workers must complete an offshore survival and fire-fighting course, also sometimes known as emergency response training. You could do this at your own expense before looking for work in the industry. The course itself does not guarantee a job in the industry. Cogent can provide a list of centres offering offshore survival courses.

When working in the industry, you can work towards SVQs including:

• Offshore Drilling Operations Level 1, and Offshore Deck Operations Level 2, for roustabouts and roughnecks
• Offshore Drilling Operations Level 2, for derrickmen/women
• Offshore Drilling Operations Level 3, for drillers and assistant drillers.

For more details on qualifications, contact Cogent below.

Apprenticeships may be available for those under the age of 24. In England these are currently Apprenticeships (level 2) and Advanced Apprenticeships (level 3). To find out more about these, visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk.

Apprenticeships may be different in other areas. For further information see Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland.

Opportunities

The UK offshore oil and gas industry is located mainly off the east coast of Scotland and England. There are also fields in the Irish Sea and west of the Shetland Islands. Many employers operate throughout the world, so it may be possible to work overseas.

Around 30,000 people work offshore on mobile drilling rigs, fixed production platforms or FPSOs (floating production, storage and offloading units).

Employers include: operating companies (usually oil companies), drilling companies, maintenance contractors, FPSO operators and specialist service companies (equipment suppliers, seismic firms and catering providers).

Most employees start as a roustabout and work their way up with experience and ability. Promotion from roustabout to roughneck can take 1to 3 years, from there to derrickman 2 to 3 years, and on to assistant driller in 4 to 6 years. The next stage would be promotion to toolpusher or rig manager.

Annual Income

The annual income section is intended as a guideline only.

Roughnecks usually earn around £23,000 a year.
Derrickmen earn between £20,000 and £30,000 depending on experience.
Drillers and assistant drillers can over £30,000 a year, depending on experience.

Further information

Blue Court
Church Lane
Kings Langley
Hertfordshire
WD4 8JP
Tel: 01923 260000
NASEC Administration Team: 01923 402155 Unit 5, Mandarin Court
Centre Park
Warrington
Cheshire
WA1 1GG
Tel: 01925 515200