Roustabouts and roughnecks 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.

Roustabouts carry out general labouring tasks and help to keep the drilling area in good working order. Their tasks include:

• cleaning, scraping and painting the deck, equipment and work areas
• offloading supplies from boats and moving them to storage areas
• moving supplies and equipment to the work site
• using lifting gear and winches to load and stack equipment
• general work in the pump room, for example helping to repair mud pumps
• mixing and conditioning the lubricants ('drilling mud') for the drill bit.

They usually work under the supervision of a lead roustabout.

Roughnecks carry out more skilled duties as part of the actual drilling operation, such as:

• adding fresh lengths of drill pipe as the drill moves deeper into rock
• inserting and extracting the whole drill
• cleaning, maintaining and repairing the drilling equipment
• using lifting gear, ropes and winches to carry out the above tasks.

Roughnecks usually work under supervision of an assistant driller (see the Offshire Drilling Worker profile for details of drilling roles).

Hours and Environment

Roustabouts and roughnecks 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, which includes eye protection, harnesses, hard hats, gloves, ear defenders and thermal boiler suits.

Skills and Interests

To be a roustabout or roughneck 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 instructions
• be aware of health and safety issues
• be physically fit
• be willing to learn
• have basic computer skills for recording information.

Entry

You do not need any formal academic qualifications to work as a roustabout. 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 in English, maths and other relevant subjects such as science, engineering or design and technology. See the Cogent and Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) websites for more 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 previous work experience in shipbuilding, construction or engineering. A forklift truck licence could also be helpful.

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

Training

You will start as a roustabout and progress to becoming a roughneck with experience.

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.

As a roustabout you will be given induction training onshore, which lasts two or three weeks. You will have further on-the-job training as a roustabout, and later as a roughneck, on the rig or platform.

You can work towards SVQs in Offshore Drilling Operations at Level 1, and Offshore Deck Operations at Level 2.

As your career progresses, you can take further SVQs for derrickmen, assistant drillers and driller, such as Offshore Drilling Operations Level 2 and 3 (see the Derrickman/Driller (Oil and Gas) profile). Contact Cogent for more information about standards and qualifications in the oil and gas industry.

Apprenticeships in oil and gas 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). There is a high turnover of roustabouts, so opportunities for finding work are good.

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

Roustabouts who show ability can become roughnecks after about six months. Further promotion is to derrickman, assistant driller and driller. It is possible to become a driller within about five years.

Annual Income

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

As a new roustabout you could expect to earn between £18,000 and £20,000 a year.
Roughnecks usually earn between £22,000 and £24,000 a year.

Further information

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