Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas
Operate equipment to increase oil flow from producing wells or to remove stuck pipe, casing, tools, or other obstructions from drilling wells. Includes fishing-tool technicians.
What is this job like?
- Maintain and perform safety inspections on equipment and tools.
- Operate pumps that circulate water, oil, or other fluids through wells to remove sand or other materials obstructing the free flow of oil.
- Perforate well casings or sidewalls of boreholes with explosive charges.
- Direct drilling crews performing activities such as assembling and connecting pipe, applying weights to drill pipes, or drilling around lodged obstacles.
- Monitor sound wave-generating or detecting mechanisms to determine well fluid levels.
- Operate controls that raise derricks or level rigs.
- Close and seal wells no longer in use.
- Listen to engines, rotary chains, or other equipment to detect faulty operations or unusual well conditions.
- Install pressure-control devices onto wellheads.
- Prepare reports of services rendered, tools used, or time required, for billing purposes.
- Apply green technologies or techniques, such as the use of coiled tubing, slim-hole drilling, horizontal drilling, hydraulic fracturing, or gas lift systems.
- Operate specialized equipment to remove obstructions by backing off or severing pipes by chemical or explosive action.
- Insert detection instruments into wells with obstructions.
- Examine unserviceable wells to determine actions to be taken to improve well conditions.
- Thread cables through derrick pulleys, using hand tools.
- Maintain and perform safety inspections on equipment and tools.
- Interpret instrument readings to ascertain the depth of obstruction.
- Confer with others to gather information regarding pipe or tool sizes or borehole conditions in wells.
- Drive truck-mounted units to well sites.
- Select fishing methods or tools for removing obstacles such as liners, broken casing, screens, or drill pipe.
Local Wage Data
Showing wage data for: New Orleans
Entry
Median
High
Salary
Hourly Wage
$36,560
$48,420
$75,650
$17.58
$23.28
$36.37