Who is a driller and what does he do?

Not a single development of oil and gas fields is complete without the knowledge and skills of drillers. These professionals are indispensable in the construction of highways, tunnels and subways, they are in demand in the course of engineering and geological surveys, and their work is used in the process of finding water in arid areas. In our review we will give a description of the profession of a driller, talk about what he does at the workplace and what requirements are presented to applicants for this position.

First, a little history. Drilling was used in ancient civilizations. According to archaeologists, by the middle of the 1st millennium, wells already existed in China, the depth of which reached 900 m - they were created for the extraction of drinking water and salt solutions. The ancient Chinese used the method of percussion drilling, later it was used to create the very first oil well in the world, which was discovered in Bibi Heybat in the middle of the 19th century. Soon a similar object appeared in America, approximately since then in our country the profession of a driller has received its rapid development.

In parallel, there was an improvement in drilling technology. So, in 1899 the first electric drill was created in Russia, and in 1938 a drill was introduced, which in its design features and technical parameters already resembled modern equipment. This evolution of technology has allowed to maximize the depth of the well. If in 1930 the maximum permissible depth was 3 km, then by the 50s this value had already reached 7 km. Nowadays, it has become possible to create wells whose depth exceeds 12 km.

All this necessitated the training of drilling specialists - drillers (drillers). These employees can engage in a wide variety of activities, each of which requires different competencies, experience and training. Drillers can include drilling engineers, technicians, and machine drivers, with selection criteria varying widely in different technology divisions. For example, an assistant oil driller must have a set of competencies that is different from what an assistant well driller needs.

Generally speaking, the whole range of activities that are somehow related to well drilling can be divided into 2 groups - engineering and technical work.

• Drilling engineer He is responsible for the organization and control of all work processes at the site, taking into account the features of the equipment used, the technologies used, the duration and purpose of the operation of the facilities. In his production activities, this specialist relies on current GOSTs and TUs, research data, and the results of potential risk analysis taking into account safety requirements.
• Drilling Technician responsible for the implementation of all activities designed by the engineer. In the status of a drilling foreman, this employee manages a group of assistants with the goal of drilling wells in different climatic conditions using various drills. This specialist oversees the process of disassembling and dismantling equipment, carries out drilling and blasting operations. In addition, he takes an active part in conducting topographic surveys, as well as in the development of budget and design documentation.

It should be noted that Driller labor is in demand not only in the construction and operation of new wells. These people also monitor and repair equipment. So, for example, at the stations for commissioning new drilling and mining equipment, drillers often go on long expeditions.

Work on existing wells is usually carried out shift methodAs a rule, the composition is changed every month. The work is quite difficult, the specialist works 12 hours a day, seven days a week, and often without arranging comfortable living conditions.

The terms of office of the driller and the complexity of the work performed may vary depending on the direction of his training and qualification level. In accordance with the EKTS and the established professional standard, the job descriptions of the driller include:

• drilling new wells;
• assembly and disassembly of drilling equipment;
• operation of equipment and, if necessary, its repair;
• blasting operations;
• maintaining technical documentation.

The driller for exploration and production drilling works on electric drills, its labor functions include:

• maintenance of electrical equipment;
• checking the technical condition of the electric drill, as well as the wires of the current collector;
• if necessary - replacement of cable sections and adjustment of the feed auto-regulator;
• performing telemetry system adjustments.

The installation driver performs the following duties:

• provides control of equipment of various types;
• clears the platform for mounting equipment;
• Engaged in the maintenance of automatic machine engines, as well as triggers;
• participates in the preparation of wellhead devices;
• participates in slinging;
• engaged in cargo transportation and handling.

In the list of requirements for drilling specialists, there is always an item about required work experience - usually it is from 1 to 3 years.In addition, a driller’s vacancy requires a documented certificate of a well control and management specialist during gas and oil and gas production or an installation supervisor. A driller must be able to manage mobile drilling rigs, know all the necessary safety rules for drilling and exploration.

Drilling profession requires tremendous physical endurance, training and strength. This person works outdoors, in uncomfortable living conditions, therefore a good state of health is required of him. Psychological stability does not hurt either - there is practically no time left in the process of shift to quiet entertainment, such as watching TV or playing computer games.

Few can pass such a test as a long separation from the family, and young specialists often have to establish contacts with the male team, the average age of members of which is 45-50 years old. It is this range that is considered average for drillers in domestic companies. In foreign firms, specialists are a little younger - most often they 30-40 years old. In addition, from workers high qualification required constant striving for self-improvement, ability and desire to learn new technologies, study computer systems.

Drillers, depending on their experience, professional skills and competencies, may have several qualifications. The latter determine the nature of the work to which the driller can be allowed.

• Driller 5 category has the right to engage in drilling in wells up to 1.5 km deep of the first category of complexity.
• Driller 6 category allowed to work on wells with a depth of 1.5-4 km of the second category.
• 7 and 8 digits It is the basis for access to horizontal wells, as well as directional inclined lengths of more than 1.5 km and vertical wells with a depth of 4-6 km. The drillers of these discharges additionally fulfill the responsibilities of checking the status of the lifting unit, are responsible for rigging the tackle system, and can control the movement of pump and compressor and drilling rigs. Their responsibilities include inspection of wells using end and cone patterns, installation of filters and participation in other events.

In our country, drilling specialists are trained in higher education institutions in the field of "applied geology / oil and gas / mining / geodesy of technology." Also, a candidate for work with wells can be trained in the specialty "Engineering" - in this case, he can realize the knowledge gained in solving problems in the field of implementation, installation and maintenance of drilling equipment, including offshore structures. For admission to the university, future drillers require good exam results in the Russian language (by default), as well as in specialized subjects - mathematics and physics.

Drillers include not only specialists involved in the extraction of minerals, oil and gas. These workers are in demand in the process of creating subways, in the course of the burial of toxic waste, in the construction of underground technological tanks and many other types of work.

According to statistics, the average level of payment for drillers in our country is kept at a fairly high level. This specialist receives 80-90 thousand rubles a month.However, in some regions, for example, in the Magadan, Chelyabinsk, Irkutsk and Amur regions, as well as in the Altai Territory and the Trans-Baikal District, the average salary starts from 110 thousand rubles. The absolute record holder is Sakhalin, where drillers are admitted with a salary level exceeding the mark of 300 thousand rubles. In addition to the salary, various bonuses are added to the total amount. For example, work factors in highland and waterless regions rely on increasing factors.