Driller Assistant
Alternative Titles:
Driller's Offsider, Roustabout (Oil and Gas)
Drillers' assistants help move, set up and operate drilling
rigs and related equipment to drill holes for such things as
oil, natural gas and water, building foundations, minerals
exploration, and site investigation.
Drillers' assistants may perform the following tasks:
- help move drilling rigs and equipment from site to site,
set up in the new site and connect power cables or hoses for
water and air supply
- help obtain drilling core samples
- dig and clean mud pits and drains
- mix and test drilling fluids, chemicals and grout
- assist in slotting, welding, and inserting casing
screens
- assist with well development and pumping tests
- operate equipment such as pumps for air, water and mud,
and equipment and tools used to correct problems in drilled
holes caused by mechanical breakdowns or by harmful natural
conditions
- carry out minor maintenance and repairs, including
lubrication and cleaning
- clean and maintain equipment, drill and camp sites.
With experience and sometimes further training, it is
possible to become a:
Driller who supervises teams of assistants
performing the tasks above.
Drillers may specialise in sub-sea or underwater drilling,
diamond core drilling, rotary/percussion drilling, coal seam
drilling or water multi-purpose drilling.
The major sectors in the drilling industry are:
Blasthole drilling for the placement of explosives
for the removal of rock and ore in quarries and mines, and in
the construction of roadworks, dam sites and other capital
works.
Mineral exploration and investigation drilling which
is carried out all over Australia and by Australian companies
overseas, in areas of suspected or known mineral deposits.
Oil and gas drilling which is carried out offshore
and onshore by contract companies mainly employed by oil
companies.
Site investigation/geotechnical drilling to
determine the soil and rock characteristics on construction
sites.
Foundation/construction drilling on construction
sites, usually in towns and cities, as a part of the actual
building or construction process. Holes may be drilled for
cast in-situ (on site) piers, contiguous piers, rock bolting,
etc.
Water well drilling which is mainly carried out by
private contractors based in rural areas.
Drillers and drillers' assistants usually work long hours
on extended roster systems, and either outdoors in all weather
conditions or underground, usually as members of teams or
crews. The work is generally hard and physically demanding.
Required Skills - Driller Assistant
- interested in practical and manual activities
- aptitude for mechanics and able to handle machinery
- physically fit
- able to work as part of a team
- willing to work in remote areas under difficult
conditions
- good organisation skills
- able to record details accurately
- clean police record
- be 18 years old (as it is a legal requirement on most
mine and quarry sites)
- have a drug and alcohol clearance
- pass a medical examination
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