April 03, 2020

Roughneck

Similarly to roustabouts, offshore roughnecks are required to undertake physically demanding work in a variety of weather conditions and, therefore, need to be physically fit. Roughnecks assist the driller, carrying out the manual operation of the systems and equipment required for the specific process. This can include adding fresh lengths of drill pipe as the drill moves deeper as well as extracting the drill. A roughneck is also tasked with cleaning, maintaining and repairing the drilling equipment. Apart from overseeing the drilling equipment, they will still need to be available for other general maintenance work on the rig.

Key tasks:

·        Cleaning the deck and removing obstacles that hinder work and safety.

·        Heavy lifting whenever required.

·        Assisting the other crew members whenever required.

·        General housekeeping on the rig floor.

·        Maintain drilling equipment. 

·        Painting, rust removal and many other “dirty” duties.

Entry requirements/training:

While it is possible to enter this position directly through an apprenticeship programme, most roughnecks first work in the position of a roustabout. No formal tertiary education is required, but again employers prefer candidates who have Matriculated with English, maths, science or design and technology.

Career advancement:

The opportunity for advancement exists on board rigs for roughnecks to move up the ranks in the drilling crew to become a driller, assistant driller or a derrickman.

Associated job opportunities:

Your experience as an offshore roughneck will also allow you to work onshore in a similar capacity and may offer entry opportunities into a number of more technically-inclined and more highly skilled positions given the appropriate additional training and education.



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