Roustabouts, Oil and Gas

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Bolt together pump and engine parts.
• Guide cranes to move loads about decks.
• Move pipes to and from trucks, using truck winches and motorized lifts, or by hand.
• Clean up spilled oil by bailing it into barrels.
• Walk flow lines to locate leaks, using electronic detectors and by making visual inspections, and repair the leaks.
• Dig holes, set forms, and mix and pour concrete into forms to make foundations for wood or steel derricks.
• Cut down and remove trees and brush to clear drill sites, to reduce fire hazards, and to make way for roads to sites.
• Supply equipment to rig floors as requested and provide assistance to roughnecks.
• Clean trucks used in the fields.
• Walk flow lines to locate leaks, using electronic detectors and by making visual inspections, and repair the leaks.
• Supply equipment to rig floors as requested and provide assistance to roughnecks.
• Lay gas and oil pipelines.
• Unscrew or tighten pipes, casing, tubing, and pump rods, using hand and power wrenches and tongs.
• Dismantle and repair oil field machinery, boilers, and steam engine parts, using hand tools and power tools.
• Dig drainage ditches around wells and storage tanks.
• Dig holes, set forms, and mix and pour concrete into forms to make foundations for wood or steel derricks.
• Dig holes, set forms, and mix and pour concrete into forms to make foundations for wood or steel derricks.
• Lay gas and oil pipelines.

Skills

• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.
• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.

Abilities

• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.

Knowledge

• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Administration and Management
  • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Public Safety and Security
  • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
• Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• Chemistry
  • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

Education

Education

No formal educational credential

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

1 to 12 months on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

×

Education and Training Opportunities

Close

Pay

U.S. Annual Salary

47510/yr

U.S. Hourly Wage

22.84/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

47,100

Yearly Projected Openings

4300

Personality

Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:

• Dependability
• Integrity
• Leadership
• Self Control
• Attention to Detail
• Stress Tolerance

Tools

• Adjustable wrenches
• Centrifugal pumps
• Cleaning scrapers
• Demolition hammers
• Downhole fishing poles
• Ear plugs
• Fall protection lanyard
• Filtering machinery
• Fire extinguishers
• Forklifts
• Grease guns
• Hammers
• Hand sprayers
• Hard hats
• Hoists
• Impact wrenches
• Insulated or flotation suits
• Laboratory balances
• Laboratory funnels
• Lifelines or lifeline equipment
• Lifting hooks
• Lifts
• Mud agitators
• Multi gas monitors
• Oilfield production spoolers
• Oxygen gas analyzers
• Personal computers
• Pneumatic sanding machines
• Portable data input terminals
• Post hole digger
• Power grinders
• Pressure or steam cleaners
• Protective gloves
• Respiration air supplying self contained breathing apparatus or accessories
• Rheometers
• Safety glasses
• Safety harnesses or belts
• Safety hooks
• Scaffolding
• Shackle
• Slings
• Tongs
• Viscosimeters
• Winches
• pH meters

Technology

• Data base management system software
• Data base user interface and query software
• Electronic mail software
• Enterprise resource planning ERP software
• Internet protocol IP multimedia subsystem software
• Inventory management software
• Office suite software
• Operating system software
• Presentation software
• Procurement software
• Project management software
• Spreadsheet software
• Switch or router software
• Word processing software