Are you in great physical condition, looking for an adventure, and for a job where earnings potential is high? There are more than a few people in the world seeking a job that combines all of those elements. But interestingly, the number of people seeking oil production jobs — particularly on onshore and offshore oil rigs — is not enough to fill demand.
The majority of entry-level jobs in the petroleum industry are in the ‘oil production’ sector. Generally, oil production is the process of drilling and extracting oil from underground (or underwater) reservoirs. The world’s oil production takes place both onshore and offshore. There's a good chance you've noticed oil rigs off the coast of California or in the Gulf of Mexico — or elsewhere in the world.
In U.S. controlled waters, thousands of oil platforms are either floating or attached to the ocean floor off the shores of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. Many of these platforms are huge structures that house multiple drilling rigs and also house workers. Though some of the platforms can be moved, they are, for the most part, like self-sustaining steel islands, complete with helicopters pads. Once drilled, oil and gas are transported from the platforms through sub-sea pipelines to refineries located in the gulf states, especially in Texas and Louisiana.
The oil production portion of OilJobFinder includes a lengthy Question and Answer section. It provides excellent background information for those possessing little or no prior knowledge of offshore oil exploration and production (E&P), including types of jobs that require no college education, the industry’s search for younger people to replace its aging work force, and more. Do you know the answers to the following questions?
- How do companies know where to look for oil and gas?
- How does the exploratory drilling process work?
- Once oil and/or gas are found, how are they produced?
- How does drilling equipment work?
- What kinds of jobs exist on rigs exist for people without college degrees?
- What are working conditions like on an onshore rig?
- What are working conditions like on an offshore rig?
- How good are opportunities for younger, inexperienced workers?
- What’s the best way to get started searching for an E&P position?
- What is being done to protect the safety of rigs and rig workers?
- What is being done to protect the environment from oil spills from offshore rigs and other pollution associated with oil and gas production?
We provide detailed answers to all of those questions and carefully detail the types of jobs found on most oil rigs: roustabouts, roughnecks, motorhands, derrickhands, rotary drill operators, and rig managers.
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