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In this
guide we meet Shawn, a roughneck on a service rig
operated by Great Plains Well Servicing in Brooks
Alberta and learn first hand about what a
roughneck’s life and job are like.
Salary: $45,000 - $85,000
Education: High School plus basic oilfield
safety courses
Progression: Derrickhand, Driller, Rig
Manager, Consultant
These are typical for a roughneck but will vary
from company to company.
Hi, my name is Shawn and I’m a roughneck on one of
Great Plains Well Servicing service rigs in Brooks
Alberta. I work with a crew of four other guys, the
rig manager (tool push), the rig operator (driller),
a derrickman (derrickhand), and another roughneck.
Unlike a drilling rig a service rig is a small
mobile operation that gets wells ready for
production and services wells that have stopped
flowing. We also work with other crews such as a
frac crew, or a perforating unit, to enhance well
production.
I just started working in the oil patch a few months
ago and this has been my only job so far. So far I
enjoy my job, I am making a lot of money, I have fun
with my coworkers, I get to travel a lot, and there
is plenty of room for advancement. Once I get a few
more months experience I can become a derrickhand,
and from there a driller, a tool push, and then a
consultant.
My work day typically starts at around 7:00 am and
lasts until around 7:00 pm. When we get to our job
location (lease) we rig up our equipment and if we
are already on location then I start the rigs light
plant and head to the doghouse (the crew quarters).
When I get inside the first thing I do is turn the
heat on and make coffee. Once the coffee is brewing
I get changed into my work gear.
Once the entire crew has their work gear on we hold
a general safety meeting. We go over basic things to
remind everyone to do their jobs safely. Once the
safety meeting is over I make sure I am the first
person out of the doghouse and ready to work. I
start preparing all of the tools we are going to
need for the day and if the derrickhand needs help
getting his pump lines ready I give him a hand.
Once the rig is ready and all of our tools are
prepared we hold another meeting. At this meeting we
discuss what we will be doing to the well that day
and talk to any other crews that will be on location
performing a service.
Depending on what the oil company wants us to do to
the well determines what I will be doing for the
day. Sometimes I get to help run tubing in and out
of the well with a large hydraulic wrench we call
“tongs” and sometimes I spend entire days cleaning
and repairing tools and parts.
It is very important to always be doing something,
if I don’t have anything to do I talk to my driller
and ask him if there is anything he wants me to do,
if not I ask my derrickhand. Sometimes I spend all
day scrubbing tools and the trucks.
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