Exploration Drilling and Production

History of Oil

The industry, commonly referred to as Upstream, finds and produces crude oil and natural gas.

Oil Production Phases

• Exploration Phase

  

  Rock Formations

  Oil and gas production starts with first identifying and determining where to drill.  To accomplish this, Geologists and geophysicists conduct geological surveys.  They study the seismic activities of rock formations to determine well sites, called a wildcat well.

• Drilling phase

  In this phase, companies physically create the borehole in the ground.  Drilling occurs either Onshore or Offshore.  Here is a brief description of each type of drilling:

  • Onshore Drilling

    

    Derrick

    Includes all of the drilling sites located on dry land. It involves drilling deep holes under the earth's surface, incorporating the derrick, along with other associated machinery.

  • Offshore Drilling

    

    Platform for Offshore Drilling

    Involves drilling hundreds of feet below water, allowing companies to access oil deposits underneath the ocean floor. Ensco, FMC Technologies and Transocean are three of the largest offshore oil companies.

  • Production Phase

    Involves efficiently extracting and bringing hydrocarbons to the surface. It also involves treating and making them available for market. Simply stated, where there is production, there are jobs. Here is a look at the states employing the most workers over a 10-year period.

    

    
    

Unconventional Drilling

The above three oil production phases are known as traditional methods, however over the past decade unconventional methods have taken off. Here are some examples:

• Horizontal Drilling

  

  Occurs when a well is drilled vertically and then horizontally drilled. The well runs parallel to the formation containing the oil or gas.

• Hydraulic Fracturing, or Fracking

  

  Hydraulic Fracturing Stages

  Process of injecting water, chemicals and sand into wells at extremely high pressures. Fractures in the surrounding rock allow hydrocarbons to escape.

Top Companies

The exploration, drilling and production sub-industry involves three types of companies.
Here is a quick look at the key companies from each:

• Majors

  These companies, known as Integrated Oil Companies or IOCs, operate in multiple segments of the oil industry. BP, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, and Shell are high profile companies operating as Majors.

  Company	Total Employees
  Shell	92,000
  Exxon Mobil	69,600
  BP	74,000
  Chevron	51,900

• NOCs

  National Oil Companies are owned and managed by governments around the world. When looking at global Oil and Gas enterprises, these companies produce the largest # of oil barrels.

  Company	Total Employees
  China National Petroleum Corp	1,636,000
  Gazprom (Russia)	462,400
  Pemex (Mexico)	138,000
  PDVSA (Venezuela)	70,000
  Saudi Aramco	65,000
  NIOC (Iran)	41,000
  Kuwait Petroleum (Kuwait)	39,000

  Kuwait, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela are a part of OPEC, Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, an intergovernmental organization of 15 nations headquartered in Vienna. OPEC production decisions for output significantly impact worldwide Oil prices.

  

• Independents

  These companies are only concerned with exploring, finding and producing oil.

  Company	Total Employees
  Anadarko	4,400
  Apache	3,356
  Chesapeake	2,900
  Continental	1,000

Occupations

Here are the occupations found working at the companies mentioned above: (Click an occupation to expand and learn more)

• Construction Laborers and Extraction Occupations 

  Perform tasks involving physical labor at construction sites. There are roughly around 21,000 of these workers found in Exploration, Drilling and Production. You will find these workers using hand tools, repairing drilling equipment, and transporting materials. Helper, Laborer, Post Framer, and Construction Worker.

• Control and Valve Installers and Repairers 

  Install, repair, and maintain mechanical regulating and controlling devices and other mechanical governors. There are a little over 500 of these workers in Exploration, Drilling and Production. You will find these workers repairing mechanical control devices, lubricating mechanical parts, and installing electric meters. Common job titles for this worker are Control Valve Technician, Service Technician, and Valve Technician.

  

  Employement of Control and Valve Installers and Repairers

• Derrick, Rotary Drill, and Service Unit Operators  

  Rig derrick equipment and operate pumps to circulate mud through drill holes. There are around 9,200 of this occupation employed in Exploration, Drilling and Production. You will find these workers inspecting derricks, repairing mud tanks, and setting crown blocks to posts at the top of derricks. Common job titles for this occupation are Derrick Hand, Derrick Worker and Floor Hand.

  

  Employement of Derrick, Rotary Drill, and Service Unit Operators

• Gas Plant Operators 

  Distribute or process gas by controlling compressors to maintain specified pressures on main pipelines. There are over 1,000 of these workers in Exploration, Drilling and Production. You will find this worker operating plant equipment, monitoring flammable products, and controlling compressors. Job titlees for this worker are Gas Controller and Plant Operator.

  

  Employement of Gas Plant Operators

• Geological and Petroleum Technicians 

  Gather samples such as rock, mud and soil. There are around 2,800 of these workers in Exploration, Drilling and Production. You will find these workers monitoring well exploration activities and analyzing drill cuttings. Common job titles are Data Technician and Technician.

• Industrial Machinery Mechanics 

  Worker activities include repairing, installing, and adjusting industrial machinery. There are around 2,100 of this occupation works in Exploration, Drilling and Production. You will find these workers cutting and welding metal to repair broken metal parts. Job titles for this position are Fixer, Industrial and Master Mechanic.

  

  Employement of Industrial Machinery Mechanics

• Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers 

  Lubricates machines, changes parts, and performs machinery maintenance. Exploration, Drilling and Production employs a little over 5,200 of these workers. You will find these workers cleaning machine and machine parts. Cleaning solvents, oil and metalworking fluids are a definite concern for these workers. Common Job titles for this position are Lubricator, Maintenance Man, and Oiler.

• Material Moving Workers 

  Help move materials across Exploration, Drilling and Production operations. There are around 10,000 of these workers in Oil and Gas extraction. You will find these workers operating conveyors, transporting materials, and operating machines. Common job titles are Laborer and Operator.

• Occupational Health and Safety Specialists 

  This occupation makes many of the PPE related decisions within a mine. They review, evaluate, and analyze work environments. This occupation also design programs and procedures to control, eliminate, and prevent disease or injury caused by chemical, physical, and biological agents or ergonomic factors. There are roughly around 1,000 of these workers found in Exploration, Drilling and Production. You will find these workers recommending safety measures and evaluating workplace safety equipment. Common Job titles for this position are Certified Industrial Hygienist; Chief Safety Officer; Corporate Safety Director; Director Employee Safety and Health; Environmental Health and Safety Manager; Environmental, Health, and Safety EHS Officer; Health and Safety Manager; Risk Control Consultant; Safety Consultant; Safety Specialist

• Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers 

  Operate petroleum refining or processing units. There are around 3,800 of these workers in Exploration, Drilling and Production. You will find these workers monitoring gauges, opening valves to regualte the flow of oil, and operating manifold/pumping systems. Common Job titles for this position are Gauger, Head Operator, Pumper, and Refinery Operator

  

  Employement of Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers

• Plant and System Operators 

  Monitor both input and output to ensure systems are working correctly. There are roughly 5,300 of these workers in Exploration, Drilling and Production. You will find these workers operating valves, engines, generators and pumps to keep everything running smoothly. Common job titles are Process Operator and Operator.

  

  Employement of Plant and System Operators

• Pump Operators Station Operators  

  Operate power-driven, stationary, or portable pumps to transfer gases, oil, other liquids, slurries, or powdered materials to and from various vessels. There are around 900 of these workers in Oil and Gas extraction. You will find these workers tending vessels that store gasses and turning valves. Common job titles for this position are Chemical Operator, Pipeline Operator, and Pumper.

  

  Employement of Pump Operators Station Operators

• Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas 

  Operate a variety of drills to remove underground oil and gas. They also remove core samples for testing during oil and gas exploration. There are around 1,800 of these workers in Oil and Gas extraction. You will find this worker connecting sections of dril pipe, operating drilling equipment, and raising drill pipes. Common job titles for this occupation are Drill Operator, Driller, and Oil Rig Operator

  

  Employement of Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas

• Roustabouts 

  Assemble and repair oil field equipment using hand and power tools. There are around 5,000 of these workers in Exploration, Drilling and Production. You will find these workers tightening pipes, casings and pump rods. The workers move a lot of peipe and bolt together a lot of pumps. Common job titles for this occupation are Floor Hand, Galley Hand and Rig Hand.

  

  Employement of Roustabouts

• Service Unit Operators 

  Operate equipment to increase oil flow from producing wells. There are 6,400 of these workers in Exploration, Drilling and Production. They also remove stuck pipe, casing, tools, or other obstructions from drilling wells. You will find these workers installing pressure-control devices, maintaining safety inspections and operating cranes and other lifting equipment. Common job titles are Rig Operator, Tool Pusher, and Wireline Operator.

  

  Employement of Service Unit Operators

• Wellhead Pumpers 

  Operate power pumps producing flow of oil or gas from wells. There are around 8,000 of these workers in Exploration, Drilling and Production. You will find these workers operating pumps, unloading pipes and pumping equipment, repairing oil gauges, and performing routine maintenance. Common job titles for this occupation are Oilfield Operator, Pumper, and Well Head Pumper.

  

  Employement of Wellhead Pumpers

• Metal Workers and Plastic Workers 

  Operate machines designed to cut, shape and form metal. There are roughly 400 of these workers in Oil and Gas extraction. You will find these workers fabricating metal products, lifting heavy materials and working with their hands. Common job titles are Sheet Metal worker and Welder. Be sure to check out our Metal Fabrication industry educational page.

• Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Workers 

  Operate welding, soldering or brazing machines that weld, braze, or heat treat metal products. Exploration, Drilling and Production employs around 300 of these workers. You will find these workers adding material to work pieces, joining metal components, and annealing finished work pieces. Common Job titles for this position are Fabricator, Mig Welder, Spot Welder, Fitter-Welder, and Braze Operators.

• Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers 

  Use hand-welding, flame-cutting, hand soldering, and brazing equipment to weld/join metal components, fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products. Exploration, Drilling and Production mploys around 300 of these workers. You will find these workers welding components in flat, vertical or overhead positions. Common Job titles for this position are Maintenance Welder, Mig Welder, and Welder/Fabricator

  

  Employement of Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

Safety

As mentioned above, the Oil and Gas industry recently led the way in advancing major hand protection improvements. For years, Oil and Gas workers wore only general-purpose dotted cotton gloves for most drilling activities. Unfortunately, this type of hand protection provided limited protection to a worker’s back-of-hand. With workers operating around heavy chains, pipes and tongs, there were always a high number of workplace injuries.

In May of 2008, MCR Safety and a worldwide leading Oil & Gas production company began collaborating on the development of a Petrochemical Industry glove. The goal was to create a glove that protected workers’ back-of-hands, helping reduce hand injuries and setting an industry standard for glove protection.

By 2010, there was a confirmed 30% reduction in hand injuries with workers wearing the HV100 glove. In addition, field trials showed an average wear time of 14 working days, much longer than a standard cotton glove could offers. Now, workers are protected with state of the art impact protection, and companies are saving money by replacing fewer gloves! Check out the timeline on our Impact Protection page.

Safety’s Next Generation

The next chapter of back-of-hand protection is in the works. Industry standards for impact resistance will ensure back-of-hand performance measures are met. Similar ANSI performance standards are well established in other areas like cut-resistance levels. Official industry standards will ensure Oil and Gas worker’s hands are even safer.

 

Are you ready? Schedule a 360 visit for more information.

Beyond back-of-hand injuries, exposure to harmful substances is another hazard production workers face every day. Chemical exposure from blow-outs, hydrogen sulphide exposure, heavy metals, benzene in crude, and day-to-day exposure to sludge, grit and sea water. The dangers are endless for those working in Oil and Gas drilling.

"At the end of the day, the goals are simple: Safety and security."

At the end of the day, keeping workers safe is what MCR Safety does. We Protect People! Let us help keep you safe when exploring, drilling and producing oil!