A Day in the Life of an Oil Rig Worker: Insights from Our Employees

Oil & gas work is demanding, disciplined, and deeply team-oriented. To show what it’s really like, we’ve stitched together a typical shift from the perspectives of two core roles—Production Technician and Drilling/Floorhand—plus how safety, wellbeing, and career growth fit into everyday life on the rig.

Note: Schedules vary by asset and region (offshore vs onshore, drilling vs production). The routines below reflect common practice across our projects.

05:30 – Wake-up & Pre-shift Checks

• Quick stretch, hydrate, and PPE check (coveralls, safety boots, gloves, eye/face protection, hearing protection, H2S monitor where required).
• Skim the daily bulletin: weather, marine/helideck status, planned isolations, SIMOPS.

06:00 – Toolbox Talk & Safety Brief

• Toolbox talk reviews the day’s tasks, hazards, controls, and roles.
• Permit-to-Work (PTW) reviewed: hot work, electrical, confined space, working at height, lifting, excavation (onshore).
• LMRA (“last-minute risk assessment”): “What’s changed since the JHA?” If anything—stop, reassess.

Track 1: Production Technician (Operations)

06:30 – Shift Handover
Outgoing techs run through alarms, trends, set-points, pigging plans, and any open punch items. Control room notes are signed over.

07:00 – Rounds & Readings
Walk-down of separators, pumps, compressors, and metering skids. Check levels, temperatures, vibration, and leaks. Record in the CMMS app; raise work orders as needed.

09:30 – First-line Maintenance Support
Assist maintenance with a planned job: e.g., cartridge filter change-out or valve stroke test. Verify isolations (LOTO/Try), confirm gas test for any enclosed spaces, complete post-job functional checks.

12:00 – Lunch & Welfare
Hydrate, eat, quick call home if connectivity allows.

13:00 – Optimisation & Housekeeping
Trim set-points for efficiency; clear minor drains; tidy laydown areas. Good housekeeping is part of safety.

15:30 – Reporting
Update logbooks, close readings, note any anomalies for engineering review. Prepare concise handover notes.

18:00 – Shift End
Formal handover, highlight risks, and confirm status of any standing permits.

Track 2: Drilling/Floorhand (Drilling Operations)

06:30 – Rig-up Check
Inspect tongs, slips, iron roughneck, drill line, mud pumps; verify barricades and pinch-points are tagged.

07:00 – Operations Begin
Trip in/out of hole, make/break connections, handle casing or BHA as per plan. Maintain clear comms with driller and mud engineer.

10:00 – Safety & Equipment Care
Grease, inspect, and swap consumables; check emergency stop devices. Any defect gets tagged and reported—no exceptions.

12:00 – Lunch & Hydration
Short break; cooling towels on hot days; ear protection stays handy.

13:00 – Critical Lift or Non-Routine Task
If a lift is categorised critical: dedicated lift plan, competent riggers, banksman, and a clear exclusion zone. Stop-work authority applies to everyone.

16:00 – Mud & Housekeeping
Support solids control; keep the floor clean to prevent slips; store tools to reduce trip hazards.

18:00 – Shift Handover
Document depth, BHA status, mud properties, issues, and the next-shift plan.

Life Off Shift: Wellbeing & Routine

• Accommodation: Shared cabins offshore, quiet hours respected.
• Food & Fitness: Canteen meals, small gym; hydration and sleep are part of the safety plan.
• Connectivity: Limited but improving; short windows for calls and messages.
• Mental Health: Fatigue management, peer check-ins, and confidential support lines.
• Rotations: Common patterns include 28/28 or 21/21 offshore; onshore varies by site. Travel and handovers are planned to reduce fatigue.

Safety Is the System, Not a Slogan

• Golden Rules: Follow the PTW, control energy (LOTO/Try), plan lifts, respect exclusion zones, use task-specific PPE, stop if conditions change.
• Verification: Inspections, gas testing, ITP hold points, and supervisor sign-offs.
• Emergency Readiness: Drills for fire, medical, spill, and man-overboard; every person knows their muster point and role.

Environmental Protection Built In

• Spill prevention: Secondary containment and point-of-use spill kits.
• Flaring/venting minimised: Start-up and shutdown plans designed to avoid routine flaring.
• Waste & water: Segregation at source; closed-loop hydrotesting where feasible; compliant discharge.

What to Pack (quick guide)

• Flame-resistant base layers; good socks.
• Personal hygiene kit; any prescriptions plus copies.
• Soft-shell or light jumper (AC can be cool).
• Small notebook, pen, and ID cards.
• Earplugs for sleep if you’re a light sleeper.

Career Paths & Progression

• Operations: Trainee → Production Tech → Control Room Tech → Lead/Panel Operator → Supervisor.
• Drilling: Roustabout → Floorhand → Derrickhand → Assistant Driller → Driller → Toolpusher.
• Cross-overs: With the right training, moves into HSE, QA/QC, Maintenance, or Project Controls.
• Certifications that help: NEBOSH/IOSH (HSE), ATEX/CompEx (E&I), rigging & lifting, first aid, gas testing, confined-space, and discipline-specific tickets.

FAQ (short)

Is it dangerous?
Risks exist, but disciplined systems, competent people, and constant verification keep work safe. Everyone has stop-work authority.

Is the pay good?
Compensation reflects skill, responsibility, and rotations. Benefits vary by project and region.

Can I start without experience?
Yes—entry routes exist via traineeships and trade roles. Good attitude, safety mindset, and reliability matter most.

Final Word

A rig day is about teamwork, preparation, and focus. When people, permits, and procedures work together, the result is simple: safe shifts, steady production, and everyone home on time.

About Geigerpipe

Geigerpipe designs, builds, and maintains critical oil & gas infrastructure—pipelines, modular facilities, commissioning, and asset-integrity programmes—delivered safely, on schedule, and to international standards.