Petroleum Technicians

Petroleum technicians may work on land or offshore, at drilling sites or in laboratories, in offices or refineries.

Field technicians do their work outdoors, day and night, in all kinds of weather. Drilling and production crews work all over the world, often in swamps, deserts, or in the mountains. The work is rugged and physical, and more dangerous than many other kinds of work. Workers are subject to falls and other accidents on rigs, and blowouts can injure or kill workers if well pressure is not controlled.

Drilling crews often move from place to place because work in a particular field may be completed in a few weeks or months. Technicians who work on production wells usually remain in the same location for long periods. Hours are often long for both groups of workers; 90-hour work weeks are not uncommon. Many of these workers will live in "man camps," which house workers in one-story furnished compounds. Life in man camps can be lonely, particularly for workers who are away from their families. For example, man camps are common in rural North Dakota, where oil is relatively plentiful but housing is scarce. A worker may be employed and reside in Colorado, but live in a man camp in North Dakota for weeks or months at a time. Man camps provide food and other necessities, but generally prohibit alcohol, drugs, and weapons.

Those working on offshore rigs and platforms can experience strong ocean currents, tides, and storms. Living quarters are usually small, like those on a ship, but they are adequate and comfortable. Workers generally live and work on the drilling platform for days at a time and then get several days off away from the rig, returning to shore by helicopter or crewboat.

Engineering technicians generally work indoors in clean, well-lit offices, although some may also spend part of their time in the field. Regular, 40-hour workweeks are the norm, although some may occasionally work irregular hours.