Driller (oil)

The driller is a team leader in charge during the process of well drilling. The term is commonly used in the context of an oil well drilling rig.

The driller is in charge of his crew, and running the rig itself. Most of the time, his job is simply to monitor the rig's activity, while the automatic driller runs the breaks and drills the hole. The driller is responsible for interpreting the signals the well gives regarding gas and fluids with high pressure. In an emergency he is also responsible for taking the correct counter measures to stop an uncontrolled well control situation from emerging. The driller will watch for gas levels coming out of the hole, how much drilling mud is going in and other information. While tripping, the driller will run the floor and work the rig.

In the context of an offshore oil platform, the driller will be the one in charge of real time decisions. According to^[1] and,^[2] the hierarchy on an oil platform correspond to the timescale of which the sections operate. The automatic drilling equipment work on the timescale of seconds and both reports to and gets its orders from the driller, who operates on a timescale of several seconds to hours. He reports and gets his or her orders from those planning the current drilling operation, on a timescale of days and weeks. The chain extends to those who are in charge of managing the whole oil field, on a timescale of decades.

La Pampa Argentina

References

1. ^ SPE 77703. Society of Petroleum engineers. 
2. ^ SPE/IADC 85314. Society of Petroleum engineers.