Much of the routine physical labor and maintenance in and around oil fields, gas facilities and pipelines is performed by roustabouts. They dig ditches or trenches for foundations or for drainage, load and unload trucks and boats, mix concrete, paint equipment, cut down trees and brush, and connect pipes and hydraulic hoses. They also may assemble and perform minor repairs on oil field machinery and equipment such as pumps, boilers, valves, and steam engines. Much of their work is done using handtools, such as hammers, wrenches, and shovels. With increasing mechanization in the oil industry, however, roustabouts also operate equipment such as motorized lifts, power tools, electronic testers, and hand-held computers for reading tanks. With such laborsaving equipment, roustabouts are able to assume more maintenance responsibilities.
Most roustabouts work with crews around existing oil wells. Others work for companies engaged in drilling wells, almost all of which is done by specialized companies known as drilling contractors.
Roustabouts frequently assist skilled workers such as welders, electricians, and mechanics. They generally work under the supervision of a maintenance superintendent.
Roustabouts' work is fairly strenuous and requires frequent bending, stooping, climbing, and heavy lifting.
Roustabouts' work is fairly strenuous and requires frequent bending, stooping, climbing, and heavy lifting. Hazards include falls from rigs or derricks and other platforms, injuries from falling objects, cuts and abrasions from various tools and equipment, and sore or strained muscles from heavy lifting. Roustabouts work outdoors in all kinds of weather. Those working on offshore rigs and platforms can experience strong ocean currents, tides, and storms.
Roustabouts who work on offshore drilling rigs generally work 7 days a week, 12 hours a day, and then have 7 days off. They live on the drilling platform for a week at a time and Return to shore by helicopter or crewboat. In contrast, those who work onshore in oil production operations generally work regular 5-day, 40-hour weeks. Many drilling operations continue 24 hours a day until oil is discovered or the location is abandoned as a dry hole. This requires three 8-hour shifts or tours, 7 days a week.
Roustabouts working with drilling crews move from place to place since their work in a particular field may be completed in a few weeks or months. Those who work on production wells usually remain in the same location for long periods.
Roustabouts held about 33,000 jobs in 1992. Seven of every 10 jobs were in the oil and gas field services industry. The remaining jobs were in the crude petroleum and natural gas industry. Although drilling for oil and gas is done in a large number of States, about 85 percent of all workers are employed in eight States. Texas leads in the number of oil field jobs, followed by Louisiana, Oklahoma, California, Colorado, Wyoming, Alaska, and New Mexico.
Most jobs are full-time, permanent positions. However, some roustabouts are temporary workers, such as students during the summer.
People with little or no formal training or work experience can get jobs as roustabouts. However, with extremely keen competition for jobs in recent years, an increasing proportion of entrants to this occupation have previous work experience as a roustabout or a 2-year degree in petroleum technology providing knowledge of oil field operations and familiarity with computers and other automated equipment.
Applicants must be physically fit and able to pass a physical examination. Employers seek candidates who have mechanical ability, agility, coordination, and good eyesight. Companies may administer aptitude tests to prospective employees or screen them for drug abuse.
Roustabouts usually are hired in the field by the maintenance superintendent or by a local company representative. Companies generally hire workers who live near the work site.
Employers are often reluctant to invest in training because of the relatively high turnover rate among roustabouts. However, some employees are given an opportunity to take courses offered by various junior colleges. In some companies, roustabouts participate in educational assistance programs that pay for job-related courses taken on the employee's own time.
New hires without postsecondary training or previous work experience learn through on-the-job training under the supervision of a more skilled worker. Roustabouts start by performing basic laborer tasks such as unloading trucks and digging trenches. As they gain experience, they progress to more complex tasks such as fixing motors or repairing pumps. During their training, they learn about safety, maintenance of equipment and machinery, and general oil field operations.
Roustabouts on maintenance and operation crews can advance to jobs as switcher, gauger, pumper, lease operator, or, for those who demonstrate leadership qualities, to chief operator or maintenance superintendent. Those on drilling crews may advance to roughneck, floor hand, or rotary helper in 3 to 6 months. (Roughnecks guide pipe sections to and from oil well openings and help operate drilling machinery.) Roughnecks and other crew members may advance to derrick operator and, after several years, to driller. A driller with significant experience and supervisory skills can advance to tool pusher in charge of one or more drilling rigs.
Roustabouts who are graduates of petroleum technology programs generally 2 years long can advance to engineering technician or related jobs. Some attend company schools where they receive specialized training in electricity, welding, or other subjects, and later advance to various craft jobs electrician, welder, or pipefitter, for example.
During periods of rapid growth in the oil industry, advancement opportunities are plentiful for capable workers. Because new jobs have been scarce in recent years, however, advancement opportunities have been limited.
Job opportunities for roustabouts are expected to be limited. Employment of roustabouts is expected to decline through the year 2005 as a result of reduced exploration and falling production in the domestic oil industry, as well as increasing automation of oil field operations.
Replacement needs will account for virtually all job openings in this occupation, but as employment of roustabouts declines, many of those who leave these jobs will not be replaced. Like many entry level occupations, turnover among roustabouts is relatively high, particularly for those workers involved in offshore drilling. Some roustabouts find the work too strenuous or dirty and leave the occupation. Many people take roustabout jobs to earn money for a specific purpose for example, a college education and quit after a short time. Still others stay only long enough to acquire the minimum skills to advance into more highly skilled jobs.
In recent years, there has been a worldwide surplus of oil. Major oil finds around the world and increased production by key foreign oil producers, such as the Middle Eastern and North Sea nations, have increased the supply of oil. At the same time, domestic conservation of oil by industry and the public has reduced the demand for oil. This surplus has resulted in lower oil prices and a reduced incentive for exploration and drilling. Many stripper oil wells labor-intensive operations that employ many roustabouts have been forced to close down, resulting in layoffs of some roustabouts. In an effort to cut costs, oil companies have streamlined operations and maintained their production levels with fewer workers.
The number of job openings for roustabouts should continue to be limited, so employers should continue to be selective in hiring. Job opportunities will be best for persons with previous experience as a roustabout or formal training in petroleum technology. Job opportunities are expected to be better on offshore rigs than in onshore activities.
Employment of roustabouts is sensitive to cyclical swings in the economy, particularly to the level of activity in the oil industry. During a slowdown in activity, roustabouts are subject to layoffs.
In 1992, estimated earnings for roustabouts averaged $11.90 an hour. Roustabouts in the oil and gas field industry earned an estimated average of $13.30 an hour. Those working offshore had an estimated hourly rate of $14.40, while onshore workers earned an estimated $12.50 an hour. Roustabouts working in the contract drilling industry averaged an estimated $9.90 an hour; those working onshore earned an estimated $9.70, and offshore workers earned an estimated $10.60. Average earnings for roustabouts varied by area ranging from an estimated $10.20 in the Middle Atlantic States to an estimated $12.70 in the Western Mountain States.
Only about one-fourth of all firms employing oil field operation workers and less than 5 percent of firms employing contract drilling workers were covered by union contracts. Workers in establishments with collective bargaining agreements are represented by the Associated Petroleum Employees Union or by the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union.
Roustabouts assist skilled oil field workers. Other laborers who assist skilled workers include construction laborers, dockhands, and material handlers.
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Reprinted with Permission of U. S. Department of Labor