Oil Field Equipment Operator Overview

Required Education and Training To Become an Oil Field Equipment Operator

Best Schools to become a Oil Field Equipment Operator in U.S. 2024

Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus

Atlanta, GA

In-State Tuition:$10,258
Out-of-State Tuition:$31,370
Admission Rate:17%
Graduation Rate:93%
Total Enrollment:45,296

Gadsden State Community College

Gadsden, AL

In-State Tuition:$4,000
Out-of-State Tuition:$8,000
Admission Rate:N/A
Graduation Rate:25%
Total Enrollment:4,352

Purdue University-Main Campus

West Lafayette, IN

In-State Tuition:$9,718
Out-of-State Tuition:$28,520
Admission Rate:53%
Graduation Rate:83%
Total Enrollment:51,528

Georgia Northwestern Technical College

Rome, GA

In-State Tuition:$2,400
Out-of-State Tuition:$4,800
Admission Rate:N/A
Graduation Rate:49%
Total Enrollment:6,141

Texas A & M University-College Station

College Station, TX

In-State Tuition:$8,815
Out-of-State Tuition:$36,239
Admission Rate:63%
Graduation Rate:84%
Total Enrollment:74,014

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College

Elizabethtown, KY

In-State Tuition:$4,368
Out-of-State Tuition:$15,288
Admission Rate:N/A
Graduation Rate:42%
Total Enrollment:5,648
Oil Field Equipment Operator Job Description:
  • Set up or operate a variety of drills to remove underground oil and gas, or remove core samples for testing during oil and gas exploration.

Required Skills and Competencies To Become an Oil Field Equipment Operator

Job Duties for Oil Field Equipment Operators

  • Count sections of drill rod to determine depths of boreholes.

  • Observe pressure gauge and move throttles and levers to control the speed of rotary tables, and to regulate pressure of tools at bottoms of boreholes.

  • Train crews, and introduce procedures to make drill work more safe and effective.

Technologies and Skills Used by Oil Field Equipment Operators

Data base user interface and query software

  • Pason WellView Field Solution
  • Structure query language SQL

Industrial control software

  • CAPSHER Technology SureTec
  • Drillingsoftware DrillPro

Spreadsheet software

  • Microsoft Excel

Basic Skills

  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem

Problem Solving

  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Current Job Market and Opportunites for an Oil Field Equipment Operator

Additional Resources To Help You Become an Oil Field Equipment Operator

FAQs About Becoming an Oil Field Equipment Operator