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Marcellus oil in the Marcellus Shale provided almost 50,000 people with jobs in 2011. This number is only for jobs in Pennsylvania, not including the thousands of jobs in New York, Ohio, and other states that overlap with this broad oil- and gas-rich shale. Jobs are available with no experience and little education.

Entry Level Positions on an Oil Rig

There are at least seven positions on the average Marcellus oil rig, ranging from cleaner and floor hand to rig manager. All positions except for the manager require heavy lifting and all-weather work.

There are three entry level positions on an oil rig: a cleaner, a lease hand, and a floor hand. All three positions involve keeping the rig and pad site clean and performing whatever unskilled labor is necessary.

A lease hand is also responsible for driving vehicles to transport equipment and waste, as well as loading and unloading trucks. While a lease hand can be promoted to a floor hand, a floor hand is also an entry level position that involves basic maintenance of the site and performing any other unskilled labor necessary.

Skilled Positions on a Rig

A motor hand is usually a promoted floor hand. This job requires some skill in assisting the Derrick hand with maintaining the rig’s motors. The Derrick hand is in charge of guiding and steadying the drill pipe in addition to maintaining all systems and fluids needed for drilling. The motor hand and Derrick hand also train new employees and are often required to travel.

The driller is the person who runs the whole drilling rig. He positions the rig to begin drilling and dismantles the rig once drilling is complete. The driller has the responsibility of planning the work of all members of the rig, as well as ensuring that they are properly trained and understand all safety procedures. He also operates the pumps and other equipment, and records the rig’s operation. He is responsible for the rig and all workers.

Qualifications

Almost all of the requirements for an entry level job in oil and gas can be learned on the job or with short seminars or classes. Energy companies and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) both provides tips and regulations in dealing with natural hazards or working around heavy equipment. Generally, a driver’s license, first aid training, and basic training on drilling and rig safety is enough for an entry-level position at an oil rig or other industry field.

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While workers can take classes, most jobs in Marcellus oil only require a fourth grade education. Expertise is desired in certain positions, such as a Motor Hand or Derrick Hand, which are responsible for the maintainance and operation of the rig’s motors. Many times these positions are filled by promoted workers who have worked at the rig, meaning that wherever you start, you have the chance to raise your wage and work experience even more.

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