A Closer Look at an Oilfield Roughneck’s Responsibilities

A roughneck is a slang term for somebody who works on an oil rig or in an oil field doing manual labour. The labour can range from unskilled to highly skilled, depending on the position and the experience and ability of the individual. Roughnecks are renowned for their incredibly hard work-rates and the difficult conditions in which they carry out their jobs. But what exactly do their responsibilities entail? Well, the term roughneck is a vague one and can cover any of the following:

• Tool pusher. The highest ranked position at the oil facility who is responsible for every crew. Their shifts can vary anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.
• Driller. The man in charge of actually controlling the drill and of supervising most other rig activities. Each crew has their own driller who is responsible for his team.
• Motor hand. A mechanic of sorts who is responsible for the upkeep of all machinery, engines, pumps, lines and boilers, and for the safe transportation of the equipment on site. In a small, four-man crew, the motor hand doubles up as the chain hand.
• Derrick hand. Looks after the mud pits surrounding the drill itself and the manipulator of the derricks themselves. When the driller is confined to the mud-pit (a common occurrence), the derrick hand acts as his mouthpiece.
• Lead hand / Floor hand / “Worm”. Usually the lowest ranked member of the crew who spends most of his time on the rig floor, handling the tongs, tugger, catwalk and other machinery. The most physically demanding job on the rig.
• Roustabout. Duties are confined mostly to painting and cleaning, allowing the other roughnecks to tackle more important tasks. Only present on bigger rigs.
• Chain hand. A normal floor hand who specialises in throwing chain. Becoming more obsolete.
• Boiler man. This position has long become obsolete, due to oil rigs no longer being steam-operated. Back in those days this roughneck would look after the boiler, as well as doubling up as the launderette.

Conditions and Pay

Since a roughneck’s day will consist of an 8, or more commonly, 12 hour shift, working entirely with his hands and body, the work is physically demanding and exhausting. They normally work in two week stints, enjoying a similar period of leisure time thereafter. Furthermore, the risk of explosions, accidents or drowning mean that the job is also a dangerous one. For these reasons, most roughnecks command a high salary.

Indeed, many oil rig workers are unionised and demand impressive salaries and comfortable pensions, as they may well do so in return for the unsocial hours and location, the demanding labour and the dangerous conditions. The article, Norwegian Oil Rig Workers Get Tough on Pay, discusses how the European leading light in the oil rig industry threatened strike action back in 2012.