WHAT DOES A DERRICKHAND ACTUALLY DO ON A LAND DRILLING RIG?

Moving Up in the Oilfield: Becoming a Derrickhand

If you're trying to build a career on a drilling rig, derrickhand is one of the positions you'll hear about pretty quickly. It is also important to understand from the beginning that derrickhand is not an entry-level drilling job.

A derrickhand already has rig experience. By the time someone reaches the derrick, they've worked their way through other positions, learned drilling operations and proven they can safely take on more responsibility. On a typical land drilling rig, a worker may start as a floorhand before moving up to motorhand, then derrickhand and eventually driller.

There are also positions such as roustabout, mud hand and pit hand that fall below the floorhand level or can provide an entry point into rig work, depending on the company and operation. If you've never worked on a drilling rig before, derrickhand isn't where you start. It is an experienced position that requires time on a rig, knowledge of drilling operations and the ability to take on significantly more responsibility.

Not Every Derrickhand Works on the Same Type of Rig

One thing that can be confusing when searching for oilfield jobs is that the industry uses many of the same job titles on drilling rigs, workover rigs and pulling units. You may see titles such as floorhand, derrickhand, driller or operator used across different types of rig operations, but the titles sounding the same does not mean the jobs are the same.

A drilling rig is used to drill a well. These are the large rigs most people picture when they think about oil and natural gas drilling, and the crew works with drill pipe, drilling fluids, pumps and other equipment involved in creating the wellbore.

A workover rig works on a well that has already been drilled and completed. Workover crews perform maintenance, repairs and other operations on existing wells, while a pulling unit is commonly used to pull and run tubing, rods and other downhole equipment.

A derrickhand working on a drilling rig can therefore have different responsibilities, equipment, schedules and pay from someone carrying the derrickhand title on a workover or pulling unit. For this article, we're talking specifically about derrickhands working on land-based drilling rigs.

What Does a Drilling Rig Derrickhand Actually Do?

The derrickhand is an experienced member of the drilling crew. During operations that involve moving pipe in or out of the well, the derrickhand works high in the derrick, helping guide and handle stands of drill pipe, which means being comfortable with heights is an important part of the job.

Working high in the derrick is only part of the position. The derrickhand also has important responsibilities involving drilling fluid, commonly called mud, and equipment associated with the mud and circulating systems.

Depending on the rig and drilling contractor, the derrickhand may monitor mud levels and properties, maintain equipment, work with pumps and other components of the circulating system, add chemicals when required and watch for changes that need to be brought to the driller's attention. The exact responsibilities can vary by company and rig, but this is a position that requires someone who already understands drilling operations.

Where Does Derrickhand Fall on the Rig?

Understanding the hierarchy helps explain why drilling companies require experience for derrickhand positions. Someone completely new to drilling may start in a lower-level position such as roustabout, mud hand or pit hand, depending on the company's crew structure and available positions.

A floorhand works directly on the rig floor and performs much of the physical work involved in drilling operations. This is where a worker begins gaining significant hands-on drilling experience and learning how the rig and crew operate.

The next step is generally motorhand, an experienced crew position with additional responsibility for the rig's engines, motors and mechanical equipment. From there, a worker may advance to derrickhand, taking on responsibilities in the derrick, with drilling fluids and with other equipment and operations.

Above the derrickhand is the driller, who operates key drilling equipment and directs the drilling crew during operations. The typical progression is from floorhand to motorhand, then derrickhand and eventually driller, although exact titles and responsibilities can vary somewhat by drilling contractor.

You don't become a drilling-rig derrickhand by taking a short course and walking onto a rig with no experience. A derrickhand needs actual rig experience and a working understanding of the drilling operation before taking on that level of responsibility.

What Is the Work Really Like?

By the time someone becomes a derrickhand, the physical realities of drilling-rig work aren't new. You're working outdoors around heavy machinery in heat, cold, wind, rain and mud, while drilling operations run around the clock and crews may work either days or nights.

Twelve-hour shifts and rotational schedules are common in land drilling, and the work can be physically demanding throughout the hitch. The major difference for a derrickhand is that part of that work can take place high above the rig floor.

A derrickhand needs to be comfortable climbing and working at height while using the required fall-protection equipment. Communication is also critical because the derrickhand is part of a crew, and the work being performed can directly affect both the people working below and the drilling operation as a whole.

How Do You Become a Derrickhand?

Becoming a derrickhand means working your way up and learning the operation as you go. For most people, that starts by getting onto a drilling rig in a lower position, learning the equipment and terminology, understanding how the crew works together and developing a strong knowledge of safety procedures.

A good floorhand who becomes experienced and demonstrates mechanical ability may have an opportunity to advance to motorhand. An experienced motorhand who understands the operation, has proven dependable and can handle additional responsibility may then have an opportunity to move into the derrickhand position.

How quickly that happens varies based on available positions, the drilling contractor, the worker's performance and experience, and the needs of the rig. One of the biggest mistakes a worker can make is becoming so focused on getting the next title that they don't master the job they already have, so learn your current position well while paying attention to the position above you.

Let's Talk About Derrickhand Pay

Moving up the rig also means moving up in responsibility and typically in pay. For a real-world example, at the time this article was written, Nabors Drilling land-rig derrickhands were earning around $28 or more per hour, while land-rig floorhands were earning around $26 or more per hour.

The hourly wage doesn't necessarily represent everything a drilling-rig employee can earn. Nabors crews were also working 14 days on and 14 days off rotations, with approximately $55 per day in per diem and company-provided housing during the working hitch. You are responsible for your own housing during your off times.

The hours are another important part of the equation because a worker putting in 12-hour shifts for 14 consecutive days is working far beyond a traditional 40-hour workweek during the working portion of the rotation. Overtime can therefore make a substantial difference in total earnings, while per diem and company-provided housing can add additional value to the overall compensation package.

When comparing derrickhand positions, don't look only at the hourly rate. Consider the base rate, overtime, rotation, scheduled hours, per diem, housing or lodging, bonuses, insurance and retirement benefits, and any travel or transportation benefits offered by the company.

Be careful when searching online for average derrickhand pay as well, because drilling rigs, workover rigs and pulling units can all use the derrickhand title. A broad salary average may combine workers performing different jobs in different parts of the oilfield, so someone interested specifically in land drilling should look at compensation being offered by actual drilling contractors.

Rates, schedules, per diem and benefits can change over time, so job seekers should always verify the current compensation package directly with the drilling company when applying.

What's After Derrickhand?

For someone building a drilling career, the next major step after derrickhand is typically driller. By the time a worker reaches the derrickhand position, they've already gained experience at multiple levels of the drilling operation and developed a much broader understanding of how the rig operates.

Moving into the driller position brings another significant increase in responsibility because the driller operates key drilling equipment and directs the crew during drilling operations. From there, experienced workers can eventually move into supervisory and management positions, depending on the drilling contractor and career path.

That's one of the advantages of learning drilling from the bottom up. A worker can begin in a position below floorhand, advance to floorhand, move into motorhand, become a derrickhand and eventually advance to driller, gaining experience at each level along the way.

For someone serious about building a career on a drilling rig, derrickhand isn't where the journey starts, but it can be one of the most important steps on the way up.

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