How do offshore workers spend their day?

By offshore jobs we usually mean employment opportunities at offshore oil rigs. Offshore jobs are characterized by distinctive working conditions, high work load, but at the same time considerably higher salaries than in any other sector of economy. Oil rig jobs require different types of personnel, even those that you would never think would be necessary on the rig. Offshore jobs range from basic black collar worker to highly qualified engineers and safety and environmental protection specialists. Usually offshore workers spend 2-3 weeks working on the offshore rig with 12 hours of shifts. Salaries are quite generous: from $35,000 (requiring no prior education) to $70,000 (requiring extensive training) a month.

Offshore rigs require large number of deck-crew positions: roustabouts, crane operators, welders, painters and barge engineers. These people have quite hard jobs that require large physical workload and their motivation is key factor for rig’s successful performance.

Crane operators and their aides spend their time on managing cranes for lifting equipment and placing them on the offshore rig.

Roustabouts help in extraction drilling, setting up the equipment, and basic maintenance.

Barge engineers manage the most important tasks at offshore rigs, such as anchoring, stability, coast guarding and safety control.

Offshore rig drill crews primarily consist of drillers and roughnecks. An offshore oil rig driller has years of experience on rigs and many important responsibilities on and above the rig floor. He spends his workdays operating drilling equipment and applying his knowledge of drilling fluids, well-pressure systems and emergency protocol.

Offshore rig roughnecks spend their workdays in groups of three while operating heavy drilling equipment. A roughneck's workday is extremely physically demanding and strenuous.

Workdays are also long and hard for management on an offshore oil rig, including the rig coordinators, engineers and toolpushers.

Offshore oil rig managers or coordinators are responsible for the operations of the entire rig and all of its personnel. This rig worker spends his workday overseeing all of the functions of the offshore rig and interacting with engineers, drilling managers and toolpushers.

Engineers on offshore oil rigs are highly educated and spend their workdays using their extensive knowledge of the fluids used in drilling applications and the overall procedures of offshore drilling to aid in oil excavation.

Toolpushers spend their workdays supervising all the normal functions of the offshore rig. They deal with all levels of personnel, approve orders, create work schedules and serve as go-betweens for the oil company  and rig drilling workers.