This section describes the crew requirements and tasks of some individual crew members at the rig site.
The people directly involved in drilling a well are employed either by the operating company, the drilling contractor or one of the service and supply companies. Out of the companies involved, the operating company is the owner and principal user of the services provided by the drilling contractor and the different service companies.
To drill an oil or gas well, the operating company (or simply called operator) acquires the right from the land owner under which the prospective reservoir may exist, to drill and produce from it. Usual, when a well has to be drilled, a tender is run by the operator and various drilling contractors are invited to place their bid. Since drilling contractors are companies that perform the actual drilling of the well, their main job is to drill a hole to the depth/location and specifications set by the operator. Along with hiring a drilling contractor ,the operator usually employs various service and supply companies to perform logging, cementing or other special operations as well as maintaining the mud in its planed condition.
Most drilling crews consist of a tool pusher, a driller, a derrickman, a mud logger and two or three rotary helpers (also called floormen or roughnecks). Along with this basic crew configuration the operator sends usually a representative, called company man to the rig. For offshore operations the crews usually consist of many more employees.
Tool Pusher
The tool pusher supervises all drilling operations and is the leading man of the drilling contractor on location. Along with this supervision duties, he has to co-ordinate company and contractor affairs.
Company Man
The company man is in direct charge of all the company’s activities on the rig site. He is responsible for the drilling strategy as well as the supplies and services in need. His decisions directly effect the progress of the well.
Driller
The driller operates the drilling machinery on the rig floor and is the overall supervisor of all floormen. He is directly responsible to the tool pusher and is the person who is most closely involved in the drilling process. He manipulates from his position at the control console on the rig floor brakes, switches, levers and other related controls that influence the drilling parameters.
In case of a kick he is the first person to take action by moving the bit off bottom and close the BOP.
Derrick Man
The derrickman works on the so-called monkeyboard, a small platform up in the derrick, usually about 90 [ft] above the rotary table. When a connection is made or during tripping operations he is handling and guiding the upper end of the pipe. During drilling operations the derrickman is responsible for maintaining and repairing the pumps and other equipment as well as keeping tabs on the drilling fluid.
Floor Men
During tripping, the rotary helpers are responsible for handling the lower end of the drill pipe as well as operating tongs and wrenches to make or break a connection. During other times, they also maintain equipment, keep it clean, do painting and in general help where ever help is needed.
Mud Engineer, Mud Logger
The service company who provides the mud almost always sends a mud engineer and a mud logger to the rig site. They are constantly responsible for logging what is happening in the hole as well as maintaining the propper mud conditions.
