Oil and Gas Rotary Drill Operators
Skills & Knowledge
Most Important Skills for Oil and Gas Rotary Drill Operators
- Operating Equipment—Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Monitoring Equipment—Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Coordinating with Others—Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Managing Time—Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Teaching—Teaching others how to do something.
- Controlling Quality—Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Managing People—Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Monitoring Performance—Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Repairing—Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Thinking Critically—Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Most Important Knowledge Areas for Oil and Gas Rotary Drill Operators
- Mechanical—Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
- Education and Training—Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- Mathematics—Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Personnel and Human Resources—Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
- Chemistry—Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal m
- Administration and Management—Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Psychology—Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
- Public Safety and Security—Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
- Transportation—Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
- Customer and Personal Service—Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Interests
Different careers may be a good fit for your personality or interests. This career is:
- Realistic—Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
- Enterprising—Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Learn more about your interests. Take the MnCareers Interest Assessment.
Describe Your Skills
People who have worked in this career typically perform the following tasks.
These statements can help a prospective employer understand what you can do, on a resume or during an interview.
- Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to find or fix problems.
- Controlling machines and processes.
- Handling and moving objects.
- Performing general physical abilities.
- Identifying information by categorizing, comparing, or detecting changes in circumstances or events.
- Communicating with supervisors, co-workers, or people that work under you.
- Collecting information from different sources.
- Repairing and maintaining mechanical equipment.
Careers that Use Similar Skills
The following careers use skills, knowledge, and abilities that are similar to those used for Oil and Gas Rotary Drill Operators.
View more careers in the Architecture and Construction cluster
View more careers in the Natural Resources Systems pathway

This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Source: You can learn about our data sources in the About Us section.