NOC 85111 · TEER Level 5

Oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers

Oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers carry out a variety of general labouring duties and operate equipment to assist in the drilling and servicing of oil and gas wells. This unit group also includes labourers who assist in geophysical prospecting for oil and gas.

Also known as:floorhand - offshore drilling rigfloorhand - oil and gas drillingfloorhand - service rigfloorman/woman - offshore drilling rigfloorman/woman - oil and gas drillinggravity prospecting observer helperCasing Crew PusherCathead OperatorConnection WorkerDerrick HandDrill Rig OperatorDumper Bailer OperatorEquipment OperatorField Service Engineer
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Moderate

Market Demand

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TEER 5

Skill Level

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SK, AB, BC

Top Provinces

What They Do

  • Manipulate sections of pipe or drill stem at the rig floor during drilling and during the removal and replacement of strings of pipe or drill stem and drill bit
  • Maintain drilling equipment on the drill floor
  • Handle, sort and move drill tools, pipe, cement and other materials
  • Clean up rig areas
  • Assist in setting up, taking down and transporting drilling and service rigs and service equipment
  • May drive trucks to transport materials and well service equipment.

Qualifications

  • checkCompletion of introductory college or petroleum industry-approved training courses may be required.
  • checkCompletion of secondary school may be required.
  • checkCertificates in hydrogen sulphide awareness, workplace hazardous materials information system (WHMIS) or transportation of dangerous goods (TDG) may be required.

Market Outlook by Province

SK

Saskatchewan

The employment outlook will be Moderate for oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers (NOC 85111) in Saskatchewan for the 2025-2027 period.The following factors contributed to this outlook:Employment growth will lead to several new positions.Not many positions will become available due to retirements.Here are some key facts about oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers in Saskatchewan: Approximately 550 people work in this occupation. Oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers mainly work in the following sectors: Support activities for mining, oil and gas (NAICS 213): 57%Oil and gas extraction (NAICS 211): 15%Construction (NAICS 23): 11%Truck transportation (NAICS 484): 5% The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:Full-time workers: 86% compared to 81% for all occupationsPart-time workers: 14% compared to 19% for all occupations36% of oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers work all year, while 64% work only part of the year, compared to 65% and 35% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 36 weeks compared to 43 weeks for all occupations.Less than 5% of oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers are self-employed compared to an average of 16% for all occupations.The gender distribution of people in this occupation is: Men: more than 95% compared to 53% for all occupations Women: less than 5% compared to 47% for all occupations The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is: no high school diploma: 36% compared to 11% for all occupations high school diploma or equivalent: 50% compared to 33% for all occupations apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 6% compared to 15% for all occupations college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 6% compared to 17% for all occupations bachelor's degree: less than 5% compared to 18% for all occupations university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: less than 5% compared to 7% for all occupations

Moderate

Outlook

AB

Alberta

The employment outlook will be Moderate for oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers (NOC 85111) in Alberta for the 2025-2027 period.The following factors contributed to this outlook:Employment growth will lead to a moderate number of new positions.Not many positions will become available due to retirements.There are a moderate number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.High employee turnover in this occupation could lead to additional employment opportunities.Here are some key facts about oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers in Alberta: Approximately 3,800 people work in this occupation. Oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers mainly work in the following sectors: Support activities for mining, oil and gas (NAICS 213): 59%Oil and gas extraction (NAICS 211): 15%Construction (NAICS 23): 10% The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:Full-time workers: 89% compared to 80% for all occupationsPart-time workers: 11% compared to 20% for all occupations33% of oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers work all year, while 67% work only part of the year, compared to 61% and 39% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 35 weeks compared to 42 weeks for all occupations.8% of oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers are self-employed compared to an average of 15% for all occupations.The gender distribution of people in this occupation is: Men: 94% compared to 53% for all occupations Women: 6% compared to 47% for all occupations The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is: no high school diploma: 24% compared to 10% for all occupations high school diploma or equivalent: 55% compared to 28% for all occupations apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 12% compared to 13% for all occupations college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 7% compared to 19% for all occupations bachelor's degree: less than 5% compared to 21% for all occupations university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: less than 5% compared to 9% for all occupations

Moderate

Outlook

BC

British Columbia

The employment outlook will be Limited for oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers (NOC 85111) in British Columbia for the 2025-2027 period.The following factors contributed to this outlook:Employment growth will lead to a moderate number of new positions.Not many positions will become available due to retirements.There are several unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.Here are some key facts about oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers in British Columbia: Approximately 650 people worked in this occupation in May 2021. Oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers mainly work in the following sectors: Support activities for mining, oil and gas (NAICS 213): 60%Oil and gas extraction (NAICS 211): 17%Construction (NAICS 23): 11% The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:Full-time workers: 89% compared to 78% for all occupationsPart-time workers: 11% compared to 22% for all occupations35% of oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers work all year, while 65% work only part of the year, compared to 61% and 39% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 35 weeks compared to 42 weeks for all occupations.8% of oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers are self-employed compared to an average of 17% for all occupations.The gender distribution of people in this occupation is: Men: 94% compared to 52% for all occupations Women: 6% compared to 48% for all occupations The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is: no high school diploma: 22% compared to 8% for all occupations high school diploma or equivalent: 52% compared to 28% for all occupations apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 17% compared to 13% for all occupations college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 6% compared to 17% for all occupations bachelor's degree: less than 5% compared to 22% for all occupations university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: less than 5% compared to 12% for all occupations

Limited

Outlook

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Immigration Pathways

TEER 5 occupations require short-term work demonstration and minimal formal education. Immigration pathways are limited but some provincial programs apply.

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Provincial Nominee Programs

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Temporary Foreign Worker Program

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Agri-Food Pilot

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City of Regi

City of Regina

1 active role · Regina, SK

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Core Competencies

Preventative Maintenance

to ensure equipment is in good working condition, reducing the likelihood of unexpected breakdowns

Equipment and Tool Selection

to select the appropriate drilling equipment to complete tasks, reduce the amount of manual effort required and work effectively

Trunk Strength

to handle, sort and move tools, pipes and materials to and from drilling sites

Stamina

to perform physically strenuous tasks, such as operating equipment and carrying materials without excessive fatigue

Collaboration

to assist in setting up, taking down and transporting rigs and service equipment with other workers

Knowledge in Geological Resources

to understand the types of rock formations, soil to plan and assist in completing drilling operations effectively

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