Job profiles
Offshore roustabout
Hours
Variable
Starting salary
18,000 + per year
Roustabouts and roughnecks are part of the team that works on offshore facilities
such as oil and gas rigs and drilling platforms. If you want a practical job in the
offshore industry, this could be ideal for you.
In this job you would need to be willing to live away from home. You would need to
work well as part of a team. You would also need to be physically fit.
You don't need any specific qualifications to get into this job. However, many
offshore workers enter through an Apprenticeship scheme. To get onto one of these,
employers typically ask for four GCSEs (A-C) including English, maths and another
relevant subject such as science or design and technology. You will need to be aged
18 or over for most offshore jobs.
The work
As a roustabout you would do basic labouring tasks to help keep the drilling area in
good working order. You would work under the supervision of a lead roustabout, and
your job would include:
cleaning, scraping and painting the deck, equipment and work areas
offloading supplies from boats and moving them to storage areas
moving supplies and equipment to the work site
using lifting gear and winches to load and stack equipment
helping to repair pumping equipment
mixing the 'drilling mud' to lubricate the drill bit.
Roughneck is a promotion from roustabout. As a roughneck, you would carry out
more skilled duties as part of the actual drilling operation, such as:
adding fresh lengths of drill pipe as the drill moves deeper into rock
inserting and extracting the whole drill
cleaning, maintaining and repairing the drilling equipment
using lifting gear, ropes and winches.
Hours
You would typically live and work on a rig or platform for two or three weeks,
followed by two or three weeks rest period onshore. You would work up to 12 hours
a day on a 24-hour shift rota.
You could work on a fixed production platform with up to 100 workers, or on a
smaller mobile rig in a team of around 20 people. Facilities can include living
accommodation, canteens and recreation areas. Alcohol and smoking are banned.
The job can be physically demanding, working in all types of weather conditions and
at heights. You would need to wear protective clothing, including a harness, ear
defenders and a thermal boiler suit.
Income
Starting salaries can be around 18,000 to 22,000 a year. More experienced
roustabouts and roughnecks can earn between 22,000 and 30,000 a year.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
Entry requirements
You do not need formal qualifications to work as a roustabout but previous
experience in areas such as shipbuilding, construction or engineering will be helpful.
Another common way to join this industry is through an Apprenticeship scheme.
Employers often prefer apprentices to have four GCSEs (A-C) including English,
maths and another relevant subject like science or design and technology.
You will need to be aged 18 or over for most offshore jobs and you will need an
Offshore Medical Certificate in order to start working on the rigs. Safety and survival
training will also be required. This can be done before joining an offshore rig. See
the Training and development section for more about this.
To find out more about Apprenticeships, visit the Apprenticeships, Engineering
Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) and OPITO websites.
Apprenticeships
ECTIB Apprenticeships
OPITO Apprenticeships
You can find more details about working in the offshore oil and gas industry on the
OPITO and ECITB careers websites.
OPITO - myOilandGasCareer.com
ECITB - careers
(Roles)
Training and development
Your employer would put you through training when you join, which would include a
two-day Minimum Industry Safety Training (MIST) course. This covers nine areas of
work, such as:
risk assessment
controlling hazardous substances offshore
personal responsibility
working at heights.
You would also do the Basic Offshore Induction and Emergency Training (BOSIET)
course, covering:
safety induction
fire safety and basic fire fighting
first aid
helicopter safety
survival at sea.
Other training could include a five-day Greenhand course aimed at new entrants,
which also covers specific training on the direction of cranes and the use of other
lifting equipment (known as banksman slinger training). The safety aspects of this
course are similar to the MIST, so you may find that training providers combine the
two courses. Check with providers for exact details.
You can see more information about safety courses, offshore medicals and find
approved training providers for these and other industry courses on the OPITO
careers and training websites.
OPITO myOilandGasCareer.com
OPITO training finder
You will take further short courses relevant to your particular job as your experience
grows. Your employer may also encourage you to work towards industry
qualifications developed in partnership between OPITO and the Scottish
Qualifications Authority. These include:
SVQ Level 1 in Offshore Drilling Operations
SVQ Level 2 in Offshore Deck Operations.
Skills, interests and qualities
To be a roustabout you should have:
good practical skills
the ability to live and work as a member of a team
willingness to live and work away from home
good leadership skills
willingness to learn and follow instructions
awareness of health and safety
physical fitness.
