Life on a Service Rig

Let me first explain to you what a service rig is. When people hear the word “oil rig” in Alberta they typically think of a drilling rig. Drilling rigs only drill the oil well and install the casing pipe, nothing else. To get the new oil well producing a service rig has to come in after the drilling rig and “complete” the well. A service rig doesn’t only do completions though; it also abandons old wells and fixes wells that have stopped producing for one reason or another.

A service rig is a much smaller operation then a drilling rig, a service rig is a mobile oil rig that can be driven on highways throughout Alberta where as a drilling rig has to be taken apart and hauled in sections.

A service rig operation usually consists of the rig itself, a pump truck (a large tanker truck used to store fluids), a doghouse, and a junk truck. The dog house is just a trailer that usually makes up the office/lunch room/crew quarters. The junk truck is just a truck used to tow the doghouse.

A service rig crew is usually made up of about 5 members, the tool push, driller, derrick hand, and two roughnecks. The tool push is the boss and is responsible for the entire crew, the equipment, and the communications with the oil company the rig is working for. The driller is the supervisor of the crew and is responsible for operating the rig. The derrick hand is responsible for operating the pump truck. The roughnecks are responsible for making sure all of the equipment is in proper working order which includes cleaning, greasing, fueling, fixing, and changing oil.