Description
Operate and maintain truck- or track-mounted drill rigs to bore, core, and blast holes for water wells, geotechnical and environmental sampling, and construction or mining projects. Set up, align, and stabilize rigs; select and change tooling; monitor drilling parameters; ensure safe, efficient operations; and accurately document progress and subsurface conditions.
- • Set and adjust air pressure, rotation, and feed force to match ground or concrete conditions.
- • Verify hole depth, angle, and alignment against plans.
- • Start and stop rigs, control drilling speed, and advance or set casing.
- • Select rigs, methods, and tooling based on subsurface conditions.
- • Position, level, and stabilize rigs; align masts and feed frames.
- • Install bits, rods, and augers; add or remove rods with depth; change tooling as needed.
- • Drill holes for blasting, grouting, anchors, piles, or foundations per specifications.
- • Circulate air, water, or mud to clear cuttings and clean holes.
- • Drive or spot truck-mounted rigs, deploy outriggers, and raise derricks.
- • Perform routine maintenance: inspect, lubricate, replace wear parts, and repair minor issues.
- • Transport rigs, compressors, and support equipment to and from sites.
- • Log drilling progress, tooling changes, depths, and basic geologic observations.
- • Fish and recover stuck or lost tools using appropriate retrieval methods.
- • Assemble and rig up masts, augers, casing, and ancillary systems.
- • Manage fluids to cool bits and transport cuttings.
- • Operate water-well, geotechnical, and environmental drilling rigs per project scope.
- • Set up and run basic well development and pumping tests.
- • Document soil and rock formations encountered during drilling.
- • Trip rods and retrieve core or soil samples as specified.
- • Retract augers to discharge cuttings safely.
- • Install casing, screens, seals, and pumps to complete wells.
- • Install and commission well pumping systems per plans.
- • Clean, disinfect, and redevelop wells and pumping systems as required.
- • Review site plans and client requirements to plan rig access and drilling approach.
- • Signal and coordinate with crane and equipment operators during rigging.
- • Inspect and label samples; package for laboratory analysis.
- • Cut, thread, and assemble casing and screens as needed.
- • Lay out drill and blast patterns per engineered designs.
- • Monitor gauges, torque, and machine sounds to adjust parameters or change tooling.
- • Follow safety procedures, traffic control, and environmental regulations; maintain site housekeeping.
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Last reviewed: Jan 2026
