Description
Operate and maintain rotary and cable-tool drilling rigs to construct, develop, and service water supply and monitoring wells, collecting subsurface data, installing casing and screens, and ensuring safe, compliant operations for residential, agricultural, municipal, and environmental projects.
- • Review site conditions, permits, and client requirements to plan well location and depth.
- • Mobilize truck-mounted rigs and support equipment; level and stabilize rigs on site.
- • Select drilling method, bits, rods, casing, and screens based on geology and well design.
- • Regulate rotary speed, air or mud circulation, and weight-on-bit for formation conditions.
- • Start, stop, and control drilling parameters and casing advancement.
- • Mix and circulate drilling fluids or air to cool bits, lift cuttings, and clean holes.
- • Verify depths, bore alignment, and plumbness; adjust setup as needed.
- • Add or remove drill rods and change bits as hole depth and geology change.
- • Collect and log cuttings or core to document formations and water strikes.
- • Record drilling progress, lithology, and groundwater observations.
- • Install casing, screens, centralizers, and gravel pack per specifications.
- • Place annular sealants and grout to protect aquifers and meet codes.
- • Develop wells by surging, airlifting, or pumping to remove fines and improve yield.
- • Install pumps, drop pipe, pitless adapters, and wellheads.
- • Perform pumping tests; measure flow, drawdown, and recovery to assess performance.
- • Disinfect new wells and rehabilitate or redevelop contaminated or low-producing wells.
- • Design or size well and pumping systems in coordination with clients or engineers.
- • Operate equipment to flush cuttings and clean boreholes.
- • Monitor gauges, sounds, and vibration to assess drilling conditions; adjust operations.
- • Retrieve lost tools or stuck casing using fishing tools and methods.
- • Assemble, inspect, and maintain drills, hoists, mud systems, and support equipment.
- • Perform routine repairs, replace parts, and lubricate machinery.
- • Drive commercial vehicles to and from job sites in compliance with DOT rules.
- • Manage drill spoils, fluids, and site runoff in accordance with environmental regulations.
- • Signal crane or forklift operators to move heavy components safely.
- • Fabricate or cut casing and wellhead components as needed.
- • Prepare drilling logs, test reports, as-builts, and cost estimates.
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Last reviewed: Jan 2026
