Description
Set up and operate cable-tool (percussion) drilling rigs to drill and case oil and gas wells, and obtain formation samples during exploration.
- • Train crews and enforce safe, efficient cable-tool drilling procedures.
- • Engage clutches and brakes to control the spudder, walking beam, and bull wheel, setting stroke length and blow rate.
- • Monitor cable tension, stroke count, and penetration rate; adjust feed and impact to match formation conditions.
- • Measure hole depth with line markers, counters, and tag lines; account for cable stretch.
- • Raise and lower tool strings and casing with the bull wheel and sand line using pedals and levers.
- • Assemble tool strings with bits, jars, sinker bars, and rope sockets; attach drive shoes and clamps for casing.
- • Maintain detailed drilling logs of footage, formations from bailings, tools used, services, and time.
- • Inspect, lubricate, and adjust spudder rigs, engines, bull wheels, sheaves, and wire ropes for proper performance.
- • Manage water addition and bailing to remove cuttings; operate bailers, sand pumps, and swabs to clean the hole.
- • Fish and recover lost or stuck tools, cables, and casing using jars, spears, and fishing tools.
- • Prepare water or stabilizing additives as needed to support borehole walls during percussion drilling.
- • Direct rig-up, mast raising, guying, and site layout for truck-mounted cable-tool rigs.
- • Select, change, and dress bits; forge or grind cutting edges to match formation hardness.
- • Monitor drilling progress and modify stroke rate, bit weight, and tool string configuration to optimize penetration.
- • Repair or replace defective rig components, including clutches, brakes, engines, pumps, and wireline hardware.
- • Clean, inspect, splice, and oil wire ropes, sockets, pulleys, and blocks; replace worn line.
- • Align and bolt engine, spudder, bull wheel, and pump assemblies; rig water supply and discharge lines.
- • Collect, bail, and log formation samples; perform simple well tests and record results.
- • Run and drive casing strings; set drive shoes, install heads, and prepare wells for completion or testing.
- • Plug and secure test or observation wells and restore sites per regulations.
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Energy & Natural Resources
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
