Energy Services Labourers and Operators
Energy services labourers and operators are career paths that provide contracted labour and services throughout the various stages of energy production. Workers may be employed by service companies or directly by energy producers. Energy services include several activities, products, and services that support energy exploration, production, and well abandonment. The services include seismic exploration, drilling, production testing, various field/site services, and equipment manufacturing and supply. These jobs offer an entry point into the energy industry. Some jobs may be seasonal during the fall and winter months while others are needed all year around.
Job career progression is traditionally based on experience and mechanical/technical aptitude along with a strong work ethic. Often, energy services workers start as labourers and will assist other crew members under supervision until they have had reasonable exposure to doing tasks independently. With more experience, workers will then ”move up” to more skilled tasks and even leadership roles. A good example of this progression is working on a drilling rig, with a traditional starting point being a leasehand (cleaning duties) to floorhand (connecting pipe) to derrickhand (maintaining motors and running the derrick) to driller (supervising crew) and rig manager (supervising rig).
You can make a meaningful impact in energy services and have a lengthy, successful career. In this career pathway, there are hands-on opportunities to learn. You may be trained to operate leading technologies that supply the world with energy. The career will appeal if you like to work in a high-paced, team-based environment. You will need to focus on safe work practices to protect yourself and others. You will also get the right training to keep your skills up to date. In these ways, your work will be valued and productive. There are opportunities to travel locally and abroad working as a skilled Energy Services Labourer or Operator.
Energy services workers are rewarded for positive attitudes, ongoing learning, and hard work. There are opportunities to grow within companies. Often, employees with significant hands-on experience are asked to extend their work to the office in a supervisory role. The industry needs Energy Services Labourers and Operators who contribute to sustainable energy production and environmental protection
Established Energy Sectors:
- Oil and Gas
- Offshore Oil and Gas
- Oil Sands
- Energy Services
- Pipelines
- Refining
Emerging Energy Sectors:
- Biofuels
- Hydrogen
- Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
- Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)
What Energy Services Labourers and Operators Do
Key Skills and Abilities Energy Services Labourers and Operators Need
This chart shows the knowledge, skills, certifications, and personal attributes needed to enter the energy industry and advance as an Energy Services Labourers and Operators. Each occupation, job level, and responsibility will require a different mix of these skills and abilities. The most important and generally required skill is a driver’s licence. On top of that, employers will often provide training to support employee career development.
Personal Attributes
- Adaptability
- Collaboration
- Stress tolerance
- Active learning
- Attention to detail
- Analytical thinking
- Independence
- Innovativeness
- Physically fit
- Ability to work long hours
Core Knowledge
- Knowledge about how to perform physical and manual work activities
- Awareness of safe operating practices in industrial settings
- Experience working with materials, equipment, and tools
- Knowledge about how to gather and organize personal gear for safety-sensitive and outdoor worksites
Technical Skills
- Ongoing learning on-the-job
- Familiar with hand and power tools and their uses
- Familiar with mechanical equipment and their uses
- Perform maintenance on equipment to:
- keep it functional
- prevent damage or failures
- replace or adjust defective parts
- Work in or around potentially hazardous heavy equipment, chemicals, explosives, etc.
- Operate and maintain specialized equipment (training provided)
- Drive trucks to, from, and around worksites
Beneficial Certifications
- Appropriate class Driver’s Licence + clean driving abstract. The type of licence required for jobs includes:
- Passenger vehicle licence
- Class 3 or D licence (commercial, heavy trucks, straight-body)
- Class 1 or A licence (commercial semi-trailer trucks, long combination with air brakes)*
- Specific endorsements for certain types of commercial vehicles and operations such as air brakes
- Oilfield Driver Awareness
- Standard and Emergency First Aid
- H2S Alive
- Fall Protection
- Confined Space Entry
- Transportation of Dangerous Goods
- Aerial Lift
- Forklift
- Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)
- Pre-employment tests for fitness, drugs, and alcohol
* Required licence classes and their vision, hearing, and physical fitness requirements vary among Canadian provinces and territories
Energy Services Labourers and Operators Careers in the Energy Industry
Many Energy Services Labourers and Operators do not require any previous experience or specialized training. Employers are willing to provide training. You can often secure a position if you have the relevant driver’s licence, a clean driving abstract and safety courses such as First Aid and H2S Alive® certifications. The roles described below are generally consistent across all energy sectors requiring energy services workers.
Career Level
Education Levels & Areas of Study
Minimum Grade 10 with high school graduation preferred
Employers often provide specialized on-the-job learning
Minimum Grade 10 with high school graduation preferred
Variety of equipment and safety certifications.
Minimum Grade 10 with high school graduation preferred
Additional specialized training and certifications may be required
Types of Careers
Seismic
- Driller’s Helper
- Seismic Helper/Labourer
- Recording Crew
- Seismic Shooter
Drilling Rig (Onshore and Offshore)
- Leasehand
- Floorhand
- Roustabout
Service Rig
- Floorhand
Field and Site Services
- Labourer
- Operator-in-Training
- Operator 2
Seismic
- Seismic Driller/Operator
- Seismic Vibrator Operator
- Seismic Navigator (Marine)
- Seismic Coordinator
Drilling Rig
- Motorhand
- Derrickhand
- Driller
Service Rig
- Derrickhand
- Driller
Field and Site Services
- Operator 3
- Operator 4
Seismic
- Vibrator Technician
- Crew Leader
- Fleet Manager
Drilling Rig
- Driller
- Rig Manager (tool push)
Service Rig
- Rig Manager
Field and Site Services
- Operator 5
- Supervisor
Career Level
Entry
Education Levels & Areas of Study
Minimum Grade 10 with high school graduation preferred
Employers often provide specialized on-the-job learning
Types of Careers
Seismic
- Driller’s Helper
- Seismic Helper/Labourer
- Recording Crew
- Seismic Shooter
Drilling Rig (Onshore and Offshore)
- Leasehand
- Floorhand
- Roustabout
Service Rig
- Floorhand
Field and Site Services
- Labourer
- Operator-in-Training
- Operator 2
Mid
Education Levels & Areas of Study
Minimum Grade 10 with high school graduation preferred
Variety of equipment and safety certifications.
Types of Careers
Seismic
- Seismic Driller/Operator
- Seismic Vibrator Operator
- Seismic Navigator (Marine)
- Seismic Coordinator
Drilling Rig
- Motorhand
- Derrickhand
- Driller
Service Rig
- Derrickhand
- Driller
Field and Site Services
- Operator 3
- Operator 4
Senior
Education Levels & Areas of Study
Minimum Grade 10 with high school graduation preferred
Additional specialized training and certifications may be required
Types of Careers
Seismic
- Vibrator Technician
- Crew Leader
- Fleet Manager
Drilling Rig
- Driller
- Rig Manager (tool push)
Service Rig
- Rig Manager
Field and Site Services
- Operator 5
- Supervisor
Transferring Energy Services Labourers and Operators’ Skills from One Energy Sector to Another
There are core skills and knowledge that all Energy Services Labourers and Operators need for their careers. These building blocks are needed across all energy sectors and for all specializations. The building blocks are:
- Choose the correct tools and equipment to perform a job
- Operate tools, equipment, machines, and vehicles
- Troubleshoot causes of operating issues with equipment and take steps to repair
- Perform maintenance on equipment, devices, buildings, and machinery
- Identify risk and safety issues and determine ways to avoid risk and improve safety
All sectors will typically contract services from Energy Services for equipment and seismic, drilling and field/site services and workers.
The following interactive tool presents the core skills and knowledge Energy Services Labourers and Operators need as building blocks. It will also identify evolving skills needed to address the needs in each energy sector. Each energy sector uses the building blocks in different ways.
New entrants to an Energy Services Labourers and Operators career can use the tool to understand the building block skills needed to work in sectors across the energy industry. Experienced Energy Services Labourers and Operators can use the tool to explore how each building block is applied across the energy sectors.
How to use the Tool
- Click on a building block
- Click on a sector
- Read about how that skill can be used in a specific sector
Choose a building block
-
Choose the correct tools and equipment to perform a job
-
Operate tools, equipment, machines, and vehicles
-
Troubleshoot causes of operating issues with equipment and take steps to repair
-
Perform maintenance on equipment, devices, buildings, and machinery
-
Identify risk and safety issues and determine ways to avoid risk and improve safety
Browse energy sectors
Select to learn how these skills can be applied across energy sectors
Knowledge about how to gather and organize equipment and personal gear for safety-sensitive indoor and outdoor worksites
Knowledge about how to gather and organize equipment and personal gear for safety-sensitive indoor and outdoor worksites
Knowledge about working near open excavations for oil sands mining or thermal operations for in-situ oil sands operations
Knowledge about how to gather and organize equipment and personal gear for safety-sensitive indoor and outdoor worksites:
- Hard hats, steel-toed boots, coveralls, safety glasses, gloves, hearing protection, and outerwear
- Specialized equipment and vehicles for the job
Browse energy sectors
Select to learn how these skills can be applied across energy sectors
Knowledge about how to gather and organize equipment and personal gear for safety-sensitive indoor and outdoor worksites
Knowledge about how to gather and organize equipment and personal gear for safety-sensitive indoor and outdoor worksites
Knowledge about working near open excavations for oil sands mining or thermal operations for in-situ oil sands operations
Knowledge about how to gather and organize equipment and personal gear for safety-sensitive indoor and outdoor worksites:
- Hard hats, steel-toed boots, coveralls, safety glasses, gloves, hearing protection, and outerwear
- Specialized equipment and vehicles for the job
Browse energy sectors
Select to learn how these skills can be applied across energy sectors
Preparing, checking and loading tools and equipment
Assemble equipment and tools
Drive and operate specialized vehicles
Use specialized equipment to perform services for seismic, drilling, well servicing, well completions, well abandonments, and field and industrial worksite services
Preparing, checking and loading tools and equipment
Assemble equipment and tools
Drive and operate specialized vehicles
Use specialized equipment to perform seismic, drilling, and field/site operations services on drilling and production vessels
Preparing, checking and loading tools and equipment
Assemble equipment and tools
Drive and operate specialized vehicles
Use specialized equipment to: clear sites: manage water; drill, complete and service in-situ wells; close sites
Heavy equipment operator training may be required and is often offered by employers
Preparing, checking and loading tools and equipment
Assemble equipment and tools
Drive and operate specialized vehicles
Use specialized equipment to perform services in varying road and weather conditions for seismic, drilling, and field/site operations
Preparing, checking and loading tools and equipment
Assemble equipment and tools
Drive and operate specialized vehicles
Use lifting equipment to move, transport, onload, secure, and offload pipes in varying road and weather conditions
Use specialized processes to purge pipelines
Heavy equipment operator training may be required and is often offered by employers
Preparing, checking and loading tools and equipment
Assemble equipment and tools
Drive and operate specialized vehicles
Use specialized equipment to perform services and maintenance on worksites and facilities such as nitrogen pumping to purge pipelines
Preparing, checking and loading tools and equipment
Assemble equipment and tools
Drive and operate specialized vehicles
Use specialized equipment to perform services and maintenance on worksites and facilities: drilling and service rigs for CO2 injection wells, cementing, casing and coiled tubing operations, nitrogen pumping services
Browse energy sectors
Select to learn how these skills can be applied across energy sectors
Preparing, checking and loading tools and equipment
Assemble equipment and tools
Drive and operate specialized vehicles
Use specialized equipment to perform services for seismic, drilling, well servicing, well completions, well abandonments, and field and industrial worksite services
Preparing, checking and loading tools and equipment
Assemble equipment and tools
Drive and operate specialized vehicles
Use specialized equipment to perform seismic, drilling, and field/site operations services on drilling and production vessels
Preparing, checking and loading tools and equipment
Assemble equipment and tools
Drive and operate specialized vehicles
Use specialized equipment to: clear sites: manage water; drill, complete and service in-situ wells; close sites
Heavy equipment operator training may be required and is often offered by employers
Preparing, checking and loading tools and equipment
Assemble equipment and tools
Drive and operate specialized vehicles
Use specialized equipment to perform services in varying road and weather conditions for seismic, drilling, and field/site operations
Preparing, checking and loading tools and equipment
Assemble equipment and tools
Drive and operate specialized vehicles
Use lifting equipment to move, transport, onload, secure, and offload pipes in varying road and weather conditions
Use specialized processes to purge pipelines
Heavy equipment operator training may be required and is often offered by employers
Preparing, checking and loading tools and equipment
Assemble equipment and tools
Drive and operate specialized vehicles
Use specialized equipment to perform services and maintenance on worksites and facilities such as nitrogen pumping to purge pipelines
Preparing, checking and loading tools and equipment
Assemble equipment and tools
Drive and operate specialized vehicles
Use specialized equipment to perform services and maintenance on worksites and facilities: drilling and service rigs for CO2 injection wells, cementing, casing and coiled tubing operations, nitrogen pumping services
Browse energy sectors
Select to learn how these skills can be applied across energy sectors
Understand how equipment functions to troubleshoot problems
Use monitoring instruments to detect and report possible problems
Make equipment repairs
Browse energy sectors
Select to learn how these skills can be applied across energy sectors
Understand how equipment functions to troubleshoot problems
Use monitoring instruments to detect and report possible problems
Make equipment repairs
Browse energy sectors
Select to learn how these skills can be applied across energy sectors
General labour and maintenance tasks around field operations sites, vehicles, facilities and equipment
Inspect, clean and maintain tools, equipment and facilities
Browse energy sectors
Select to learn how these skills can be applied across energy sectors
General labour and maintenance tasks around field operations sites, vehicles, facilities and equipment
Inspect, clean and maintain tools, equipment and facilities
Browse energy sectors
Select to learn how these skills can be applied across energy sectors
Operate vehicles and equipment in compliance with health, safety and environmental practices and regulations
Identify, prevent and report potential hazards
Emergency response training
Construction and industrial safety for work sites generally includes:
- Pipeline construction safety
- Oil spill response
- H2S Alive
- Working in confined spaces
- Potential hazards of working with toxic substances
Operate vehicles and equipment in compliance with health, safety and environmental practices and regulations
Identify, prevent and report potential hazards
Emergency response training
Construction and industrial safety for work sites generally includes:
- Pipeline construction safety
- Oil spill response
- H2S Alive
- Working in confined spaces
- Potential hazards of working with toxic substances
Additional specializations:
- Basic survival
- Helicopter/vessel safety
- Rigging and slinging training
Operate vehicles and equipment in compliance with health, safety and environmental practices and regulations
Identify, prevent and report potential hazards
Emergency response training
Construction and industrial safety for work sites generally includes:
- Pipeline construction safety
- Oil spill response
- H2S Alive
- Working in confined spaces
- Potential hazards of working with toxic substances
Additional specializations:
- Working near water requires training with self-rescue equipment
Operate vehicles and equipment in compliance with health, safety and environmental practices and regulations
Identify, prevent and report potential hazards
Emergency response training
Construction and industrial safety for work sites generally includes:
- Pipeline construction safety
- Oil spill response
- H2S Alive
- Working in confined spaces
- Potential hazards of working with toxic substances
Additional specializations:
- Advanced hydrogen safety
Operate vehicles and equipment in compliance with health, safety and environmental practices and regulations
Identify, prevent and report potential hazards
Emergency response training
Construction and industrial safety for work sites generally includes:
- Pipeline construction safety
- Oil spill response
- H2S Alive
- Working in confined spaces
- Potential hazards of working with toxic substances
Additional specializations:
- Potential hazards of working with CO2
Browse energy sectors
Select to learn how these skills can be applied across energy sectors
Operate vehicles and equipment in compliance with health, safety and environmental practices and regulations
Identify, prevent and report potential hazards
Emergency response training
Construction and industrial safety for work sites generally includes:
- Pipeline construction safety
- Oil spill response
- H2S Alive
- Working in confined spaces
- Potential hazards of working with toxic substances
Operate vehicles and equipment in compliance with health, safety and environmental practices and regulations
Identify, prevent and report potential hazards
Emergency response training
Construction and industrial safety for work sites generally includes:
- Pipeline construction safety
- Oil spill response
- H2S Alive
- Working in confined spaces
- Potential hazards of working with toxic substances
Additional specializations:
- Basic survival
- Helicopter/vessel safety
- Rigging and slinging training
Operate vehicles and equipment in compliance with health, safety and environmental practices and regulations
Identify, prevent and report potential hazards
Emergency response training
Construction and industrial safety for work sites generally includes:
- Pipeline construction safety
- Oil spill response
- H2S Alive
- Working in confined spaces
- Potential hazards of working with toxic substances
Additional specializations:
- Working near water requires training with self-rescue equipment
Operate vehicles and equipment in compliance with health, safety and environmental practices and regulations
Identify, prevent and report potential hazards
Emergency response training
Construction and industrial safety for work sites generally includes:
- Pipeline construction safety
- Oil spill response
- H2S Alive
- Working in confined spaces
- Potential hazards of working with toxic substances
Additional specializations:
- Advanced hydrogen safety
Operate vehicles and equipment in compliance with health, safety and environmental practices and regulations
Identify, prevent and report potential hazards
Emergency response training
Construction and industrial safety for work sites generally includes:
- Pipeline construction safety
- Oil spill response
- H2S Alive
- Working in confined spaces
- Potential hazards of working with toxic substances
Additional specializations:
- Potential hazards of working with CO2
