Drilling is a tough business, and the drill pipe that is used is under a lot of pressure as it burrows deeper and deeper into the ground. Tubular drill pipe inspectors keep a close eye on each piece of drill pipe to make sure that there are now defects, cracks or corrosion. Thanks to their keen eye, drilling operations can continue to safely operate.
On drilling rigs, the drill pipe used is subjected to cyclic stresses in tension, compression, torsion and bending, so its inspection is essential to detect defects related to manufacturing, handling, or drilling. Drill pipe and tubular inspectors detect defects such as corrosion, cracking, third-party damage or manufacturing flaws before these defects can cause serious damage.
Tubular or drill pipe inspectors operate specialized mechanical or electronic equipment such as ultrasonic testing (UT), electromagnetic inspection (EMI) and magnetic particle (MPI) to detect defects that are crucial to preventing downhole failures.
They are employed by drilling and well service contractors, exploration and production companies and well logging or testing companies and typically provide inspection services in conjunction with well drilling, completion or servicing.
Transferability information for this occupation is available on the Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers.
I'm interested in a career in
- Sub-sector Exploration and production, Oil and gas services
- Environment Primarily outdoor work
- Education High school diploma
- Career Demand Growing
In this occupation activities may include:
- Inspecting, testing, or measuring materials, products, and installations for conformance to specifications.
- Detecting and locating internal and external, corrosion, pitting, cuts, gouges, wall loss, and fatigue cracks before they result in severe damage.
- Monitor machines that automatically measure, sort or inspect products.
- Cleaning, maintaining, calibrating or otherwise repairing measuring instruments or test equipment.
- Recommending necessary corrective actions, based on inspection results.
Education
- Completion of high school is usually required.
- Oil and gas well testers and related workers may require three to six months of formal on-the-job training and several years of experience in subordinate logging and testing positions or on drilling and servicing rigs.
Certifications
- First Aid
- H2S Alive
- Blowout Prevention
- Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)
- Additional safety certifications may be required depending on employer requirements.
- Travel likely required
- Primarily outdoor work
- Safety-sensitive environment
- Work away from home/in camps
- Customer and Personal Service
- Works Safely
- Data Entry
- Interpreting Documents/Plans
- Preventative Maintenance
- Operation Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
- Systems Evaluation and Analysis
- Troubleshooting
- Attention to Detail
