Derrickhand to oil rig motorhand
A derrickhand already meets 48% of what the oil rig motorhand role asks for. The move turns on 7 required skills not yet in the profile.
51/ 100
1 How much of what an oil rig motorhand is expected to do is already part of a derrickhand’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the oil rig motorhand role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An oil rig motorhand role treats 7 of its required skills as things a derrickhand already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- connect equipment to wellheads
- maintain mechanical equipment
- mechanical tools
- mechanics
- rigging terminology
- use rigging equipment
What stands in the way is 7 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 8 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An oil rig motorhand role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a derrickhand background worth leading with.
- already held work in drilling teams communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held guide drill pipes constructing
- already held connect equipment to wellheads working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held rigging terminology services
- already held use rigging equipment working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held maintain mechanical equipment constructing
All 8 carried skills, including the 7 the oil rig motorhand role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 10 missing skills fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn operate rig motors required
- still to learn set up drilling rigs required
- still to learn transport drilling rigs required
- optional, not held guide cranes optional
- still to learn move rigging equipment required
- still to learn lift heavy weights required
- still to learn direct rigging equipment operators required
- optional, not held train crew members optional
- still to learn electricity required
- optional, not held lead drilling crews optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an oil rig motorhand role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 operate rig motors practise this
- 02 direct rigging equipment operators practise this
- 03 move rigging equipment practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 8 skills that carry over
- already held connect equipment to wellheads skill
- already held maintain mechanical equipment skill
- already held mechanical tools knowledge
- already held mechanics knowledge
- already held rigging terminology knowledge
- already held use rigging equipment skill
- already held work in drilling teams skill
- already held guide drill pipes skill
3 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held lead drilling crews optional
- optional, not held train crew members optional
- optional, not held guide cranes optional
10 held skills the oil rig motorhand role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role add chemicals to drilling fluid skill
- not needed by the target role chemistry knowledge
- not needed by the target role control flow of oils skill
- not needed by the target role follow safety procedures when working at heights skill
- not needed by the target role inspect pipelines skill
- not needed by the target role inspect quality of products skill
- not needed by the target role maintain circulation system skill
- not needed by the target role monitor drilling fluid skill
- not needed by the target role react to events in time-critical environments skill
- not needed by the target role train employees skill
1 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn electricity required
Common questions about this move
Can a derrickhand become an oil rig motorhand?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. A derrickhand already covers 48% of what an oil rig motorhand is expected to do: 8 skills carry over, 7 of which the oil rig motorhand role treats as required.
What skills does a derrickhand need to become an oil rig motorhand?
7 required skills are missing, plus 3 optional ones. They fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by working with machinery and specialised equipment. The single most important is operate rig motors.
How hard is the move from derrickhand to oil rig motorhand?
Its learning distance is 51 out of 100, which is the moderate band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.