Offshore Oil Drilling Jobs: A Few Basic Facts

If you are a construction professional who has been hit hard by the tough economy, you may be in the position of looking for alternative types of work. One of the most promising areas is in offshore oil drilling. Offshore oil drilling jobs are still plentiful, as the world struggles to continue to meet people's demand for this type of energy source. Here are a few facts about offshore oil drilling and what working on a rig is really like.

The United States imports about 13 million barrels of crude oil a day while its own rigs produce approximately 9 million. Although most people believe that crude oil is mainly for gasoline for combustible engines, it is also refined into a wide variety of other products including heating oil and kerosene. Despite the emergence of other sources of energy, technology has not allowed world consumers to make the leap away from crude oil, and so its production continues full guns.

Although onshore oil rigs bring in a lot of crude oil, the majority of the world's reserves are underwater. Why? The reason is clear: 90% of the earth's surface is covered in water and so it's up to engineers to find the richest repositories and exploit them to their fullest. Because it's extremely difficult to maintain a work force out on deep water, oil companies build virtual cities out on the seas: oil towers are alot like reverse skyscrapers, reaching down into the depths to access the oil reserves from the ocean's bottom. There are many types of mobile rigs as well, including Jack-ups, submersibles, semi-submersibles, and drill ships that scour an area seeking oil reserves.

Once a good site is found, the small city on the ocean is built, designed to last for 10 or more years. Oil drillers work on these rigs for weeks at a time and for long hours each day. These workers must endure often harsh weather conditions as well as handle being away from their families for protracted periods of time. However, once a work period is complete, drillers are free to return home and spend several weeks there. Drilling pays extremely well, and so many hardy souls who are used to hard work are willing to put up with the negatives since the positives are great.

There is a wide range of jobs within the offshore oil drilling field, and very specific skill sets are associated with each. As a basic driller, you should possess the following skills:

-- Well Control BOP Experience
--HUET and BST survival training
-- Good verbal and written communications skills
-- Good team working skills

More advanced work will, naturally, require more experience in offshore oil drilling. Offshore oil drilling jobs are plentiful if you are willing to work hard to attain the skills necessary for such work.