Will AI replace Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas?

AI can do 5% of the work Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas do at least twice as fast. Real use has not caught up: none of their tasks show up in real AI use yet, but AI could speed up 1 of them. Robots can technically handle 13 physical tasks. 6 still need a person.

AI is already doing this0 · 0% of time

People already use AI for these tasks in real work, based on Anthropic's analysis of how Claude is used.

  • Real AI use has not reached any of this job's tasks yet.

AI could do this next1 · 5% of time

AI can speed these up by at least half, but real use has not caught up yet. These are next in line.

  • Maintain records of footage drilled, location and nature of strata penetrated, materials and tools used, services rendered, and time required.5% of time

Robots can technically do this13 · 71% of time

Physical tasks that today's robots can perform in at least some settings. Robots are cost competitive for very few tasks so far, so this change moves slower.

  • Observe pressure gauge and move throttles and levers to control the speed of rotary tables, and to regulate pressure of tools at bottoms of boreholes.Robots: structured workplaces23% of time
  • Push levers and brake pedals to control gasoline, diesel, electric, or steam draw works that lower and raise drill pipes and casings in and out of wells.Robots: structured workplaces12% of time
  • Connect sections of drill pipe, using hand tools and powered wrenches and tongs.Robots: structured workplaces7% of time
  • Maintain and adjust machinery to ensure proper performance.Robots: structured workplaces7% of time
  • Monitor progress of drilling operations, and select and change drill bits according to the nature of strata, using hand tools.Robots: purpose built settings5% of time
  • Start and examine operation of slush pumps to ensure circulation and consistency of drilling fluid or mud in well.Robots: structured workplaces4% of time
  • Line drilled holes with pipes, and install all necessary hardware, to prepare new wells.Robots: structured workplaces3% of time
  • Weigh clay, and mix with water and chemicals to make drilling mud.Robots: structured workplaces2% of time
  • Clean and oil pulleys, blocks, and cables.Robots: purpose built settings2% of time
  • Bolt together pump and engine parts, and connect tanks and flow lines.Robots: purpose built settings2% of time
  • Position and prepare truck-mounted derricks at drilling areas specified on field maps.Robots: structured workplaces2% of time
  • Cap wells with packers, or turn valves, to regulate outflow of oil from wells.Robots: structured workplaces1% of time
  • Plug observation wells, and restore sites.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time

Still needs a person6 · 24% of time

No real AI use, no proven AI speedup and no robot that can do it yet. This is the part of the job to build on.

  • Direct rig crews in drilling and other activities, such as setting up rigs and completing or servicing wells.11% of time
  • Train crews, and introduce procedures to make drill work more safe and effective.5% of time
  • Repair or replace defective parts of machinery, such as rotary drill rigs, water trucks, air compressors, and pumps, using hand tools.4% of time
  • Count sections of drill rod to determine depths of boreholes.2% of time
  • Locate and recover lost or broken bits, casings, and drill pipes from wells, using special tools.1% of time
  • Remove core samples during drilling to determine the nature of the strata being drilled.1% of time

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What this means

Little of this work suits AI. The bigger change here is robots: today's robots can technically do 71% of the working time, though they are rarely cheap enough to replace people yet.

What to do next

  • Get ahead on the 1 task AI could do next. These move as tools improve, so learning them early pays off.
  • Keep an eye on the 13 physical tasks robots can technically do. Cost keeps most robots out of work today, so this shift is slower.
  • Build on the 6 tasks that stay human. This is where your judgment, skill and relationships matter most.
Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas0%Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas21%Continuous Mining Machine Operators6%Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining8%Rock Splitters, Quarry8%Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining0%

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