Will “Oil Well Perforator Operator” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

48% Chance of Automation

“Oil Well Perforator Operator” will probably not be replaced by robots.

This job is ranked #292 out of #702. A higher ranking (i.e., a lower number) means the job is less likely to be replaced.

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Job Description

Place and detonate explosives to demolish structures or to loosen, remove, or displace earth, rock, or other materials. May perform specialized handling, storage, and accounting procedures. Includes seismograph shooters.

Job Details

The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 47-5031.00
The Mean Annual Wage in the U.S. is $ 54,580.00
The Mean Hourly Wage is $ 26.00
Currently, there are 6,310 people on this job

☝️ Information based on the reference occupation “Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters”.

Also Known As…

Tasks for “Oil Well Perforator Operator”

Assemble and position equipment, explosives, and blasting caps in holes at specified depths, or load perforating guns or torpedoes with explosives.
Mark patterns, locations, and depths of charge holes for drilling, and issue drilling instructions.
Place explosive charges in holes or other spots; then detonate explosives to demolish structures or to loosen, remove, or displace earth, rock, or other materials.
Measure depths of drilled blast holes, using weighted tape measures.
Set up and operate equipment such as hoists, jackhammers, or drills, in order to bore charge holes.
Place safety cones around blast areas to alert other workers of danger zones, and signal workers as necessary to ensure that they clear blast sites prior to explosions.
Connect gun chambers to electric detonating devices, and operate controls at panelboards, in order to detonate charges in guns or to ignite chemical charges.
Lower perforating guns into wells, using hoists; then use measuring devices and instrument panels to position guns in correct positions for taking samples.
Insert powder charges into chambers of sidewall sample-taking cylinders, and assemble cylinders, using special wrenches.
Maintain inventory levels, ordering new supplies as necessary.
Tie specified lengths of delaying fuses into patterns in order to time sequences of explosions.
Cut specified lengths of primacord and attach primers to cord ends.
Insert, pack, and pour explosives, such as dynamite, ammonium nitrate, black powder, or slurries into blast holes; then shovel drill cuttings, admit water into boreholes, and tamp material to compact charges.
Insert waterproof sealers, bullets, and/or powder charges into guns, and screw gun ports back into place.
Drive trucks to transport explosives and blasting equipment to blasting sites.
Lay primacord between rows of charged blast holes, and tie cord into main lines to form blast patterns.
Light fuses, drop detonating devices into wells or boreholes, or activate firing devices with plungers, dials, or buttons, in order to set off single or multiple blasts.
Connect electrical wire to primers, and cover charges or fill blast holes with clay, drill chips, sand, or other material.
Repair and service blasting, shooting, and automotive equipment, and electrical wiring and instruments, using hand tools.
Observe odometers, weight indicators, and instrument panels in trucks in order to position guns at predetermined points in wells.
Examine blast areas to determine amounts and kinds of explosive charges needed and to ensure that safety laws are observed.
Verify detonation of charges by observing control panels, or by listening for the sounds of blasts.
Obtain samples of earth from sidewalls of well boreholes, using electrically exploding devices.
Move and store inventories of explosives, loaded perforating guns, and other materials, according to established safety procedures.
Repair electrical instruments, using electricians' hand tools.
Signal hoist operators to lower torpedoes or sample-taking guns into wells and to raise equipment for sampling from blast holes after detonation.
Compile and keep gun and explosives records in compliance with local and federal laws.
Set up and operate short-wave radio or field telephone equipment to transmit and receive blast information.
Clean, gauge, and lubricate gun ports.

Related Technology & Tools

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Protective ear plugs
Overhead cranes
Right angle prisms
Harpoon retrievers
Digital multimeters
Wire cutting tools
Wire cleaning brushes
Long period delay detonators
Digital voltmeters
Electrical circuit testers
Remote firing devices
Hydraulic pressure gauges
Fuse cutters
Coated gloves
Wheeled wire dispensers
Tamping rods
Padded gloves
Temperature data loggers
Pneumatic drilling equipment
Tractor-trailer trucks
Warning sirens
Galvanometers
Explosive blasting caps
Torpedo levels
Digital ammeters
Safety cones
Explosives handling robots
Longnose pliers
Instantaneous electrical detonators
Test lamps
Stake flags
Portable signal generators
Tongue and groove pliers
Conduit bending tools
Detonating cords
Plumb bobs
Safety goggles
Day boxes
Flashing warning lights
Ammonium nitrate fuel oil ANFO loaders
Ring gauges
Blasting cap crimpers
Balance scales
Plastic plugs
Explosives funnels
Protective safety glasses
Depth measurement gauges
Fixed blade knives
Weighted tape measures
Rubber mallets
Folding knives
Equipment dollies
Forklifts
Digital calculators
Hand chisels
End cutting pliers
Wire strippers
Remote blasting systems
Explosives time delay fuses
Insulated pliers
Digital ohmmeters
Laser rangefinders
Clinometers
Portable cranes
Non-electric delay detonators
Tie-down equipment
Wire loop pullers
Extension ladders
Blasthole drills
Digital micrometers
Personal computers
Meggers
Bore hole thermometers
Safety harnesses
Transport trucks
Electricians' knives
Protective respirators
Dewatering pumps
Electronic shock tube initiators
Non-contact voltage testers
Portable air compressors
Perforating capsule guns
Resistance testers
Phillips head screwdrivers
Hacksaws
Lowering hooks
Phase rotation meters
Loading poles
Hard hats
Fuse testers
Crescent wrenches
Spring scales
Blasting machines
Pallet jacks
Laptop computers
Short-wave radios
Perforating casing guns
Discharge hoses
Safety fuses
Precision tweezers
Short period delay detonators
Digital wattmeters
Wood wedges
Grappling hooks
Mobile radios
Hole savers
Stakebed trucks
Surface connector blocks
Vernier calipers
Millivoltmeters
Jackhammers
Hand shears
Avalaunchers
Blast hole tubing
Hoisting equipment

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