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”

Verify detonation of charges by observing control panels, or by listening for the sounds of blasts.
Set up and operate equipment such as hoists, jackhammers, or drills, in order to bore charge holes.
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.
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.
Set up and operate short-wave radio or field telephone equipment to transmit and receive blast information.
Compile and keep gun and explosives records in compliance with local and federal laws.
Repair electrical instruments, using electricians' hand tools.
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 powder charges into chambers of sidewall sample-taking cylinders, and assemble cylinders, using special wrenches.
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.
Mark patterns, locations, and depths of charge holes for drilling, and issue drilling instructions.
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.
Observe odometers, weight indicators, and instrument panels in trucks in order to position guns at predetermined points in wells.
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.
Measure depths of drilled blast holes, using weighted tape measures.
Repair and service blasting, shooting, and automotive equipment, and electrical wiring and instruments, using hand tools.
Clean, gauge, and lubricate gun ports.
Lower perforating guns into wells, using hoists; then use measuring devices and instrument panels to position guns in correct positions for taking samples.
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.
Examine blast areas to determine amounts and kinds of explosive charges needed and to ensure that safety laws are observed.
Assemble and position equipment, explosives, and blasting caps in holes at specified depths, or load perforating guns or torpedoes with explosives.
Maintain inventory levels, ordering new supplies as necessary.
Insert waterproof sealers, bullets, and/or powder charges into guns, and screw gun ports back into place.
Signal hoist operators to lower torpedoes or sample-taking guns into wells and to raise equipment for sampling from blast holes after detonation.
Connect gun chambers to electric detonating devices, and operate controls at panelboards, in order to detonate charges in guns or to ignite chemical charges.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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