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”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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