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.

Care to share? Click for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or XING. 👍

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”

Insert powder charges into chambers of sidewall sample-taking cylinders, and assemble cylinders, using special wrenches.
Move and store inventories of explosives, loaded perforating guns, and other materials, according to established safety procedures.
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.
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 short-wave radio or field telephone equipment to transmit and receive blast information.
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.
Tie specified lengths of delaying fuses into patterns in order to time sequences of explosions.
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.
Maintain inventory levels, ordering new supplies as necessary.
Lower perforating guns into wells, using hoists; then use measuring devices and instrument panels to position guns in correct positions for taking samples.
Clean, gauge, and lubricate gun ports.
Repair and service blasting, shooting, and automotive equipment, and electrical wiring and instruments, using hand tools.
Repair electrical instruments, using electricians' hand tools.
Obtain samples of earth from sidewalls of well boreholes, using electrically exploding devices.
Compile and keep gun and explosives records in compliance with local and federal laws.
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 gun chambers to electric detonating devices, and operate controls at panelboards, in order to detonate charges in guns or to ignite chemical charges.
Measure depths of drilled blast holes, using weighted tape measures.
Assemble and position equipment, explosives, and blasting caps in holes at specified depths, or load perforating guns or torpedoes with explosives.
Cut specified lengths of primacord and attach primers to cord ends.
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.
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.
Examine blast areas to determine amounts and kinds of explosive charges needed and to ensure that safety laws are observed.
Connect electrical wire to primers, and cover charges or fill blast holes with clay, drill chips, sand, or other material.

Related Technology & Tools

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

Global Positioning System GPS software
Blaster's Tool and Supply Company Blaster's Calculator
Microsoft Word
Microsoft PowerPoint
Autodesk AutoCAD
Datavis DBS Designer
ESRI ArcGIS software
DetNet ViewShot
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Excel