In Allan Anderson’s book
Roughnecks and Wildcatters, one interview relates
the origins of the name roughneck:
The name "roughneck" is
derived from the fact that the men who worked on
the rigs had to bend their head backwards to
look in the air a lot. They'd watch their
traveling blocks up there so that when the
elevators came in front of them they could snap
them back on the drill pipe. Because of looking
up a lot, you'd develop pretty good wrinkles in
the back of your neck, and consequently the name
roughneck was developed.I don't know where it
started, but that's certainly the development of
the expression in the oilfields.
From: Anderson, Allan. Roughnecks and
Wildcatters. Canada: Macmillian Publishing,
1981. 31.
The roughneck’s job is very physical as it
involves heavy lifting and lots of travel. On the
drill site, the roughneck's primary job is to connect
and disconnect pipe using tongs, and to collect core
and cutting samples. The position also requires the
general upkeep of the rig floor, and assisting the
Motor Hand and other workers when necessary. The labour can be made even more difficult for the
roughneck by having to work in all types of
geographic locations, including on land or on ocean, and in
all weather.
A roughneck is only one position on a drilling
crew. Many roughnecks, also called floor or lease
hands, start out doing general work involving the
loading and unloading of trucks, driving vehicles,
and keeping the worksite clean. A floor hand can
also be promoted to motor hand, one who is responsible
for maintenance and operation of the motors on the
rig. From this position the worker can be promoted
to a derrick hand. Again, this job increases in
skill levels needed. The derrick hand guides the
drill pipe in and out of the elevators, steadying
the pipe from the top while it is connected or
disconnected at the bottom. Another responsibility
is to maintain fluid pumps, the circulation system,
and the drilling fluid itself. The driller is the
person who does what the name suggests: running the
drilling rig. They move, position, and set up the rig
at the correct location, and then dismantle the rig. They
also have to manage the other workers, hold and
conduct safety meetings, and are responsible for the
rig and the personnel.
Accountable for every aspect on the rig and the
operations, the rig manager's work is a less physically
demanding job than some, but involves a high degree
of commitment and stress. Also called the tool push,
they are responsible for the safety of all workers.
With management of the rig, they are in charge of
making sure the rig complies with all environmental
and government regulations. Also, they are
responsible for the rigs' production costs and
supervising the rig construction. To be
a tool push requires years of work experience on rigs.
They work their way up through the various jobs and
know
how everything runs on a rig. With all of these
positions, there is a level of danger, but the work
can be exciting and interesting.
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