Offshore Assistant Driller Training Programs

Offshore Assistant Driller is a trainee position on offshore oil rigs (offshore oil production platform, drillship, semisubmersible, shallow water jack-up oil rig). On certain instances Offshore Assistant Driller or Offshore Driller Trainee can be regarded as an entry-level oil rig job in offshore upstream sector, for example if the vacancy is filled by a professional, who previously worked on land based oil rig as a Driller. Otherwise, to qualify for the position of Offshore Assistant Driller, a candidate should have at least 1 year of experience, working as a Derrickman, Mud Logger, or other closely related job on offshore oil drilling installation. The staffing table of some offshore oil rigs provides a still lower initial position of Trainee Assistant Driller. The other title for this offshore job is Driller Trainee.

Offshore Assistant Driller Training Opportunities

There should be training programs for this position on offshore oil rigs. One of such Driller Trainee programs at one time was offered by Maersk Drilling at their training facility in Europe. At least, such Driller Trainee Program was advertised on the company's own website. The advertisement instructed the job seekers to apply online, but when we followed the link that should have lead to their online application form, the form didn't display. Instead we found a note there, saying that for the vacancy "Driller Trainee" the publication period had expired. Meanwhile, a note on the web page, featuring the Driller Trainee Program on Maersk website read: the last application was submitted on 31 August, 2011. No one was able to confirm or to deny, whether the Program had been passed by at least one group of enrollees. In any case, pre-requisites for the enrollees listed Bachelor Degree in Marine, Mechanical, or Civil Engineering, being a recent graduate or having worked for at least 1-2 years as a Derrickhand or something like that, having valid EU visa or work/study permit for international students. Successful enrollees were supposed to start from the very low ranks as Roustabout and progress up through Roughneck etc. positions to ultimately end after 12 or so months of studies as a ready-to-work Offshore Assistant Driller to further work up their bright career path towards the Driller. Hands-on training was assumed to take place at Maersk drilling facilities, located in different countries around the world. Sounded very promising as an easy way to enter the so much dreamed of offshore oil drilling industry with its absolutely fantastic salaries, but alas.

The other training program we attempted to review was Aberdeen UK based Stena Drilling Ltd.'s Fast Track Drilling Trainee Program. As the said drilling program description says, the course that it offers is intended for recent or before long University graduates with a degree in drilling or general engineering. After the 3 year long tuition course the students should graduate as experienced Assistant Drillers, who have tried along the course themselves in different positions on offshore oil rigs with theory classes alternating with workplace experience and hands-on training in real-time environment. The program description implies successful graduates of their Fast Track Drilling Trainee Program would get job with Stena, though in none of the places we were able to find them saying that directly. Their online CV/job application submission form works O.K. The other opportunities that are suggested on Stena Drilling website encompass offshore and onshore job titles, split to six groups: Drilling, Engineering, Safety, Marine, Subsea, and Onshore positions. The other vacancies, besides Assistant Driller or Driller Trainee, included: Subsea Engineer, Electrical Trainee, Chemical Process Laboratory Technician, Driller, Floorman, Senior Mechanic, Electrician, DPO, Senior Toolpusher, Barge Engineer, Derrickman, Senior DPO, Barge Master, Marine, Motorman, Safety Officer, Roustabout, Crane Operator, Assistant Subsea Engineer, Trainee Safety Officer, Trainee Hydraulic Engineer, Mechanic, Assistant Hydraulic Engineer, Electronic Technician, Forward Planner, OIM, Trainee Subsea Engineer, Toolpusher, Painter, Chief Electrician, Hydraulic Engineer.

Offshore Assistant Driller Salary

Based on different sources, Offshore Assistant Salary ranges $US 81,000 - $US 90,000 per year for the beginners, while for the advanced it may surpass $US 105,000 a year. That must be good enough incentive to encourage greenhand offshore Assistant Driller to progress as quickly as he/she can in order to get as soon as possible promotion to a job of Offshore Driller, whose salary starts somewhere at $US 122,000, while for the experienced Offshore Driller the wages may well exceed $US 160,000.