What Electricians Do on the Oil Field

Electricians play an important role out on the oil field. They are stationed at those sites to make sure all electrical systems operate efficiently and safely in a way that complements the other systems at work.

According to information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there has been an increasing number of jobs available for electricians across the entire commercial sector, and part of this is due to the increased amount of electrical equipment businesses are using, including those in the oil and gas industry. Electricians do need to be trained and licensed to be eligible for oil field jobs, but as they are so highly in demand, it usually is not very difficult to find a qualified electrician to work on an oil field.

Here are just a few examples of some of the specific duties an electrician will be tasked with when performing oil field electrical work in Carlsbad, NM:

• System design: Electricians are tasked with designing electrical control systems for all equipment used in the oil and gas drilling process to ensure they are both safe and efficient when in operation.
• Reports: Electricians must develop routine reports and correspondence with other entities working at and running the job site. They must also produce all required documentation, schematics, drawings and various procedures related to the electrical systems they design and maintain.
• Install equipment: When operators decide to install new equipment on site, electricians are in charge of running the installation process to get it done quickly and smoothly.
• Maintain systems: Electricians will calibrate and modify all electrical systems at the site based on the needs of those systems. They must also keep up an appropriate inventory of replacement parts so they can make emergency repairs to those systems as needed. Finally, it is necessary for electricians to conduct daily inspections on all of the systems at the oil field, report any potential issues they come across and then make all repairs as needed based on the issues they uncover during their routine inspections.
• Technical support: Electricians can be highly useful for other elements of technical support on the job site, particularly when it comes to electrical equipment and systems that might typically fall outside of their jurisdiction.
• Work with others: Electricians will assist the maintenance supervisor at the oil field or the chief engineer with processes such as preparing the maintenance and repair budget for the electrical systems. One electrician will be tasked with supervising other electricians working on the site and ensuring all regulatory and safety requirements are complied with.

This is merely an overview of some of the duties you can expect an electrician to perform out on an oil field. The job is constantly evolving every day, so electricians who work on an oil field should be prepared for ever-changing duties—there’s never a dull moment!

For more information about oil field electrical work in Carlsbad, NM and what might be involved in particular types of jobs, contact the team at JB Electric LLC today.

Categorised in: Oil Field Service