Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Oil & Gas Operator

🎯 Role Definition

This role requires a reliable, safety-focused Oil & Gas Operator to operate and optimize upstream production facilities, manage wellsite equipment, and ensure continuous production while complying with environmental and safety regulations. The Oil & Gas Operator will monitor wells and surface facilities, perform routine and preventative maintenance, carry out sample collection and basic testing, support emergency response, and maintain accurate production records. This role requires practical mechanical aptitude, familiarity with SCADA and instrumentation, and proven field experience in oil and gas production environments.

Keywords: Oil & Gas Operator, Production Operator, Wellsite Operator, Field Operator, SCADA operator, well testing, separator operation, compressor operator, H2S safety, production optimization.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Field Technician / Production Technician
Derrickhand / Roustabout
Entry-level Mechanical or Instrumentation Technician

Advancement To:

Senior Production Operator
Wellsite Supervisor / Lead Operator
Production Engineer / Operations Superintendent
Asset Manager / Facility Manager

Lateral Moves:

Process Technician
Instrumentation & Controls Technician
Maintenance Technician / Reliability Technician

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Monitor and control production facilities, wellheads, separators, dehydration units, compressors and pump stations using SCADA and local control panels to maintain safe and optimal production rates while minimizing flaring and losses.
Perform routine shift rounds and inspections of wells, flowlines, tanks, heaters and process equipment, identifying leaks, corrosion, abnormal noise or vibrations and taking immediate corrective action or escalating to maintenance.
Conduct safe start-up, shutdown and blowdown procedures for wells and surface equipment following company procedures, ensuring proper sequencing of valves, chokes and pumps to prevent overpressure and spills.
Operate, inspect and troubleshoot reciprocating and centrifugal compressors, beam pumps, electric submersible pumps (ESP) and progressing cavity pumps (PCP), coordinating minor repairs and initiating work orders for major defects.
Execute well testing, flowback and choke adjustments to measure well performance; record stabilized rates, pressure, temperature and liquid/gas ratios; prepare accurate test reports and communicate results to production engineering.
Collect, preserve and label production samples (oil, water, gas, glycol, methanol) and perform basic field tests (BS&W, API gravity, H2S detection, turbidity) before submitting to the lab and updating sample logs.
Perform meter proving, calibration and verification on custody and production metering systems and report discrepancies; liaise with measurement technicians to ensure accurate volume and gas calculations.
Conduct pigging operations and pipeline inspections in coordination with pipeline crews; prepare line-up, monitor pig runs, and record volumetric and pressure data to maintain pipeline integrity.
Execute chemical injection programs (corrosion inhibitors, scale inhibitors, hydrate inhibitors, biocides), manage inventory of chemicals and ensure correct dosing and documentation to maintain flow assurance.
Lead or participate in confined space entries, equipment isolations, lockout-tagout (LOTO) procedures and permit-to-work processes ensuring compliance with HSE practices and site-specific rules.
Perform routine maintenance tasks including replacing filters, changing seals and packing, greasing bearings, tightening mechanical connections and basic welding/pipefitting as permitted, escalating complex repairs to maintenance teams.
Respond to alarms and emergencies (gas releases, hydraulic failures, fires, H2S detection) acting as first responder, isolating sources, performing evacuation or containment and communicating status to supervisory personnel and emergency services.
Maintain accurate daily production logs, shift reports, safety observations and regulatory logs; enter data into SCADA, production accounting systems and ERP modules to support billing and forecasting.
Implement and document turnarounds, shutdowns and start-ups by coordinating with operations, maintenance and contractors to schedule work, ensure required permits, and maintain safety controls during high-risk activities.
Carry out basic instrumentation checks and troubleshoot level, pressure and flow transmitters, pneumatic and electric valve actuators; coordinate calibration and repair with instrument technicians.
Monitor environmental controls and waste handling (production water, produced solids and NORM), ensure proper tank gauging, separation and disposal procedures, and complete environmental reporting and discharge records.
Supervise and mentor junior operators and contractors on safe work practices, operational procedures and company standards; provide on-the-job training, competency checks and shift handover briefings.
Perform daily and monthly inventory reconciliations for fuel, produced liquids, chemicals and replacement parts; coordinate procurement requests and track critical spare components.
Implement continuous improvement and production optimization initiatives by recommending procedural changes, small capital upgrades and performance improvements to increase recovery and reduce operating costs.
Support drilling and workover operations by rigging up flowback equipment, monitoring well control parameters, assisting with swabbing and coiled tubing operations and ensuring safe interface with drilling contractors.
Conduct routine integrity and leak detection patrols using visual inspections, handheld gas detectors and leak monitors; promptly report, tag and isolate suspect lines or equipment.
Maintain compliance with company, local and national regulations, including documentation for safety meetings, incident reports, training records and permit logs; participate in audits and regulatory inspections.
Assist in the preparation and execution of emergency response drills, H2S evacuation drills and first aid response; ensure equipment such as breathing apparatus, gas monitors and fire suppression devices are inspected and functional.
Coordinate with production engineering, maintenance planners and HSE to prioritize work orders, review root-cause analyses for recurring issues and implement corrective action plans to prevent recurrence.

Secondary Functions

Support production data validation and provide accurate field measurements to production accounting and reservoir teams for reconciliation and forecasting.
Contribute to continuous improvement efforts by documenting operational observations and recommending changes to SOPs, maintenance plans and safety practices.
Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams (engineering, geology, health & safety, environment) to translate field observations into engineering requests or corrective work orders.
Participate in shift handovers, pre-shift briefings and post-shift debriefs; ensure knowledge transfer, update KPIs and maintain continuity of operations across rotations.
Assist in contractor coordination including permit issuance, toolbox talks, site inductions and verification of contractor competency and PPE compliance.
Maintain and update equipment manuals, operation checklists and emergency procedures to ensure quick reference and compliance with audit requirements.
Support ad-hoc operational projects, pilot tests or asset optimization pilots by collecting baseline data, performing field trials and documenting results for engineering review.
Provide on-call support during off-shift hours for critical events, emergency call-outs and unscheduled production interventions.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proficient operation of SCADA, DCS and PLC-based control systems for remote monitoring and control of wellsites and surface facilities.
Practical experience with well testing and production flow measurement: choke management, test separators, test headers and well test reporting.
Hands-on knowledge of separators, heater-treaters, scrubbers, dehydration units (glycol or TEG), slug catchers and associated process equipment.
Competence with reciprocating and centrifugal compressors, pump systems (ESP, PCP, rod pump) including basic troubleshooting and routine maintenance.
Familiarity with gas detection, H2S monitoring, LEL meters, personal gas monitors and confined space gas testing procedures.
Metering and measurement skills including prover runs, meter calibration, pressure and temperature compensation and custody transfer principles.
Experience with chemical injection systems, metering pumps and basic fluid chemistry related to corrosion, scale and hydrate control.
Ability to interpret P&IDs, process flow diagrams, instrumentation drawings and simple electrical schematics for safe operations.
Competence in permit-to-work, lockout-tagout (LOTO), confined space entry, hot work permits and working at heights safety protocols.
Basic mechanical and pipefitting skills: flange management, valve replacement, packing glands, seal changes and torqueing procedures.
Strong computer literacy for data entry, incident reporting, mobile field apps and basic SCADA trending and alarm response.
Knowledge of environmental regulations and produced water/tank battery handling, including NORM awareness and handling procedures.

Soft Skills

Strong commitment to safety culture with the ability to lead by example, intervene in unsafe acts and provide clear, calm direction during incidents.
Effective verbal and written communication skills for accurate handovers, report writing, and coordination with multidisciplinary teams and regulators.
Good problem-solving and troubleshooting ability to diagnose equipment issues and implement immediate field-level corrective actions.
Team player with the ability to mentor junior staff, work with contractors and collaborate across operations and maintenance groups.
Detail-oriented and organized for accurate recording of production data, shift logs, maintenance requests and regulatory documentation.
Resilient and adaptable in remote field environments with rotational shifts, changing weather and time-sensitive operations.
Time management and prioritization skills to balance routine rounds, emergency responses and planned maintenance activities.
Continuous improvement mindset with the ability to identify opportunities to increase uptime, reduce downtime and optimize production.
Customer- and stakeholder-focused when escalating issues and providing timely updates to site management and engineering.
Cultural sensitivity and professionalism for working on multi-disciplinary, cross-cultural teams in remote locations.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High School Diploma or GED with strong mechanical aptitude and safety awareness.

Preferred Education:

Technical diploma, certificate or Associate Degree in Petroleum Technology, Process Technology, Mechanical Technology, Instrumentation, or related engineering technology.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Petroleum Technology / Petroleum Operations
Process Technology / Chemical Processing
Mechanical / Industrial Maintenance
Instrumentation & Control Technology
Health, Safety & Environmental Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 1–5 years of field production or wellsite operations experience.

Preferred: 3–7 years of progressive experience operating oil and gas production facilities, with documented competency in SCADA/DCS operations, well testing, compressor/pump operation and proven HSE performance.

License & Certifications (desirable): Valid driver’s license, Well Control/Basic Surface Well Control (if applicable), H2S Alive, First Aid/CPR, Confined Space Entry, Working at Heights, Forklift/Crane certification, hazardous materials training and company-specific operator competency assessments.