Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Upstream Operator

🎯 Role Definition

An Upstream Operator is a field-facing production professional responsible for safe, efficient, and compliant operation of wells, production facilities, and associated equipment to maximize hydrocarbon recovery. The role centers on day-to-day monitoring and optimization of oil and gas production, routine and preventive maintenance of surface facilities (separators, heaters, compressors, pumps), accurate production reporting and metering, and strict adherence to HSE and regulatory requirements. Candidates must be able to interpret instrumentation, execute operational procedures, coordinate well interventions with drilling/well services, and act quickly and safely during abnormal operations and emergency events.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Production Technician / Leasehand
Field Service Technician
Jr. Operator / Trainee Operator

Advancement To:

Senior Operator / Lead Operator
Production Supervisor / Facilities Supervisor
Production Engineer / Operations Engineer
Field Operations Manager

Lateral Moves:

Maintenance Technician (mechanical/electrical)
HSE Advisor / HSE Coordinator
Wireline or Well Testing Technician
Asset Integrity / Corrosion Technician

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Operate and monitor wells, wellheads, flowlines and surface production facilities (separators, heater-treaters, scrubbers, test separators) to maintain safe, reliable and optimized production while meeting daily production targets and allocation plans.
Execute start-up, shut-down and throttling/choke adjustments on wells and surface equipment in accordance with written operating procedures to manage rates, pressures and fluid handling for maximum recovery and asset integrity.
Continuously monitor instrumentation, gauges, SCADA and PLC systems; interpret pressure, temperature, level and flow trends to detect early indications of well or equipment degradation and take corrective action or notify supervisors.
Perform routine well and facility inspections (valve checks, meter rounds, gauge calibration, filter and strainer checks) and document findings in the CMMS or operations logs, creating clear handover notes for oncoming shifts.
Conduct field-level troubleshooting and first-line maintenance on pumps, compressors, heaters, control valves, pneumatic systems and electrical starters; coordinate with maintenance crews for complex repairs and scheduled turnarounds.
Carry out regular production testing (well tests, choke tests, flowing well tests), sample collection (oil, gas, produced water) and basic in-field analysis; ensure chain-of-custody and data integrity for lab submission and allocation.
Operate and supervise chemical injection systems (corrosion inhibitors, scale inhibitors, demulsifiers) and confirm dosing rates, refill inventories and MSDS compliance to protect downhole and surface equipment.
Ensure accurate custody transfer metering and fiscal metering operations, including performing meter proving, zero/span checks, and reconciling meter data against production volumes and SCADA records.
Execute safe rig-up, rig-down and rigging operations during well interventions and workovers, including assisting with wireline, coiled-tubing and pumping operations as required by the well services team.
Enforce HSE, environmental and site-specific permit requirements — including H2S monitoring, gas detection, confined space entry, LOTO and hot-work permits — and take immediate action to isolate hazards and initiate emergency response.
Prepare daily, weekly and monthly production reports, equipment status updates, maintenance requests and incident reports; communicate production anomalies to engineers, supervisors and on-call personnel.
Manage inventory of critical spares, lubricants and chemicals; perform basic procurement requests and parts reconciliation to reduce downtime risk and support planned maintenance windows.
Coordinate with production engineers and reservoir teams to implement well optimization strategies such as choke manipulation, artificial lift adjustments (ESP, rod pump, gas lift) and staged interventions.
Perform basic electrical and instrumentation checks (starter checks, sensor validation) and liaise with electricians and instrument techs for calibration, PLC logic adjustments and telemetry issues.
Participate in shift handovers, pre-start safety meetings (JSA/Toolbox Talks), and incident investigations; implement corrective actions and lessons learned to prevent recurrence.
Execute produced water handling and treatment procedures, manage disposal/treatment systems and ensure environmental compliance with produced water and surface discharge permits.
Support pigging and pipeline isolation operations, supervise line breaks and flange changes with appropriate isolation and permit controls to protect personnel and environment.
Monitor gas compression systems, maintain compressor lubrication and cooling systems, and coordinate with rotating equipment specialists for vibration or performance issues.
Maintain detailed logbooks, digital asset records and run sheets in company systems (CMMS, SCADA, production databases) to ensure regulatory compliance and support audit readiness.
Assist in startup and commissioning of new facilities or upgrades; perform functional checks, pre-commissioning tests, and assist engineering teams with punch-list items.
Respond to well control events, facility upsets and emergency shutdowns; take decisive action to secure wells, isolate equipment and coordinate multi-disciplinary emergency response teams until normal operations are restored.

Secondary Functions

Support cross-functional initiatives with production engineering, reliability and HSE to improve uptime, reduce flaring and optimize artificial lift programs.
Contribute operational data and observations to production optimization projects, root cause analyses and continuous improvement activities.
Train and mentor junior operators and trainees on best-practice operating procedures, safety protocols and standard work for consistent, reliable shift performance.
Participate in scheduled maintenance planning and pre-job planning by providing field knowledge on equipment access, isolation points and expected risks.
Execute ad-hoc production and environmental sampling campaigns for regulatory reporting or diagnostic troubleshooting.
Maintain strong communication with logistics and facilities teams to support well workovers, equipment deliveries and onsite contractor activities safely and on schedule.
Provide input to emergency response drills and serve as an operator representative on incident command teams during planned exercises.
Assist with basic budget tracking for routine consumables, small tools and parts to control operating costs at the site level.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Well operations and wellhead management: choke operation, well start/stop, and basic well intervention support.
Surface production equipment operation and maintenance: separators, heater-treaters, scrubbers, test separators, and dehydration units.
Artificial lift familiarity: rod pump (beam), ESP, and gas lift monitoring and simple adjustments.
SCADA and PLC awareness: reading trends, acknowledging alarms, basic control logic understanding and telemetry fault reporting.
Metering & custody transfer knowledge: meter proving, calibration checks, and reconciliation of production volumes.
Pump and compressor systems: operation, lubrication, basic troubleshooting and coordination for repairs.
Chemical injection systems: dosing, inventory management and safe handling of treatment chemicals.
HSE certifications & competencies: H2S awareness, confined space entry, LOTO, fire watch procedures, and incident reporting.
CMMS and operations reporting: experience with maintenance/work order systems (SAP, Maximo, Infor or similar) and daily production reporting.
Basic mechanical and electrical troubleshooting: valves, actuators, starters, motors, and pneumatic systems.
Sampling and laboratory chain-of-custody procedures: accurate sampling for oil, gas and produced water.
Permit-to-work and isolation procedures: safe work planning, hot work permits, and risk mitigation steps.
Field instrumentation basics: level, pressure, temperature sensors and flowmeter interpretation.
Rigging and lifting awareness: safe slinging, tag lines, and use of lifting equipment per site rules.
Pipeline and pigging operations knowledge: line isolation, pig launcher/receiver operations and leak response.

Soft Skills

Strong situational awareness and sound decision-making under pressure.
Clear verbal and written communication for shift handovers, reporting, and cross-discipline coordination.
Team player who can mentor junior staff and work collaboratively with engineering and maintenance.
Problem-solving mindset with attention to detail and a focus on root cause and permanent fixes.
Adaptability to 12/24-hour shift patterns and remote site living conditions.
Accountability and ownership for safety, environmental protection and production targets.
Time management and planning skills to balance routine rounds with reactive troubleshooting.
Cultural sensitivity and the ability to work effectively with contractors and multi-disciplinary teams.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or equivalent (HS/Secondary). Completion of industry safety courses (H2S, First Aid, Fire Extinguisher).

Preferred Education:

Trade certificate, technical diploma or Associate degree in Petroleum Technology, Mechanical Technology, Process Technology, or related technical field.
Additional certifications in instrumentation, electrical basics, or asset reliability are advantageous.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Petroleum Engineering / Petroleum Technology
Mechanical Engineering Technology
Process Technology / Chemical Process
Instrumentation & Control Technology
Industrial Safety / HSE

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 1–7 years of hands-on upstream production or facility operations experience (entry to mid-level); 5+ years for senior/operator-in-charge roles.

Preferred:

Proven track record operating production facilities, custody metering and artificial lift systems.
Demonstrated experience with SCADA and CMMS systems, and working knowledge of regulatory and environmental compliance for produced water and emissions.
Prior experience in remote/onshore or offshore production environments and successful completion of company/site-specific safety training programs.