Jackup rigs are the most common type of mobile offshore drilling unit. They operate in shallow water, typically up to 150 metres, by extending three or four legs down to the seabed and elevating the rig hull above the waterline. This makes them stable drilling platforms with no need for dynamic positioning or mooring systems.
**The Two Workforce Categories**
Every jackup rig employs two distinct types of personnel. Maritime crew operate and maintain the rig as a mobile vessel during transit. Drilling crew operate the drilling equipment when the rig is on location.
These are different careers with different entry routes, different certificates and different employers. A roughneck and a marine ballast control operator on the same rig went through completely different hiring processes and work in completely separate operational domains.
**Maritime Roles on Jackups**
OIM: Offshore Installation Manager. The senior position on the rig. Overall responsibility for safety, operations and personnel management on the installation. Typically holds master mariner qualifications or equivalent senior offshore certification.
Marine Ballast Control Operator: manages the ballast and buoyancy systems during transit and jacking operations. Ensures stability is maintained when the legs are raised or lowered.
Marine Engineers: maintain the power generation, HVAC, ballast systems and other mechanical and electrical systems across the installation.
The marine crew on a jackup is typically small. A jackup on location is effectively a fixed installation and the marine operation is reduced to maintenance and standby readiness.
**Drilling Crew Roles**
Toolpusher: senior drilling supervisor on the rig floor. Responsible for drilling operations and the drilling crew.
Driller: directly operates the drilling equipment. Controls weight on bit, rotary speed and mud pumping during the drilling process.
Derrickman: works on the derrick structure, handles drill pipe stands and manages the mud system from the elevated position.
Roughneck or Roustabout: entry-level positions. Roughnecks work on the drill floor with the pipe connections. Roustabouts do the general labour and maintenance work across the rig.
**Getting In Without Experience**
Roustabout is the standard entry point for drilling crew without offshore experience. No specialist drilling knowledge is required. The OPITO Minimum Industry Safety Training, MIST, is typically required before joining. Physical fitness, willingness to work rotating shifts and an ability to work in an industrial outdoor environment are the practical requirements.
Pay: $3,000 to $5,000 per month on rotation for roustabout level. Higher for experienced drilling crew. Toolpusher rates: $12,000 to $18,000 per month.
**The Rotation**
Most jackup drilling contracts operate on 28/28 rotation. Two weeks on, two weeks off. Some rigs in remote locations run 28/28 or 35/35. The rotation is fixed and predictable in the same way as other offshore employment.
The jackup drilling sector has significant overlap with the platform supply vessel sector. Workers who want to build an offshore career sometimes start on PSVs and transition to drilling rig roles, or vice versa, as experience and contacts accumulate.