Roles you'll find here
Engineering & subsurface
- Drilling Engineer — well plan, casing, mud, risk controls
- Completions Engineer — completion design, stimulation/frac programs, wellbore equipment
- Production Engineer — optimization, surveillance, artificial lift, interventions/workovers
- Reservoir Engineer — forecasting, reserves, field optimization
- Geologist / Geophysicist — seismic/rock interpretation, prospecting, subsurface models
- Petrophysicist — formation evaluation, logs, rock/fluid properties
Wellsite & operations
- Company Man / Wellsite Supervisor — runs the wellsite on behalf of the operator
- Directional Driller (DD) — steers trajectory; executes directional plan
- MWD/LWD Specialist — downhole measurement and logging while drilling
- Mud Engineer — drilling fluids; stability and performance
- Rig Manager / Toolpusher — manages rig operations and crew execution
- Driller / Derrickhand / Floorhand / Roustabout — rig crew roles by seniority/responsibility
Completions & intervention field roles
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- Frac Field Engineer / Supervisor — executes stimulation jobs safely and consistently
- Wireline Engineer / Operator — perforating, conveyance, logging services
- Coil Tubing / Cementing / Well Testing — service-line operations supporting completion/production
Skills, certs, and requirements
> Requirements vary by country/operator, but these are common on upstream postings.
Core skills that matter
- Safety-first execution (procedures, stop-work authority, clear comms)
- Mechanical + operational troubleshooting
- Daily reporting discipline (shift handoffs, end-of-day summaries)
- Data comfort (Excel, basic charts, interpreting trends)
- Working in remote teams under time pressure (wellsite reality)
Common certifications / training
- H2S safety (H2S Alive or equivalent)
- First Aid / CPR
- Fit-for-duty / medical (site/operator dependent)
- Driver's license (many onshore roles)
Often required offshore (region dependent)
- BOSIET / HUET (offshore safety + helicopter escape training)
- Offshore medical certification (local equivalent)
Role-dependent (drilling-focused)
- Well Control (IWCF / IADC) for certain drilling/wellsite positions
Typical requirements employers mention
- Willingness to work rotations (14/14, 21/21, 28/28)
- Ability to pass background/drug screening (jurisdiction dependent)
- Comfort working outdoors, long shifts, and strict PPE rules
Top locations + why
> These are common upstream hubs because they concentrate operators, rigs, service companies, or basin activity.
North America
- Houston, TX — operator HQs, engineering, commercial, OFS leadership
- Midland/Odessa, TX (Permian Basin) — drilling/completions/production field activity
- Williston, ND (Bakken) — field ops + service concentration
- Pittsburgh, PA (Marcellus/Utica) — gas-focused ops + engineering support
- Calgary, AB — Canadian operator + services ecosystem
Europe / Middle East / Africa (examples)
- Aberdeen, UK — North Sea offshore operations + supply chain
- Stavanger, Norway — offshore operators + engineering
- Dubai / Abu Dhabi, UAE — regional HQs + large-scale upstream projects
- Doha, Qatar — gas/LNG-adjacent upstream activity
- Lagos, Nigeria — upstream projects + service presence (region specific)
Salary & career path snapshot
> Pay varies widely by country, offshore/onshore, rotation, and contract structure. Use this as a directional map.
Typical pay bands (directional)
- Entry field roles (rig/service crew): hourly + overtime; rotations can lift annual totals
- Field engineers / supervisors: base + field bonuses; travel/per diem common in OFS
- Operator engineers (drilling/completions/production): higher base; bonus/equity varies by company
- Specialists (DD, well control, senior subsurface): premium pay in high-activity cycles
What drives compensation in upstream
- Offshore vs onshore, rotation length, hazard pay (where applicable)
- Basin activity level and scarcity of specialized skillsets
- Contract vs employee, per diem, overtime structure
- Safety record, leadership experience, and ability to reduce NPT / improve uptime
Career paths (common ladders)
Rig crew ladder: Roustabout → Floorhand → Derrickhand → Driller → Toolpusher → Rig Manager
Wellsite leadership: Field Specialist → Lead → Wellsite Supervisor / Company Rep
Engineering ladder: Engineer → Senior → Lead → Principal/Advisor → Asset/Operations leadership
Subsurface ladder: Analyst → Interpreter/Engineer → Senior → Team lead → Asset management
Employers & company directory
These are the kinds of employers upstream candidates search for (and what they usually hire):
Operators (E&P companies)
- Hire: drilling/completions/production engineers, subsurface teams, wellsite supervisors, HSE
- Keywords you'll see: "asset team", "field development", "well performance"
Oilfield Services (OFS) contractors
- Hire: field engineers, operators/technicians, supervisors, mechanics, logistics, HSE
- Keywords you'll see: "service line", "shop", "field maintenance", "mobilization"
Drilling contractors / rig companies
- Hire: rig crews, rig leadership, maintenance, safety
- Keywords you'll see: "rig", "tour", "toolpusher", "driller", "mechanic", "electrician"
EPC / engineering & consulting (upstream facilities + projects)
- Hire: project engineers, piping/mechanical, I&E, construction, planners/schedulers
Hiring upstream talent?
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FAQs
- Drilling creates the wellbore safely to target depth.
- Completions equips the well and (often) stimulates it to flow.
- Production optimizes the well over time and manages interventions/workovers.
Exploration & Production—companies that find and produce oil/gas (vs pipelines or refineries).
Common rotations include 14/14, 21/21, and 28/28, depending on region and whether work is remote/offshore.
Not always. Many start through entry field roles, technician paths, or junior engineer roles—especially if you can show safety mindset, reliability, and willingness to work rotations.
The operator's on-site representative who coordinates the plan, manages execution, and leads decision-making at the wellsite.
A Drilling Engineer designs the plan and manages technical risk; a Directional Driller executes steering and trajectory control on the rig.
An intervention on an existing well to restore or improve production (repairs, equipment replacement, changing artificial lift, etc.).
Frequently: H2S, First Aid/CPR, plus offshore training (BOSIET/HUET) where relevant; some drilling roles require Well Control (IWCF/IADC).
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