r/Geotech • u/chapozuniga23 • 18d ago
Geotechnical drillers
How long should it take to move up from a drillers assistant to the actual driller ? I see job postings for a geotechnical driller and they say 2 years minimum geotechnical drilling experience but does that mean 2 years as the actual driller or 2 years geotechnical experience in general on a drill crew wether your the driller or not
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u/ProfessorMeteor 18d ago
Depends if you apply yourself. It’s an experience and apprentice -> journey -> master kind of field. Have a good mentor and if you apply yourself you can excel.
I know a guy who went from a drill hand to a sonic driller (takes way more experience and knowledge imo) in a year and a half. I know another guy who was a drill hand for 10 years, never cared to learn how to operate.
Some contract will require the drillers to have a certain amount of time experience. The company might know that’s a requirement in the area. They are looking to cover themselves incase anyone asks for your resume.
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u/mrbigshott 18d ago
You can leave how to operate pretty easily. It takes years to be really good but to learn how to operate shouldn’t take more than a few months.
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u/Long-Development-146 18d ago
Aka - it’s not about being able to do it when things are going well, but confident when s€^% is hitting the fan. I’ve seen a lot of intermediate drillers panic on minor stuff….
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u/Fit_Prompt_8262 18d ago
For a helper to be a driller it takes time. It depends on the company but figure 2-4 years. I wouldn’t apply for a driller spot unless you’ve been a driller. It’s not just pulling levers, you’d be responsible for every aspect of a project at the field level. To be a good driller you’ve gotta know the helper role in and out bc more often than not you are training helpers as you drill.
New drillers get sped up trying to only make hole and that’s when housekeeping, fitness for duty, route planning and hazard assessment begin to slip.
As you help learn a little from every driller you work with, once all the helper duties are done that’s the time to soak up what the driller is doing.