Onshore drilling in Australia has rapidly increased in a few short years.
This has created the opportunity for thousands of new jobs in oil and gas, especially CSG & LNG. If you’re looking for drilling jobs and want to earn a good salary, there’s good news ahead.
Coal Seam Gas and LNG projects are ramping up across Australia, with every state increasing their exploration activities.� Australia has massive reserves of gas and is reported to become one of the major world suppliers of LNG to global markets. The total number of oil and gas projects in Australia in 2013 are:
- Western Australia: 89
- Northern Territory 36
- South Australia: 61
- Queensland: 123
- New South Wales: 94
- Victoria and Tasmania: 53
There amount of onshore, land drilling has grown immensely in 10 years and there is expected to be more than 100 oil rigs by the end� of the year. For oil rig operations it can take up to 40 staff to man these rigs.
Oil and gas jobs are ripe for the picking
If you’re looking to cash-in on the mining sector jobs bonanza, look no further than the oil and gas sector. Jobs in oil and gas, especially *CSG jobs, will be found in Queensland as Coal Seam Gas projects seem to be increasing in frequency and size. There is a lot of expansion of existing projects as well as a program of exploration to discover and tap into this massive resource.
Current figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that the sector employs around 20,000 workers, with numbers expected to grow significantly. In the previous five years to 2013, oil and gas jobs growth in Australia has increased 82%, with figures showing an increase overall in the sector of 400% in 10 short years. There is no doubt that jobs in gas and oil exploration and production look like being around for a long while.
13,000 new oil and gas jobs
This has been backed up by the Department for Education, Employment and Workplace Relations has reported they see jobs growth of a massive 65% in the next 4 years to 2017. In real terms, this means there will be a need to fill around 13,000 new jobs in the gas and oil sector. Oil and gas workers can expect to earn above average wages in the sector with a reported weekly earnings of $2254 – some 73% higher than the average Australian weekly wage. There is a potential for skilled and experienced people to earn salaries in the multiple $100k bracket – however, these are specialist roles that requires technical, degree qualified professionals.
Job types for oil and gas workers
The oil and gas industry can be a tough place to work. Working in hot, dry remote locations, drilling and exploration can be physically exhausting as well as mentally draining. Coping with long periods out ‘in the bush’ is not easy and requires people who have the mindset to commit to a long term job.
Employers are looking for workers with highly developed industry skills with an acute ability to work well under extreme pressure and time-frames, often in high-risk situations. It’s highly desirable that� people who are looking to get a start in the oil and gas sector have already competed a safety training course, are proficient at handling off-road driving conditions, are first aid trained and have additional skills in OH&S best practices as well as experience working effectively in teams.
These oil and gas jobs are in high demand right now
There’s a list of specialist jobs available right now for people who have the following skills and experience. As we said previously, one of the main issues facing employers is finding people who can handle working in remote areas for long periods of time. If you can handle this type of isolation, then you’re can almost pick the types of jobs you can do. There are also entry level oil and gas jobs for people who don’t have a lot of experience, but are willing to give it a go and commit to it long term.
75% of drilling jobs are in QLD and WA
There is a lot of employment opportunities in Queensland and Western Australia. Some of the job vacancies that need to filled are:
- Mechanical fitters
- Structural fitters
- Welders
- Electricians
- Steel Fixers
- Riggers
- Fixed plant operator
- Mobile plant operators
- Drillers
- Drillers off-siders
- Motor vehicle mechanics
- Diesel fitters and mechanics
- Crane operators
- Carpenters
- Concrete and form workers
- Drilling supervisors
- Drilling crews
- Operators
- Commissioning personnel
- Technicians
- Health and safety executives (HSE)
* Coal seam gas (CSG), also called coal bed methane, is mostly methane in composition and is typically attached to the coal along its natural fractures and cleats. This gas is released when pressure on the coal seam is reduced, usually by removal of water from the seam.
Reference: Drilling Jobs in Australia | Opportunities for jobs in drilling in Coal Seam Gas (CSG) and Liquified Natural Gas (LNG)
