A company man in the

petroleum industry The petroleum industry, also known as the oil industry or the oil patch, includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transportation (often by oil tankers and pipelines), and marketing of petroleum products. The larges ...

refers to a representative of an operating/

exploration Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians. Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...

company. Other terms that may be used are company representative, foreman, drill site supervisor (DSV), company consultant, rigsite leader or "well site manager". In a normal scenario, gas/oil-drilling (exploration) companies rent or

lease A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the user (referred to as the ''lessee'') to pay the owner (referred to as the ''lessor'') for the use of an asset. Property, buildings and vehicles are common assets that are leased. Industrial ...

the rigs from another company that owns the rig, the drilling contractor. The majority of the personnel on the

drilling Drilling is a cutting process where a drill bit is spun to cut a hole of circular cross-section in solid materials. The drill bit is usually a rotary cutting tool, often multi-point. The bit is pressed against the work-piece and rotated at ra ...

rig, called 'the rig crew', are employees of the drilling contractor. The company man is the on-site representative of the operating/exploration company and is in overall charge of the drilling and associated activities. Rig operations and maintenance and crew upkeep are attended to by the

toolpusher A tool pusher (sometimes toolpusher or just pusher or even, when spoken of in the third person, The Push) is an occupation within the oil drilling industry. On a land drilling rig the tool pusher may be rig manager and responsible for all operat ...

, who works for the drilling contractor.

Expertise

A company man is not a supervisor in the traditional sense. He/she is representing the oil company that is paying for the well amongst other companies performing the services. In matters where

safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are ...

may be questioned the oil rig workers, who probably aren't employed by the same company as the company man, may refuse to perform an action requested by the company man. In recent years it has become standard

safety policy Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are two slightly dif ...

that anyone can "''Stop the Job''" if they feel there is a hazard that has not been properly addressed. This can be found in most contractor

safety manual Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are two slightly dif ...

s and is generally encouraged by the drilling company also. The company man is knowledgeable in the area of drilling operations and to some extent completion operations. He/she is not generally responsible for defining the technical aspects of the well, but instead works with a team of office-based engineers and geologists and is the team member responsible for carrying out the written drilling program in an efficient and safe fashion. Since most of the physical work is carried out by contractors that may have separate interests from the oil company, the company man is often the sole representative of the oil company on location to ensure that plans are carried out according to specifications, time-lines and budgets. The company man usually gives orders only to the supervisor(s) of the drilling contractor and various service companies, lest he/she run the risk of violating the "

Independent Contractor Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any othe ...

" concept and possibly incurring additional liability (e.g., for personnel injuries) for his/her own company. In the modern era, many company men have a degree in petroleum engineering or some other discipline of

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

with broad experience in a variety of oilfield jobs. However, many others have some of the skills of a

drilling engineer Drilling engineering is a subset of petroleum engineering. Drilling engineers design and implement procedures to drill wells as safely and economically as possible. They work closely with the drilling contractor, service contractors, and complianc ...

but without a degree, and have worked their way from being a "worm" manual laborer to the position of highest authority on the drilling site, similar to a private working to the position of general through a demonstration of competence. The next step for a company man is to become a specialist "floating foreman," who is skilled at solving complex drilling problems, or to become a "rig superintendent" who may oversee many rigs and have company men as direct reports. From there it is possible for some to move on to upper management in an oil company, or to branch off into a multitude of other careers requiring technical management experience. Usually, 24-hour supervision is required at the well site. To achieve this, a ''night company man'' may be utilized.

Alternative meanings

"Company man" also is a term relating to a " yes-man", or someone who will do anything demanded of them by those who are supervising them: that is, someone whose primary allegiance is to the company rather than colleagues or friends. In modern times the term has also been used to describe as a man that has one or more sexual partners in an office or work environment. It is often used a badge of honor among 'City Boys' within the UK. {{Citation needed, reason=This is not common knowledge; nor is a reference easily found in common searches., date=May 2014

Expertise

Alternative meanings

See also