Robot tech cuts need for Roughnecks

The robot aboard an oil drilling ship in the Gulf of Mexico has made it easier for Mark Rodgers to do his job stringing heavy and dirty pipes. It also may be a reason he's not working there today. The Iron Roughneck, made by National Oilwell Varco Inc., automates the dangerous and repetitive tasks of connecting hundreds of segments of drill pipe shoved through miles of ocean water and oil-bearing rock. The robot has also cut by a third the number of roustabouts needed, says Rodgers, who took a job repairing appliances after being laid off from Transocean Ltd. "I'd love to go back offshore," he says. But, the odds are against him. As the global oil industry begins to climb out of a collapse that took 440,000 jobs, those positions may never come back. A combination of more efficient drilling rigs and increased automation is reducing the need for field hands. (Source: New Delhi Television 01/28/17)