*Refers to the latest 2 years of stltoday.com stories. Cancel anytime. The robot on an oil drillship in the Gulf of Mexico made it easier for Mark Rodgers to do his job stringing together heavy, dirty ...

Roughnecks, from left, Arik MacBlane, Michael Challans and Kalem Johnston, take a break June 28 while working a 12-hour shift on a drill rig near Alexander, N.D. Lynn Helms, the director of North ...

Picture an oilfield. Chances are you see a greasy drilling rig surrounded by a group of equally greased-up and grizzled oilmen, moving heavy equipment in a dangerous and labor-intensive environment.

If you're searching for the stereotypical picture of the oil-field roughneck, the crewmen from Nabors Drilling Rig 314 might disappoint you. Sure they get wet, oily and exhausted after a 12-hour shift ...

At-a-Glance: Offshore floorman (floorhand/roughneck) is the entry drilling-crew role responsible for pipe handling, housekeeping, and supporting well operations on the rig floor. The fastest route: ...