Field operations glossary

The document a crew fills out on location recording what was actually done — hours, equipment, consumables, personnel, and customer sign-off. It is the source of truth for what happened on the job and the basis for the invoice.

The full bundle of paperwork that proves a job: field tickets, photos, test sheets, permits, JSAs, and sign-offs. Billing builds the invoice from the packet; customers audit against it.

Everything that goes on the truck for a specific job: tools, specialty equipment, consumables, spares, and required paperwork. Loadout lists vary by job type and customer.

The verification run before dispatch: right crew, current certs, inspected equipment, correct loadout, customer requirements, and paperwork ready. Often lives in a dispatcher's head or a laminated sheet.

Time a crew or unit spends on location waiting — on the company man, another contractor, weather, or permits — while remaining ready to work. Usually billable at a contracted standby rate.

The cost and effort of getting equipment and crews to and from location. Often a flat contracted fee (mob/demob) or mileage-based charge.

An unscheduled, often after-hours job request. Typically carries premium rates and minimum-hour guarantees under the MSA.

An expedited delivery run — usually a pickup truck or trailer sent urgently with a part, tool, or document that should have been on the original loadout.

The operator's on-site representative who supervises the work, signs tickets, and enforces site requirements. Their sign-off is usually required for billing.

A pre-job safety review that breaks the work into steps, identifies hazards, and assigns controls. Many customers require a completed JSA on file for every job.

The short on-site safety briefing before work starts — hazards, roles, escape routes, stop-work authority. Often documented with a sign-in sheet.

Training certification for working in environments where hydrogen sulfide gas may be present. Required on most sour-gas locations; typically expires annually.

Periodic inspection and recertification of blowout preventers and related pressure-control equipment, per regulation and customer policy.

A documented load test verifying that lifting or pulling equipment (wireline, slickline, crane rigging) holds rated capacity. The pull-test sheet is standard job-packet backup.

The federally required annual inspection for commercial vehicles. Trucks without a current inspection can't legally run.

Documentation that a measuring or testing instrument (pressure gauges, chart recorders, gas detectors) was calibrated to standard within its required interval.

Standardized safety orientation programs widely required for onshore (SafeLand) and offshore (SafeGulf) oil and gas work in the US.

An annual test verifying a specific respirator model seals properly on a specific worker's face. Required for jobs where respiratory protection may be needed.

The grid of who is qualified and current for what: roles, certifications, expiry dates, customer-specific requirements. The answer to 'can this crew legally do this job?'

The documentation attached to an invoice proving the charges: signed tickets, photos, test sheets, third-party receipts. What the customer's AP team audits before paying.

The customer representative's sign-off on the field ticket confirming work performed. On most MSAs, an unsigned ticket is an unbillable ticket.

When a customer pays less than the invoiced amount, disputing or disallowing specific lines — often for missing backup or rate discrepancies.

The customer's AP system kicking an invoice back entirely — wrong PO, missing fields, absent backup, or non-compliant format. The clock on payment restarts from zero.

The average number of days between doing the work and collecting the cash. The single best measure of how clean your billing pipeline is.

Work that was performed and documented but never invoiced: standby hours, consumables, mob fees, third-party charges, after-hours premiums.

Materials used up on the job — chemicals, straps, blades, gases, fluids. Usually billable at cost-plus or per the price book, if anyone records them.

Costs incurred from subcontractors or rentals on a customer's job — cranes, trucking, disposal — typically passed through with markup per the MSA.

The umbrella contract between a service company and a customer governing rates, terms, insurance, indemnity, and billing requirements for all work performed.

The customer-specific schedule of contracted prices: day rates, hourly rates, standby, mileage, equipment charges, and premiums. Usually an exhibit to the MSA.

Your internal catalog of everything you charge for, with default rates and units — the master list that customer rate sheets override.

The customer's authorization document for specific work, with a number your invoice must reference. Many AP systems auto-reject invoices without a valid PO.

The operator's internal budget approval for a project, often referenced on tickets and invoices for cost coding. Customers may require the AFE number on every document.

Payment terms defining how long the customer has to pay after receiving a valid invoice. The clock starts only when the invoice is accepted — not when work was done.