re: What are operators paid hourly, and how does that compute to annually?

if you're referring to offshore operators, then you have to keep in mind that they work weekends as well. 12 (minimum) hours per day x 7 days per week = 84 hours per week. So more than half of their time is payed at 1.5x. Not sure about the night shift paying double, but I wouldn't doubt it. Also keep in mind bonuses. Depending on the company they work for it can be substantial.