This phrase is almost certainly a cryptic-style crossword clue , not a literal question about oilfield rest breaks.

Likely meaning of the clue

In cryptic crosswords, a clue such as “at which state the drillers can rest” usually hides a play on words that leads to a single-word or short-phrase answer. The page that explicitly lists this clue indicates there are several possible answers in its database, which means the exact solution depends on:

  • The number of letters in the answer
  • Any letters you already know from crossing clues
  • The specific puzzle/editor’s style (American vs British cryptic conventions)

Because that database only shows that it has 6 possible answers and asks solvers to enter a pattern (like _ r o _ _ e m), the precise answer cannot be identified without those extra details.

How to narrow down the answer

To get the exact solution for your puzzle:

  1. Count how many letters the answer should have (e.g., 5, 7, 9).
  2. Write down any letters you already have from intersecting clues.
  3. Use a crossword-helper site that supports pattern input (e.g., _R_O__M).
  1. Compare the suggested words to the surface meaning of the clue and the puzzle’s theme.

If you share:

  • the letter count, and
  • any known letters in their positions,

then the exact answer can be deduced much more reliably from those six candidate solutions mentioned in the database.

TL;DR: This is a cryptic crossword clue with multiple possible answers stored in a solver database; the exact answer depends on the letter pattern and grid crossings.