Mudlogger sounds like a terrible job — how do you log mud? But a mudlogger is actually a geological expert and an important part of any oil drilling rig.

The work done by a mudlogger is intense and can include many different tasks. This worker is often known as a “jack of all trades.” The job requires taking, preparing, and analyzing samples, but also updating the – yes, they are – mud logs, checking the site for pressure levels, and even fixing equipment when it breaks because there is no time to wait for replacements to be shipped to remote locations.

The oil and gas companies a mudlogger works for also expect professionals to have good communication skills. Reporting to and sharing information with the other personnel, engineers, drillers, and geologists is important for successful oil production. Because the rate of drilling has increased, the mudlogger must work under intense pressure to keep up with samples and accurate information. Computer and technology skills should also be kept up-to-date and the mudlogger’s geological descriptions have to be written well and accurately.

Without the mudlogger’s assistance, oil drilling operations could be more dangerous for those working on the rig, more costly to operate, and less efficient. Workers in this profession often are required to work seven days per week in shifts of 12 hours, or longer if necessary, for weeks at a time. While working on an oil rig, mudloggers are provided housing, food and even travel expenses by their employer, and the long periods of work are balanced with two weeks off the rig.

Education and Training

Candidates for the position of mudlogger should take courses in math, chemistry, and physics in high school, and attend college to earn a bachelor’s degree in geology. A higher degree is not required, but could help job candidates who can hope to earn a median salary of $57,909 when fully trained as a mudlogger.

Training continues after employment with both on-the-job training and coursework, which teaches the many operations of the drilling process. Mudloggers must also learn how to use special computer software to process and monitor data collected about the drilling operation, as well as chromatographs and binocular microscopes to detect gases and collect oil samples. Because most mudloggers work on an oil rig offshore for long periods of time, they are also trained in safety and survival skills. International travel is common for mudloggers as most jobs are on rigs located in the Middle East, the North Sea, Africa, or Latin America.

The mudlogger does so much more than “log mud,” and Jeremy Boncik of Stratagraph, Inc., which offers mudlogging services to clients, sums up the importance of this job: “Indeed, the mudlogger is vital for preventing hazardous situations, such as well blowouts. Today’s savvy service companies in the oil and gas industry have to be ready for whatever changes and challenges lie ahead.”