Mud Engineering

[Josh123]

Anyone a mud engineer or possibly know someone that is? My brother called and offered me a job as one and the pay would almost be double what I'm making now.

 

[Texashiker]

Oil field work?

 

[highland145]

Ditch diggers don't make much, imo but ymmv.

Edit: Ask Boomer.

 

[Josh123]

Oil field work?

Ya

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Needs more tool pusher

 

[NikolaeVarius]

So, is it like a Sanitation Engineer except with a shovel?

 

[Texashiker]

Ya

Oil field pays good money, but sometimes you have to travel.

Besides the pay, do you have a wife and children? Does the job provide health insurance and benefits?

If you are young and nothing to tie to down, why not go for it? If nothing else it might be an experience.

So, is it like a Sanitation Engineer except with a shovel?

Not at all.

 

[lxskllr]

The closest thing I can relate to is a soil tech. If that's a step up in pay, I feel sorry for you.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

1) Treat it like any other job you would be offered.
2) Research the company and job. Find out what they do. Google is your friend

That aside, based off the title alone I guessed it was oil. If that's true then generally it's a pretty good field. I mean they are making record profits after all :whiste:. Plus it's estimated we haven't hit peak oil yet meaning more drilling/wells which in turn needs mud. Hence job security, and most likely raises/bonuses.

 

[Josh123]

Oil field pays good money, but sometimes you have to travel.

Besides the pay, do you have a wife and children? Does the job provide health insurance and benefits?

If you are young and nothing to tie to down, why not go for it? If nothing else it might be an experience.


Not at all.

I'm married and she is a full time student with a year and a half left.

It provides health insurance, work truck, and work cell. Plus I would get 5 days off in a row each month.

 

[sdifox]

as long as the two off you can handle the separation.

 

[Josh123]

1) Treat it like any other job you would be offered.
2) Research the company and job. Find out what they do. Google is your friend

That aside, based off the title alone I guessed it was oil. If that's true then generally it's a pretty good field. I mean they are making record profits after all :whiste:. Plus it's estimated we haven't hit peak oil yet meaning more drilling/wells which in turn needs mud. Hence job security, and most likely raises/bonuses.

Ya, my brother was a mud engineer then promoted to sales. He said it would definitley open doors and with experience I could go other places.

Also he said I would probably end up managing three rigs at first. Most days I would make my runs then be home by lunch if there are no problems but on call 7 days a week.

 

[Imp]

Mine tailings?

Or is this a "sanitation engineer" sort of thing?

 

[Schfifty Five]

I'm married and she is a full time student with a year and a half left.

It provides health insurance, work truck, and work cell. Plus I would get 5 days off in a row each month.

But you have to work the other 25 days in a row?

 

[Phoenix86]

As long as you can deal with living on the road I'd say go for it. There is of $ in that industry...

 

[Phoenix86]

But you have to work the other 25 days in a row?

Probably has days off but they are onsite, so it's time to find the good local bars.

 

[Josh123]

Mine tailings?

Or is this a "sanitation engineer" sort of thing?

Multi-Rig Service
When servicing more than one rig, Mud Hands will have to satisfy a number of rig supervisors. To do this, regular visits are made out to each rig, often in the course of a single day. While at each rig, Mud Hands will manage the Mud as efficiently as possible in order to make the best use of their time. Although rig management can be a juggling act at times, Mud Hands who service more rigs get better pay. Benefits of this type of work include; being relatively close to home, receiving a company work vehicle, and having time off at the end of the day. In all, multi-rig Mud Hands usually end up with a wealth of field knowledge which can help them out later in their career. If your plan is to become a consultant, it may be best to start with multi-rig service.

http://www.acemudschool.com/drilling-fluids-engineer-jobs.html

Job Description
When it comes to ranking service specialties in the drilling industry, Mud Engineers top the list. Respected for their rare technical knowledge, a Mud Engineer's primary role is to manage drilling fluid as an oil or gas well is drilled. In order to fill this role, Mud Engineers regularly test, troubleshoot, and treat drilling fluid according to a detailed company Mud Program. While a Mud Program describes how a well site's fluid should be maintained, it is up to the Mud Engineer to make sure that certain parameters are being met. In the field, Mud Engineers are really the cornerstone of drilling fluid performance which is essential at drilling operations worldwide. Job Requirements
As demand for oil and gas increases around the world, the outlook for Mud Engineer Jobsis excellent. Those who are able to perform basic Mud Tests using equipment like filter presses, rheometers, and retorts, should be in steady demand well into the future. Apart from performing the tests named above, Mud Engineers must also be able to; report fluid test results, recommend fluid treatments, and manage stacked product inventories. On top of these more central skills, a Mud Engineer should further be capable of maintaining key relationships at the rig site. Good communication is important because it lets everyone onsite know that the drilling fluid is being kept in top shape. Now, knowing the different roles that Mud Engineers must play, it is easy to see why proper training is an immediate job requirement.

http://www.acemudschool.com/mud-engineer-jobs.html

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

I don't know man. I've paid off lots of crap, vehicles, etc.. Made a little coin. But have spent the better part of the last 4 years living to work. Sounds like you'd be doing the same.

I'd say no if you have a steady decent paying job already. Just budget better,enjoy your fiancé, and your youth kid.

 

[Oil]

Sure, go for it

 

[Dumac]

Find out the work schedule. A lot of work like this is onsite weeks at a time, usually 1, 2, or 3 weeks on per week off. But the thing is, while you are on site, you work almost 24/7. Sometimes 120 hours a week. I know people who had worked one, two, or three days without sleep.

The pay is good, but there is basically no work/life balance for a lot of these field engineering type of jobs. Also mud engineers typically have a low ceiling for pay, but of course it varies company to company.

Of course I have no clue what kind of work environment you are used to. You know better than anyone if this job is a fit for you. Just do your research.

 

[Dumac]

Also he said I would probably end up managing three rigs at first. Most days I would make my runs then be home by lunch if there are no problems but on call 7 days a week.

If that is what its really like, then that sounds fine. Just make sure your brother tells you all the bad parts too.

My experiences are at the new grad level, which probably differs greatly from yours.

 

[Texashiker]

I'm married and she is a full time student with a year and a half left.

It provides health insurance, work truck, and work cell. Plus I would get 5 days off in a row each month.

Not everyone is cut out for leaving the family weeks at a time. People that work pipelines, onland and offshore rigs have a high divorce rate. Its a matter of being gone for weeks at a time, getting lonely, temptation being around,,,.

I used to work 80 hours a week for 4 - 6 weeks at a time. Get a weekend off, work another month of 7 12s. That was back in 1987 - 1992, when I was 19 - 24 years old.

When I should have been enjoying life, I was busting my ass. One thing about it, working so many hours gave me job experience that is difficult to get. Working so much overtime I got 2 years experience in 1 year.

I traded working, for spending time with my kids when they were little. my kids were 3 and 4 years old before I knew what happened.

If you like the idea of leaving your family for weeks on end, missing out on spending time with your wife, then go for the job. But get ready to work your life away.

I also know people who worked in the oilfield just long enough to pay off their house, then got out.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

I really doubt he'd be leaving town for the next 5 years. He's probably in Pennsylvania or some other place that is booming. He'd be working locally till they've decided to move on to the next field. At that point he can either go or find another job. If he wants just cash in while the gettings good. Once they start talking of leaving then say adios to your family or your job. I think I'm close to a crossroads and I'm not leaving for a job.

 

[Markbnj]

It really sounds like there isn't a lot of travel/separation involved with this particular job. According to Wikipedia Mud Engineers can work offshore or foreign on a rotating schedule that might be four weeks on, then four weeks off. But offshore rig work is like shipping out. It doesn't sound like that's what is involved here.

OP, there's no reason not to take this job if the money is better and especially if it's leading in a direction that might open doors and set you up for a career. If you like working independently and being somewhat in control of your own schedule this sounds like a pretty good gig.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mud_engineer

 

[Texashiker]

I really doubt he'd be leaving town for the next 5 years. He's probably in Pennsylvania or some other place that is booming. He'd be working locally till they've decided to move on to the next field. At that point he can either go or find another job. If he wants just cash in while the gettings good. Once they start talking of leaving then say adios to your family or your job. I think I'm close to a crossroads and I'm not leaving for a job.

One guy I used to work with, he told me he worked offshore for about 4 years. During that time he would stay on the rig for a month at a time, he would volunteer for all of the overtime he could get. Living in the rig he had no bills.

In that 4 years he made about $100,000 a year. Which was enough to pay for his home, buy some land, buy a tractor, buy a truck,,,. In a matter of 4 years he paid for stuff that took other people decades to buy.

If Josh can make some good money, stay close to home, not work 100 hours a week, I say why not make the money while its there.