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Mudlogger : Salary and conditions

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  1. Job description
  2. Salary and conditions
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Case studies

  • Pay during training is usually modest but generally progresses steadily throughout the training period before a 'starting salary' is reached.
  • With experience, and depending on the company and location, annual salaries are in the range of £45,000 - £55,000 (Cogent: The Sector Skills Council for Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Nuclear, Oil and Gas, Petroleum and Polymers , 2011).
  • Benefits usually include free accommodation, food and travel. Travel expenses are paid by the employer and frequent air travel can lead to the collection of many air miles. Hardship posts may attract a premium.
  • Multinational service companies tend to offer the best pay, working conditions and opportunities for progression.
  • Mudloggers frequently work 12 hours a day, seven days a week, sometimes up to four weeks at a time. However, it is more likely that you will spend two weeks on the rig and two weeks at home.
  • Work is usually in teams of four, based in units/self-contained laboratories, which are the safest and most comfortable working areas on the rig.
  • Self-employment/freelance work, obtained via contracting companies, is sometimes possible with experience and is becoming increasingly common in mudlogging.
  • Jobs are available in restricted locations. The nearest opportunities are with North Sea oil rigs, accessible via helicopter. Work in the Middle East, Africa and other regions may be possible.
  • Weather conditions can be bad and life on the oil rig, with no escape from colleagues during periods when you are off-duty, can be intense. A typical offshore installation could house 50-100 men and women in compact, but comfortable, living quarters. Facilities are generally good and typically include a gym, satellite television, DVD and snooker table.
  • An increasing number of rigs have separate facilities for women, although female mudloggers in the Middle East and Gulf of Mexico are rare.
  • The oilfield is a broad mix of cultures and backgrounds. It is also one of intense physical and mental pressures. Consider how you feel about living in close quarters with others for long periods of time or spending long periods of time away from family and friends before entering this career.
  • There is usually no requirement for mudloggers to move to their employer's location as they are generally employed by service companies. This is often cited as a plus point to the offshore lifestyle.
 
AGCAS
Written by AGCAS editors
Date: 
September 2011
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