Job Title: Mud Logger — Permian Basin
Department: Permian
Reports To: Permian Operations Manager
Description Date: 07/03/2026
Version: 2.0
About the Role
Most people in this industry talk about being close to the action. In this role, you are the action. You are on location, on shift, watching the data in real time while the bit turns downhole. When something changes, you are the first to know and the first to say something.
This work carries real weight, and we're not going to dress that up. The logs you generate, the cuttings you describe, and the gas readings you monitor shape decisions that affect the entire operation. The context you add along the way, the markups and notes that explain what's actually happening downhole, becomes part of the record everyone downstream builds on. Geologists and engineers depend on what you put in front of them.
The job also comes with long hitches and stretches of time away from home. Schedules run 12 hours on, 12 off, for the length of the well. Time between wells varies, and rig assignments can change with little notice. If you need time off, tell us and we'll work with you. But if you're taking this job, you're taking it for the experience and the income, and both come with a real schedule attached. Plan for the hitch, not just the shift. Bring what you need to be out there for the long stretch, not just today.
What makes Impac different is the dichotomy. We've been at this for nearly 40 years and logged more than 150 million feet of subsurface, and we're also actively building intelligent tools that turn field observations into real-time insight and context that simply weren't accessible before. The technology doesn't replace the person in the unit, it depends on them, on the geology they read, the drilling behavior they understand, and the judgment calls only someone on site can make. The quality of what goes in determines the quality of what comes out. That puts the Mud Logger at the intersection of geology, engineering, and data science, closer to the bit than anyone else in that chain. If you get curious when new tools show up instead of resistant, you'll fit here.
What the Job Looks Like
You'll be the primary geological monitor on site, responsible for continuous real-time surveillance of drilling parameters and geological data. That means collecting and describing cuttings, performing hydrocarbon extraction analysis, operating and maintaining gas extraction equipment, and keeping chromatography data accurate and reliable. You'll calibrate and document your equipment, manage data acquisition systems, and generate logs covering drilling progress, mud characteristics, and stratigraphic detail. When something looks off, you flag it and communicate it clearly to the people who need to act on it.
You'll work alongside geologists and drilling engineers, and translating what you're seeing in the field into something useful for decision-makers matters as much as the technical side of the job.
What We're Looking For
Field experience carries real weight here, often more than a degree. If you've spent time in mud logging, understand gas analysis, and know your way around the relevant software and equipment, that tells us plenty. A degree in Geology or Earth Sciences is a plus but not required.Valid driver's license, reliable transportation, and U.S. work authorization without sponsorship are required.
Beyond the technical baseline, we're looking for someone who acts like an owner, holds themselves to a high standard when no one is checking, communicates honestly under pressure, and is genuinely comfortable adopting new tools and methods as the work evolves. This is not a static environment and we don't want someone who needs it to be.
Compensation and Benefits
Field schedules mean your pay reflects the days you actually work. On a full hitch, starting weekly pay typically runs $1,800 to $2,400. We also offer health insurance and a 401(k).
Where This Can Go
Mud logging at Impac is not a ceiling. We look for mud loggers who show the geological instincts and drive to grow toward geosteering, and we invest in the ones who do. If that's the kind of trajectory you want, this is a place where it's possible.
About Impac
We invest in the people who show up and do the work: real training, mentorship, and a path forward for the ones who want it.
Pay: $1,780.00 - $2,400.00 per week
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
