Lab Technician - Drilling and Completions Fluids

About the Role

The Senior Lab Technician – Drilling and Completions Fluids provides detailed testing and analytical support for product and system design, project troubleshooting, and performance analysis. This role is critical to ensuring that drilling and completion fluid programs meet technical specifications and field requirements. The position is based at a Baker Hughes laboratory and works closely with engineering and operations teams. Key duties include performing pilot tests on proposed mud programs and field samples, conducting QA/QC on products, and repairing, maintaining, and calibrating laboratory testing equipment. The technician plans equipment purchases, analyzes corrosion coupons from the field, runs core flow tests to select optimal mud‑cake breaker formulations, and operates PPA/PPT and laser PSD analyzers for fluid design. In addition, they monitor lab consumable inventories, support incident investigations and root‑cause analyses, keep the laboratory organized, and provide mentorship and supervision for DCF lab operations while collaborating with remote technical teams. • Perform pilot testing on drilling and completion fluid recipes and field samples. • Conduct QA/QC checks on fluid products as required. • Repair, maintain, and calibrate lab testing equipment. • Plan and justify purchases of new laboratory equipment. • Analyze corrosion coupons and produce technical corrosion reports. • Run core flow tests to determine optimal mud‑cake breaker formulations. • Operate PPA/PPT and laser PSD analyzers for fluid design and evaluation. • Monitor and maintain safe stock levels of lab consumables and spare parts. • Support incident investigations and root‑cause analysis initiatives. • Ensure laboratory and equipment are organized and properly maintained. • Provide mentorship and supervision for DCF lab operations. • Collaborate with remote teams to share technical knowledge and resolve issues promptly. • Apply API specifications to drilling fluids design and performance assessment. • Travel to rig sites, customer facilities, meetings, and training events as needed.

Key Responsibilities

• ▸pilot testing
• ▸qa/qc
• ▸equipment calibration
• ▸corrosion analysis
• ▸core flow
• ▸laser psd

What You Bring

To succeed, candidates must hold a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or Petroleum/Mechanical Engineering and possess at least seven years of experience in a drilling fluids laboratory, with ten years being preferred. They need strong expertise in drilling fluids design, API specifications, and performance evaluation, as well as independent working ability, excellent planning, interpersonal, and influencing skills. Strong organizational, analytical, and problem‑solving capabilities are required, along with willingness to travel to rigs, customer sites, and training events.

Requirements

• ▸bachelor’s
• ▸drilling fluids
• ▸api specs
• ▸7+ years
• ▸problem solving
• ▸travel

Work Environment

Field