<PAGE>

     As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2000
                                                        Registration No. 333-

================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
            REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                                --------------

                            NEWPARK RESOURCES, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

                DELAWARE                                       72-1123385
     (State or other jurisdiction of                         (I.R.S. Employer
     incorporation or organization)                          Identification No.)

  3850 NORTH CAUSEWAY BLVD., SUITE 1770
           METAIRIE, LOUISIANA                                   70002
 (Address of principal executive offices)                     (Zip Code)

                            NEWPARK RESOURCES, INC.
                       1999 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

                            JAMES D. COLE, PRESIDENT
                            NEWPARK RESOURCES, INC.
                     3850 NORTH CAUSEWAY BLVD., SUITE 1770
                           METAIRIE, LOUISIANA 70002
                    (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (504) 838-8222
         (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                                    Copy to:
                             HOWARD Z. BERMAN, ESQ.
                           ERVIN, COHEN & JESSUP LLP
                       9401 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD, 9TH FLOOR
                            BEVERLY HILLS, CA  90212
                                 (310) 273-6333

                        CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       PROPOSED
                                                        MAXIMUM         PROPOSED
             TITLE OF                                  OFFERING          MAXIMUM         AMOUNT OF
         SECURITIES TO BE             AMOUNT TO BE       PRICE          AGGREGATE       REGISTRATION
            REGISTERED                 REGISTERED     PER UNIT(*)   OFFERING PRICE(*)       FEE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                  <C>              <C>           <C>                 <C>
Common Stock issuable under the      500,000 shares      $7.13          $3,565,000           $941.16
 Employee Stock Purchase Plan
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

(*)  Calculated pursuant to Rule 457(h)(1) based on the average of the high and
     low sales prices of the registrant's common stock on March 28, 2000, as
     reported by the New York Stock Exchange.
================================================================================
<PAGE>

                                    PART II
               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3.   INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

     Newpark Resources, Inc. ("Newpark") hereby incorporates by reference into
this Registration Statement the following documents:

     (a) Newpark's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
         1999;

     (b) The description of the Common Stock of Newpark contained in its
         Registration Statement filed pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities
         Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), as such
         description may be amended from time to time.

     All reports and other documents filed by Newpark subsequent to the date of
this Registration Statement pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of
the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which
indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters
all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by
reference into this Registration Statement and to be considered a part hereof
from the date of filing of such documents.

ITEM 6.   INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

     Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the
"GCL") permits a corporation to, and the registrant's bylaws require that it,
indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party
to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether
civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in
the right of the corporation), by reason of the fact that he is or was a
director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at
the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of
another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise,
against expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid
in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action,
suit or proceeding if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably
believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and,
with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to
believe his conduct was unlawful.

     As permitted under Section 145 of the GCL, the registrant's bylaws also
provide that it shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is
threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or
suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by
reason of the fact that he is or was a director, officer employee or agent of
the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a
director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint
venture, trust or other enterprise against expenses (including attorneys' fees)
actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with the defense or
settlement of such action or suit if he acted in good faith and in a manner he
reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the
corporation.  However, in such an action by or on behalf of a corporation, no
indemnification may be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which
the person is adjudged

                                      II-1
<PAGE>

liable for negligence or misconduct in the performance of his duty to the
corporation unless, and only to the extent that the court determines that,
despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances, the
person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which
the court shall deem proper.

     In addition, the indemnification provided by section 145 shall not be
deemed exclusive of any other rights to which a person seeking indemnification
may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or
disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in his official capacity
and as to action in another capacity while holding such office.

     The registrant's Certificate of Incorporation (the "Certificate") provides
that the registrant shall indemnify, to the fullest extent permitted by law,
each of its officers, directors, employees and agents who was or is a party to,
or is threatened to be made a party to, any threatened, pending or completed
action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or
investigative, by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director,
officer, employee or agent of the registrant.  The Certificate also provides
that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, no director of the registrant
shall be liable to the registrant or its stockholders for monetary damages for
breach of his fiduciary duty as a director.

     The Certificate also provides that the registrant may purchase and maintain
insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or
agent of the registrant, or is serving at the request of the registrant as a
director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint
venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise against any liability
incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of his status as
such, regardless of whether the registrant is empowered to indemnify such person
under the provisions of law.  Newpark does not currently maintain any such
insurance.

ITEM 8.   EXHIBITS

4.1   Newpark Resources, Inc. 1999 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.*
5.1   Opinion of Ervin, Cohen & Jessup LLP
23.1  Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP
23.2  Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP
23.3  Consent of Ervin, Cohen & Jessup LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)
24.1  Powers of Attorney (set forth on Pages II-4 and II-5).
___________________
*     Previously filed in the Exhibits to the registrant's Annual Report on Form
      10-K for the year ended December 31, 1999 and incorporated by reference
      herein.

ITEM 9.   UNDERTAKINGS

A.   The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

     (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a
post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

          (i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the
Securities Act of 1933;

                                      II-2
<PAGE>

          (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after
the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-
effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent
a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities
offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that
which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the
estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus
filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the
changes in volume and price represent no more that a 20% change in the maximum
aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation of Registration Fee"
table in the effective registration statement.;

          (iii)  To include any material information with respect to the plan of
distribution not previously in the registration statement or any material change
to such information in the registration statement;

     Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if
the registration statement is on Form S-3, Form S-8 or Form F-3 and the
information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those
paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the
Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the
registration statement.

     (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities
Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new
registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

     (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any
of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the
offering.

B.   The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an
employee benefit plans's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in this
registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

C.   Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act
of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the
registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant
has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission
such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is,
therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for indemnification against
such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred
or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the
successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit a copy to a court of
appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is
against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.

                                      II-3
<PAGE>

                                  SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Metairie, State of Louisiana, on March 29, 2000.

                                    NEWPARK RESOURCES, INC.


                                    By     /s/ James D. Cole
                                      ------------------------------------------
                                        James D. Cole, Chairman of the Board
                                        President and Chief Executive Officer

     KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears
below hereby constitutes and appoints James D. Cole and Matthew W. Hardey, and
each of them, as his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents with full
power of substitution and resubstitution, for such person and in such person's
name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments
(including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement, and to
file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and all documents in connection
therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said
attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do
and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in
and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or
could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-
fact and agents, or either of them, or his or their substitutes, may lawfully do
or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

     SIGNATURE                                    TITLE                     DATE
     ---------                                    -----                     ----
<S>                                   <C>                               <C>

       /s/ James D. Cole              Chairman of the Board, President   March 29, 2000
------------------------------        and Chief Executive Officer
           James D. Cole

     /s/ Matthew W. Hardey            Vice President of Finance         March 29, 2000
------------------------------        and Chief Financial Officer
     Matthew W. Hardey

   /s/ Wm. Thomas Ballantine          Executive Vice President          March 29, 2000
------------------------------        and Director
   Wm. Thomas Ballantine

       /s/ Dibo Attar                 Director                          March 29, 2000
------------------------------
       Dibo Attar
</TABLE>

                                      II-4
<PAGE>

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

<S>                                   <C>                               <C>
       /s/ W.W. Goodson               Director                          March 29, 2000
------------------------------
       W. W. Goodson


       /s/ David P. Hunt              Director                          March 29, 2000
------------------------------
       David P. Hunt


       /s/ Alan J. Kaufman            Director                          March 29, 2000
------------------------------
       Dr. Alan J. Kaufman


       /s/ James H. Stone             Director                          March 29, 2000
------------------------------
       James H. Stone
</TABLE>

                                      II-5
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 17360}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "NEWPARK RESOURCES INC", "cik": "0000071829", "assigned-sic": "4953", "irs-number": "721123385", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-33624", "film-number": "588021"}, "business-address": {"street1": "3850 N. CAUSEWAY BLVD", "street2": "SUITE 1770", "city": "METAIRIE", "state": "LA", "zip": "70002", "phone": "5048388222"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "P O BOX 6411", "street2": "II LAKEWAY CENTER STE 1770"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "NEW PARK MINING CO", "date-changed": "19720828"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2000
                                                        Registration No. 333-

================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
            REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                                --------------

                            NEWPARK RESOURCES, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

                DELAWARE                                       72-1123385
     (State or other jurisdiction of                         (I.R.S. Employer
     incorporation or organization)                          Identification No.)

  3850 NORTH CAUSEWAY BLVD., SUITE 1770
           METAIRIE, LOUISIANA                                   70002
 (Address of principal executive offices)                     (Zip Code)

                            NEWPARK RESOURCES, INC.
                       1999 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

                            JAMES D. COLE, PRESIDENT
                            NEWPARK RESOURCES, INC.
                     3850 NORTH CAUSEWAY BLVD., SUITE 1770
                           METAIRIE, LOUISIANA 70002
                    (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (504) 838-8222
         (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                                    Copy to:
                             HOWARD Z. BERMAN, ESQ.
                           ERVIN, COHEN & JESSUP LLP
                       9401 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD, 9TH FLOOR
                            BEVERLY HILLS, CA  90212
                                 (310) 273-6333

                        CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       PROPOSED
                                                        MAXIMUM         PROPOSED
             TITLE OF                                  OFFERING          MAXIMUM         AMOUNT OF
         SECURITIES TO BE             AMOUNT TO BE       PRICE          AGGREGATE       REGISTRATION
            REGISTERED                 REGISTERED     PER UNIT(*)   OFFERING PRICE(*)       FEE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock issuable under the      500,000 shares      $7.13          $3,565,000           $941.16
 Employee Stock Purchase Plan
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(*)  Calculated pursuant to Rule 457(h)(1) based on the average of the high and
     low sales prices of the registrant's common stock on March 28, 2000, as
     reported by the New York Stock Exchange.
================================================================================
PART II
               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3.   INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

     Newpark Resources, Inc. ("Newpark") hereby incorporates by reference into
this Registration Statement the following documents:

     (a) Newpark's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
         1999;

     (b) The description of the Common Stock of Newpark contained in its
         Registration Statement filed pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities
         Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), as such
         description may be amended from time to time.

     All reports and other documents filed by Newpark subsequent to the date of
this Registration Statement pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of
the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which
indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters
all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by
reference into this Registration Statement and to be considered a part hereof
from the date of filing of such documents.

ITEM 6.   INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

     Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the
"GCL") permits a corporation to, and the registrant's bylaws require that it,
indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party
to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether
civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in
the right of the corporation), by reason of the fact that he is or was a
director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at
the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of
another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise,
against expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid
in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action,
suit or proceeding if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably
believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and,
with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to
believe his conduct was unlawful.

     As permitted under Section 145 of the GCL, the registrant's bylaws also
provide that it shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is
threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or
suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by
reason of the fact that he is or was a director, officer employee or agent of
the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a
director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint
venture, trust or other enterprise against expenses (including attorneys' fees)
actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with the defense or
settlement of such action or suit if he acted in good faith and in a manner he
reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the
corporation.  However, in such an action by or on behalf of a corporation, no
indemnification may be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which
the person is adjudged

                                      II-1
liable for negligence or misconduct in the performance of his duty to the
corporation unless, and only to the extent that the court determines that,
despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances, the
person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which
the court shall deem proper.

     In addition, the indemnification provided by section 145 shall not be
deemed exclusive of any other rights to which a person seeking indemnification
may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or
disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in his official capacity
and as to action in another capacity while holding such office.

     The registrant's Certificate of Incorporation (the "Certificate") provides
that the registrant shall indemnify, to the fullest extent permitted by law,
each of its officers, directors, employees and agents who was or is a party to,
or is threatened to be made a party to, any threatened, pending or completed
action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or
investigative, by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director,
officer, employee or agent of the registrant.  The Certificate also provides
that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, no director of the registrant
shall be liable to the registrant or its stockholders for monetary damages for
breach of his fiduciary duty as a director.

     The Certificate also provides that the registrant may purchase and maintain
insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or
agent of the registrant, or is serving at the request of the registrant as a
director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint
venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise against any liability
incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of his status as
such, regardless of whether the registrant is empowered to indemnify such person
under the provisions of law.  Newpark does not currently maintain any such
insurance.

ITEM 8.   EXHIBITS

4.1   Newpark Resources, Inc. 1999 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.*
5.1   Opinion of Ervin, Cohen & Jessup LLP
23.1  Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP
23.2  Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP
23.3  Consent of Ervin, Cohen & Jessup LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)
24.1  Powers of Attorney (set forth on Pages II-4 and II-5).
___________________
*     Previously filed in the Exhibits to the registrant's Annual Report on Form
      10-K for the year ended December 31, 1999 and incorporated by reference
      herein.

ITEM 9.   UNDERTAKINGS

A.   The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

     (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a
post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

          (i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the
Securities Act of 1933;

                                      II-2
(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after
the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-
effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent
a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities
offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that
which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the
estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus
filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the
changes in volume and price represent no more that a 20% change in the maximum
aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation of Registration Fee"
table in the effective registration statement.;

          (iii)  To include any material information with respect to the plan of
distribution not previously in the registration statement or any material change
to such information in the registration statement;

     Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if
the registration statement is on Form S-3, Form S-8 or Form F-3 and the
information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those
paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the
Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the
registration statement.

     (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities
Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new
registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

     (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any
of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the
offering.

B.   The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an
employee benefit plans's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in this
registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

C.   Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act
of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the
registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant
has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission
such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is,
therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for indemnification against
such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred
or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the
successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit a copy to a court of
appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is
against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.

                                      II-3
SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Metairie, State of Louisiana, on March 29, 2000.

                                    NEWPARK RESOURCES, INC.

                                    By     /s/ James D. Cole
                                      ------------------------------------------
                                        James D. Cole, Chairman of the Board
                                        President and Chief Executive Officer

     KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears
below hereby constitutes and appoints James D. Cole and Matthew W. Hardey, and
each of them, as his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents with full
power of substitution and resubstitution, for such person and in such person's
name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments
(including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement, and to
file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and all documents in connection
therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said
attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do
and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in
and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or
could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-
fact and agents, or either of them, or his or their substitutes, may lawfully do
or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.
SIGNATURE                                    TITLE                     DATE
     ---------                                    -----                     ----
/s/ James D. Cole              Chairman of the Board, President   March 29, 2000
------------------------------        and Chief Executive Officer
           James D. Cole

     /s/ Matthew W. Hardey            Vice President of Finance         March 29, 2000
------------------------------        and Chief Financial Officer
     Matthew W. Hardey

   /s/ Wm. Thomas Ballantine          Executive Vice President          March 29, 2000
------------------------------        and Director
   Wm. Thomas Ballantine

       /s/ Dibo Attar                 Director                          March 29, 2000
------------------------------
       Dibo Attar
II-4
/s/ W.W. Goodson               Director                          March 29, 2000
------------------------------
       W. W. Goodson

       /s/ David P. Hunt              Director                          March 29, 2000
------------------------------
       David P. Hunt

       /s/ Alan J. Kaufman            Director                          March 29, 2000
------------------------------
       Dr. Alan J. Kaufman

       /s/ James H. Stone             Director                          March 29, 2000
------------------------------
       James H. Stone
II-5