![]() How to Mix the Best HDD Drilling FluidsĪs we mentioned, bentonite and polymer are the most common additives to use in drilling fluid, with xanthan gum sometimes being used for added gel strength to aid in suspension. The right additives in your drilling fluid will keep that from happening and make your operation run much smoother. In particular, water makes clay and sand well up, which can lead to a sticky situation for your tooling. Another factor to consider: water alone can have a negative reaction with certain ground conditions. With the right gel strength, drilling fluid will keep the path clear and speed up your job. Using mud reduces the torque required for drilling while stabilizing the borehole and cooling the tooling. What does all of this add up to? Higher costs, whether from downtime or replacement parts. If the heat harms any electronic components, your locating system may not function properly. That heat can damage any pipe you're installing, as well as your tooling. Additionally, anytime you drill into the ground, it creates a ton of excess heat. Without it, you risk having cuttings and other materials that the bit removed blocking the bore path, which could stall the entire operation. Cool and lubricate all the downhole toolingĭrilling fluid does all of this, provided it's mixed correctly.Suspend cuttings and clear them out of the hole.Some may even try to get by using only water, but simple water will not: However, a lot of contractors still grapple with it due to the added costs and perceived annoyances. To be frank, whether or not to use drilling fluid shouldn't even be a question at this point - it is an essential part of the jobsite. During operation, drilling fluid ensures downhole stability, cools and lubricates tooling and extracts cuttings and other particles from the borehole. ![]() For smaller rigs, the system may be attached, while larger drills often require standalone pumps. How Does It Work?Ī mud system delivers drilling fluid to the drill itself. Bentonite is a type of clay that can be ground, refined and mixed with water to make a mud-like fluid used in the drilling process, hence the term "mud." Proper HDD drilling fluid must be mixed correctly for the type of soil a bore will encounter. The most common additives, which usually only account for around 3% of the mixture, are bentonite and polymer - sometimes a combination of the two, depending on the ground conditions. What Is Drilling Fluid?ĭrilling fluid, also commonly called "mud" or "slurry," is a mixture of water and additives that is used to make the horizontal directional drilling process easier. Whether you're a skeptic, a recent convert or a true believer, you may still have some questions about HDD drilling fluids, so we're here to offer a little guidance in this high-level overview. However, most tend to come around after seeing the kind of results it can bring to the jobsite. ![]() Some of the old-schoolers among us might still be apprehensive to use modern HDD drilling fluid, thinking of it as overly complex - and expensive. ![]() As such, drillers and contractors didn't see the need for anything besides water. During the horizontal directional drilling boom in the 1990s, most of the drilling fluid that existed was meant for vertical applications. ![]()
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