The Things We Carry Part 1

Spotlight on Drilling Fluids

At PVC Plus Drilling, we’re proud to carry some of the best brands available, in addition to our own PVC Plus products such as like geothermal piping. This article is the first in a series that aims to explain the categories of items that we offer. Part 1: What are the different types of drilling muds and polymers? Consider this a refresher course if you’ve been buying drilling fluids for decades. If you’re a newer customer, pay even more close attention.

Drilling fluids, simply put, make drilling easier. They help to manage the pressure in a shaft or well. They are used for oil and natural gas drilling (large scale) and for water well drilling (smaller scale). There are three main types of drilling fluid: gas-based; water-based; and oil-based (sometimes called non-aqueous).

According to the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, drilling fluids must be dense enough to “offset formation pressures to prevent a blowout”. In other words, they’re crucial to the drilling process. They lubricate the drill string and keep formation fluids from clogging up the drill bore.

A polymer is a specially-created chemical that is mixed with water to create a particular drilling fluid.

• POLYBORE™ is a water-soluble, dry granular polymer. When mixed with fresh water, the result is a clear drilling fluid that has a stabilizing effect on drilling operations from horizontal directional boring to reverse circulation rotary drilling.

• QUIK-TROL® is a natural cellulosic polymer that provides filtration control in the majority of water-based drilling fluids. It can also be added to vegetable or mineral oil, resulting in an oil-based fluid that can be funneled directly into the drill string.

• DIAMOND SEAL is an interesting product because it is water-swellable but not water-soluble. It is a 100% crystalline synthetic polymer that can absorb hundreds of times its own weight in water. This is important because blowouts are to be avoided, the drilling fluid must be sufficiently dense.

Check out Rigzone - “How do Drilling Fluids Work?” http://www.rigzone.com/training/insight.asp?insight_id=291&c_id=24