The Holy Grail is “a sacred object … said to possess miraculous powers,” according to Wikipedia. While preparing to write this month’s article, I must confess to some serious writers block. I was sitting at the computer with a few ideas, but no really firm direction, when all of the sudden it popped into my head (well really on my screen). I got an email from a customer asking, “In your opinion, other than a high-yielding bentonite, what would be the most versatile drilling fluid for us to carry that would fit all situations?” I bet you can answer this one real fast. The answer is easy: It would be a product called “Driller’s Dream.” It comes in a bag and you pour and mix it in, and it will self adjust to the soil conditions! I feel safe putting the tradename in this article because neither my company nor any of the competitors has a product like this. There is no sacred product with miraculous powers. However, the proper mix can be a power fluid!
The good news was that that email broke the writer’s block and we are off and running. When I read a question like that, I think drilling mud is being confused with drilling fluid. Drilling mud refers to just that. It is the sodium bentonite used as a standalone drilling fluid or as the base for a bentonite-based drilling fluid.