We are coming out of our heavy horizontal directional drilling (HDD) mud school season and entering the spring start-up. As I look back, it is good to have time in the winter to work with drillers, supervisors, estimators and owners to sharpen the skills of their teams.
When I hold these schools, I never fail in a class to get this question: “How long should I mix the bentonite before adding polymers and additives?” The question is perfectly fine, but the answer is less direct and easy.