I’ll start by congratulating all the drillers out there during these trying times. Having to function in these unprecedented times brings its shares of challenges, and I have nothing but respect for the work drillers do as an essential service. If it can help in any way, I’d like to share some expertise on bentonite products for drilling, well development and completion.
When planning to drill a well, whether for water or environmental monitoring, in geology that dictates mud rotary, success depends on properly matching the drilling fluids to the soil conditions. A contractor who knows the soil conditions can calculate: the amount of bentonite drilling fluid products to have on site; along with clay inhibitors to deal with reactive clays and shales; PAC polymers for gravel or coarse zones; and, in some instances, a surfactant to help prevent bit balling when drilling in sticky clays.