Typically, for most drilling applications circulating a drilling fluid, we recommend a bentonite-based fluid. Such fluids check all the boxes when it comes to ideal characteristics. There are times, however, when contractors may not want to use bentonite.
For us, it is about matching the right drilling fluid system to the application. This holds true especially for small-diameter, short-distance HDD bores. Crews can reduce mixing and clean-up time using a polymer-based fluid. Often, contractors may just use water in these applications, though experts advise against the use of water only, as it results in accelerated wear on drilling rods and tooling. In addition, the likelihood of inadvertent returns, pipe stretching and getting stuck increase exponentially when using just water. Over time, this will result in lower production rates and certainly higher costs.