Regardless of whether the project is small or large, the five steps to a successful bore covered here are a basic list of considerations for every project.
Gel strength is one of the most important characteristics of an HDD drilling fluid, and understanding how to test for gel strength and adjust drilling fluids to varying soil conditions can greatly increase the success rate for HDD contractors.
I have had great success drilling around the world with multiple types of mud drilling in water well, exploration and construction. The success came from understanding the basic components of drilling fluids.
We, as mud/fluid engineer types, tend to get a bit on the windy side when discussing how something works. In this article, I want to boil it down to five basic facts and discuss the options available to the drill contractor when they encounter hard-to-deal-with soils.
The biggest difference between drilling fluids for vertical rotary mud drilling and horizontal directional drilling (HDD) applications is in the requirements for gel strength.
