Columnist goes to drought-parched Monterrey, Mexico, to train drillers in fluids, air drilling and foam drilling.

In reactive soils, operators risk stuck tools or strings if they don’t take a tactical approach to their drilling fluids.

In horizontal directional drilling, other construction fields, each person on site has a valuable part to play.

Company calls UtilityScan DF ideal for helping construction companies avoid gas, communications and sewer lines.

From the right pH to precipitating out hardness, soda ash is hard to beat for pretreating make-up water.

Company offers hammers, bits for rock-drilling applications ranging from blasthole to HDD.

Not every drilling job calls for bentonite. Premeasured polymer mixes can simplify short HDD runs.

With a wave of infrastructure funds coming, suppliers and buyers can ultimately help one another succeed.

Checklists, signs, leadership and training all feed into safety culture, buy-in from drill crews up to owners.

Many manufacturers and suppliers offer drilling fluids training that can have a direct effect on success rates.