mud mixing systems for directional drilling

There are numerous benefits to using drilling fluid with every bore, but to get the maximum benefit from the additives, it should be adequately mixed. “Adding some type of additive to the water will help reduce the risk of premature tooling wear,” Michael said.Īlso, water lacks the viscosity to maintain hole integrity or float drill cuttings out of the hole. Water offers very little lubrication, which means there is more drag and friction on drill rods and the drill head. “However, using drilling fluid with the right additive can help limit the risk of the hole collapsing.” “Crews doing just a pilot bore and then pulling back small-diameter product can get by with this in loamy clay soils, since those situations are a lot more forgiving,” he explained. Michael said this is a better option than using nothing at all, but there can be risks involved with this approach. Probably more common than drilling dry, contractors will skip using bentonite or polymer and only run water through the drill string. “Just using a little bit of drilling fluid in ideal ground conditions can go a long way to help keep up production rates and help contractors maximize the life of their tooling,” added Michael. It can also put unnecessary strain on the product being pulled back. Over time, the lack of drilling fluid can lead to premature wear to the drilling head and drill pipe. The extra heat can potentially damage the drill head and sonde.” There is also a lot more friction downhole, which can cause tooling to heat up. “However, even in these conditions, drilling dry will typically require rotation speeds and production rates to slow. “In ideal ground conditions, performing short, small-diameter bores without any fluid is possible,” explained Tod Michael, product manager for the trenchless core products at Vermeer. Here’s an overview of a few of the issues you may encounter without using mud. It helps provide lubrication and cools downhole tooling and electronics, helps maintain the integrity of the bore path and flushes drill cuttings. Drilling dry or using water alone can slow drilling production, put a bore at risk of failure and lead to premature tooling wear.ĭrilling fluid or mud is a crucial ingredient to maximize an HDD crew’s efficiency and should be used whenever possible. Those stories may be true, but there can be many drawbacks to boring this way. As part of a circulation system, it must be reliable and of high quality.Many horizontal directional drill (HDD) operators have heard a story or two about someone completing a massive bore while drilling dry or using only water. meter is complemented by special pumps and pipes. To pump it into the wells, the drilling mud system is 2 cu. They are made from materials that do not come into contact with the content. These are special containers of various volumes – for example, the widespread 2 cubic meters. To mix, feed, keep them in the right condition, drilling fluid systems are needed. For HDD equipment, bentonite materials, various polymer additives, bulk and liquid are used. In modern horizontal directional drilling systems, various slurries are used, which during operation must remain in the wells without being absorbed. DFM2000 HDD Mud Directional Drilling Mixing System for sale

Mud mixing systems for directional drilling