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Quick Dispersal is Key, Company Says, for 'Equipment Challenged' Jobs
In a perfect world, drilling fluids for each project would have ex- actly the right properties for the job at hand and the work would go as planned. But, sometimes, chang- ing conditions downhole-e.g., shale, rock, sand or salt-require further modification in water loss properties, rheology control or viscosity modifi- cation. On site, particularly in small- footprint applications such as water well or horizontal directional drilling (HDD), there simply is not enough physical space to bring in complex equipment needed to disperse classi- cal water soluble polymers. In these applications, a driller could be bring- ing a rig on to a homeowner's front yard, between two buildings, or alongside a highway and not have the room for all equipment. In these "equipment challenged" applications or when faced with cold weather con- ditions, which also can slow mixing, polymers that easily disperse and be- come usable in a reasonable amount of time become necessary.
Drilling fluids are used to main- tain wall stability, control fluid loss through their water-retention proper- ties, enhance the ability to suspend cuttings and improve the ability to plug open formations. Whether wa- ter well drilling, HDD or tunneling, each project has its own drilling fluid requirements. The selection of addi- tives is key in delivering value to the drilling operation and the friendliness of the drilling fluids.
Value consists of the many attri- butes that improve or facilitate the process, or create a financial return. It can be expressed, for example, in the form of:
* Process: higher productivity, less equipment needs, less waste;
* People: fewer needed, less train- ing required, higher productivity;
* Equipment: lower capital, the ex- pertise to run, safety, wear and tear;
* Materials: including warehousing and inventory management; and
* Time: process- and downtime.
Ashland Specialty Ingredients (ASI) has been a producer of acrylate and classical carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) additives for decades-50 years in the case of the CMC prod- ucts. ASI water-soluble polymers are used extensively as additives in nu- merous civil engineering applications to boost performance of bentonite- based drilling fluids through water re- tention, stabilization of the mud sus-...