8 NOVEMBER 2023 WorldWide Drilling Resource® Are We There Yet? by Ronald B. Peterson Drilling Products Specialist, Mountainland Supply Company Let’s discuss mixing some more. You have carefully chosen your mixing system and drilling fluid additives. Let’s start with single sack additives. Any polymer will delay the hydration of bentonite. This is why we add the bentonite first, make sure it’s properly mixed, then add the polymers. We have a good mixer with adequate shear, but we must remember that PHPAs (long chain polymers) are shear sensitive. This simply means we have to pay attention and make sure once they are thoroughly mixed, we shut off the mixer to avoid overshearing them and breaking them down. Once we have polymers in the system, they are indiscriminate. They treat all solids - including drilling fluid additives, bentonites, or polymer - the same way and do their best to encapsulate and retard their ability to yield. It will take longer to mix any dry additive into the system. If you are using one of the new blended single sack drilling fluid products, remember they usually have some polymers in them. This simply means if you try to add additional product to the system, to maintain the desired properties, it will be more difficult and take more time than the original mix. Drilling fluids do what they are supposed to do during the drilling process. They coat the cuttings, then are removed by the solids control equipment. This means more product will have to be added to the system to maintain the desired properties. This is where a prehydration system becomes most valuable. I strongly recommend the use of a prehydration tank (just in case you haven’t picked up on that). The use of a prehydration tank ensures any additions to the system will maintain the desired properties and doesn’t degrade them, and the additives will be thoroughly mixed. As a result of the drilling process, we are constantly losing a little bit of fluid due to seepage and through the solids control system. This is often dealt with by adding a small stream of fresh water. Fresh water dilutes the concentration of the desired additives and reduces the effectiveness of the drilling fluid. Over time, your drilling fluid is no longer consistent and may have different properties at any point in the system. A prehydration tank makes it possible to maintain the desired properties in the drilling fluid system. The investment in your own knowledge and the knowledge of your personnel will pay off. Greater knowledge of our job requirements and the safest, best way to achieve them will result in better performance at all levels. Always cultivate, and stress, a culture of safety in the workplace. There are many innovations in safety. We have come a long way. Always remember, “a man has to know his limitations,” but he doesn’t have to be defined by them. He can raise the bar. Working together, it is amazing where we can go. Enjoy the journey. If you have any questions on drilling fluids or if you have another topic you would like to have addressed, please remember this column is ours. Your feedback helps me make it of value to you. It needs to be an interactive tool. I need your feedback. Please send your suggestions to Michele (below) and she will get them to me. Ron Ron Peterson may be contacted via e-mail to michele@worldwidedrillingresource.com WTR
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