The Horizontal Directional Drilling industry continues to be a major drilling discipline that Baroid Industrial Drilling Products serves. Baroid IDP was one of the first drilling fluid companies to apply its vast knowledge of drilling fluids to the industry. Early on it was obvious that conventional horizontal drilling wisdom from the oilfield was not applicable in the utility and river crossing business.
Mother Nature, as always, dictated that utility borings and river crossings require the optimization of different drilling fluid properties than that of the horizontal drilling done in the oilfield. The formations encountered in utility and river crossings are primarily unconsolidated sand, gravel and reactive clays.
These factors require that gel strengths and filtration control be optimized rather than viscosity. With this in mind Baroid IDP developed BORE-GEL™ premium grade bentonite which combined superior gel strengths, filter cake development and filtration control with a lower resultant viscosity, those properties most important to a successful horizontal bore. The primary focus of suspension of drill cuttings combined with reduced viscosity ultimately allows for better maintenance of flow and effective removal of solids. Many utility bores and all river crossings occur in alluvial environments or simply areas that contain large gravel and cobbles.
These formations present the greatest challenge to HDD contractors concerning hole stability and suspension. Baroid IDP addressed this problem with the advent of NO-SAG™ biopolymer that enhances the suspension properties of the BORE-GEL system. The addition of NO-SAG biopolymer allows for the increase in suspension properties without a dramatic increase in the resultant viscosity of the BORE-GEL drilling fluid. This factor allows for the suspension of large gravels thereby furthering borehole stability and the flowability of the drilling fluid.
Minerals Exploration represents one of the largest and most challenging markets in the industrial drilling industry. This is a result of several factors including extreme geologic conditions, operator requirements, drilling methods and environmental concerns. These and other elements place a tremendous degree of importance on the drilling fluids utilized in coring and drilling operations.
Baroid IDP has utilized the superior properties and performance of QUIK-GEL® high-yielding Wyoming sodium bentonite viscosifier to provide quick development of viscosity, fluid loss control and a high quality filter cake with low permeability. These factors provide for the stabilization of broken and unconsolidated formations predominate in mineralized regions. QUIK-GEL viscosifier is specifically designed, with adequate make-up water and mixing equipment, to mix easily and hydrate within a matter of minutes. The rapid hydration and low-solids system provided by QUIK-GEL viscosifier makes it the bentonite of choice for minerals exploration.
The dynamic geologic conditions encountered in mineralized areas require optimization of the drilling fluid properties. Permeable and unconsolidated formations coupled with reactive shales and clays present a threat to bore hole stability and potential loss of core recovery. The combination of QUIK-GEL viscosifier and polymer additives such as QUIK-TROL®, QUIK-TROL LV and DEXTRID® filtration control agents allow for the effective reduction of filtration rate thereby promoting bore hole stability in permeable or unconsolidated formations.
Reactive shales and clays require more aggressive polymers to control swelling and sloughing. Baroid IDP addressed this requirement with the use of EZ-MUD® stabilizer. This high molecular weight, PHPA liquid emulsion is designed to encapsulate shale or clay and retard the swelling process long enough to complete drilling operations. Advancements in polymer chemistry led to the introduction of EZ-MUD GOLD dry polymer with superior mixing and inhibitive qualities. EZ-MUD additives provide shale/clay stabilization without excessive viscosity and is highly compatible with QUIK-GEL-based fluids.
The water well industry requires drilling fluid products that are multi-purpose, easy-to-use, environmentally acceptable and most importantly, effective. These requirements were the driving force behind the development of QUIK-GEL® premium grade, finely ground high-yield Wyoming sodium montmorillonite. QUIK-GEL viscosifier is specifically designed, with adequate make-up water and mixing equipment, to mix easily and completely yield within a matter of minutes. QUIK-GEL viscosifier provides for the formation of a thin filtercake with low permeability and excellent suspension properties. These properties make QUIK-GEL viscosifier the standard of the industry in providing hole stability and the basis for adequate filtration control in permeable sands and unconsolidated zones.
One of the greatest challenges faced in water well drilling is the extreme dynamics and variation in geologic formations that can be encountered during the drilling process. These formations can range from highly permeable sands, and unconsolidated gravels to reactive, swelling clays. Sands and gravels require additional filtration control for borehole stability. And when such reactive clay formations are encountered, the drilling contractor must recognize and react accordingly to the situation.
The addition of QUIK-TROL® or QUIK-TROL LV filtration control additives to a QUIK-GEL drilling fluid lowers the filtrate volume and strengthens the filtercake to increase borehole stability.
The presence of swelling/reactive clays is an indication for the need of a polymer encapsulating or coating the clay particle to render it inert. This works to control otherwise problematic hole conditions that can be caused by swelling and disintegration of the reactive clay. Baroid IDP addressed this situation with the development of EZ-MUD® polymer emulsion. This high molecular weight, PHPA liquid polymer emulsion is designed to coat shale or clay and retard the swelling process long enough to complete the well. EZ-MUD polymer emulsion provides shale/clay stabilization and viscosity and is highly compatible with QUIK-GEL-based fluids. Advancements in polymer chemistry have led to EZ-MUD GOLD polymer, a dry, easily mixed beaded PHPA. EZ-MUD GOLD polymer provides improved shale and clay stabilization with minimal viscosity effects.
Well rehabilitation is the process of restoring a well to its most efficient condition by use of mechanical and chemical means. With use and age the productivity of water wells typically deteriorates. Loss of productivity is indicated by a decrease in well yield and capacity, or by negative water quality issues such as increased turbidity, water color changes, or odor and taste changes due to bacterial growth. The decline could be caused by one or more factors including scale formation on the casing, bio fouling or bio mass buildup, or sedimentation in the filter pack.
All of these conditions are at least partially reversible and well rehabilitation should be considered. Well rehabilitation is suitable for water wells, dewatering wells, monitoring wells, contaminant extraction wells, aquifer storage and recovery wells and can also be used to treat cooling towers, water treatment equipment and distribution lines. Typically rehabilitation costs are 20-30% of the cost to replace an existing well with a new well. And rehabilitating an existing well or system has a smaller environmental impact than redrilling or rebuilding.
The methods used in well rehabilitation are separate and distinct from those used to drill, complete and develop a new well. Some of our products are specific to well rehabilitation processes and have singular purposes and others follow the Baroid IDP philosophy of cross functionality where a product can be used in several different drilling disciplines to achieve the desired results.
TJM Drill Tools & Service carries the Baroid products and has the knowledge and expertise on how our products can make a success of your well rehabilitation project.