Section 5

Mixing and Using Drill Mud

Drilling fluid (often called "mud") is used to:

lift soil/rock cuttings from the bottom of the borehole and carry them to a
settling pit;

allow cuttings to drop out in the mud pit so that they are not re-circulated
(influenced by mud thickness, flow rate in the settling pits and shape/size of the
pits);

prevent cuttings from rapidly settling while another length of drill pipe is being
added (if cuttings drop too fast, they can build-up on top of the bit and seize it
in the hole);

create a film of small particles on the borehole wall to prevent caving and to
ensure that the upward-flowing stream of drilling fluid does not erode the
adjacent formation;

seal the borehole wall to reduce fluid loss (minimizing volumes of drilling fluid
is especially important in dry areas where water must be carried from far
away);

cool and clean the drill bit; and

lubricate the bit, bearings, mud pump and drill pipe (Driscoll, 1986).

Always start drilling with clean water as the drilling fluid; keep it as clean as possible during drilling to minimize
subsequent well development problems. In clay-rich formations, the water will quickly mix with natural clays in the
borehole to form a thin clay slurry(Driscoll, 1986). While this "natural mud" can be used for drilling the 10 cm
(4 in) pilot hole, it should be replaced with clean water or a drilling mud prior to the water bearing zones
being reamed-out to 15 cm (6 in). If this is not done, the natural clays will be pushed into the aquifer and will
not break-down with development, thus seriously restricting well yield.

In sandy soils, bentonite clay (sodium montmorillonite) must be mixed with the drilling water to increase its
viscosity and keep the borehole from collapsing (just a small amount of bentonite is required).

While better than natural clays, bentonite does not readily break down its cohesive structure and it can be difficult to
remove from the borehole and aquifer. Since this can keep boreholes from reaching their potential yield (Moffat,
198?), it can be adventageous to use synthetic muds (polymers) such as Revert when drilling into marginal aquifers
(seeFootnote #1). Because it is very concentrated, powdered polymer can be shipped at relatively low cost into
countries where bentonite is not available.

Whenever using synthetic drilling polymers, however, it is extremely

important to flush all the polymer out of the borehole as soon as possible.
Some polymers have an organic base which can act as a bacterial food source.
If left in the borehole, nuisance and health-related bacterial populations can
grow rapidly and permamently affect the taste, odour and safety of the well

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 water. To avoid these problems, flush as much polymer out of the borehole as
possible before floating in the gravel pack (Section 8). Break-down can be
enhanced by adding 500 to 1,000 ppm chlorine to the drilling fluid during the
flushing process.

If bentonite or polymer is not available, it is best to determine (from the government or other knowledgeable
organization)where there is a good supply of clay suitable for drilling (one that is relatively pure and has little or no
sand). Make sure that you evaluate the suitability of local clays prior to drilling (see Appendix H).

Drilling mud is created by thoroughly mixing water with clay to a desired consistency. Pumping water through the
by-pass hose on the 3-way valve and recirculating water back through the pits will help ensure that the clay and
water are thoroughly mixed.

After the fluid is mixed, sufficient time must be allowed to elapse to insure complete hydration of the clay prior to it
being circulated into the hole (Driscoll, 1986). If this is not done, the clays may swell in the hole or in the aquifer
itself. If this happens, it may be impossible to remove them after the casing is installed and the well may never
reach its potential yield.

Drilling fluids must be mixed thick (viscous) enough to bring soil cuttings up from the bottom of the hole to the
surface, yet not so viscous as to prevent their settling out in the mud pits. It is, therefore, very important to
understand the properties of drilling muds and their proper use:

The ability of a fluid to lift cuttings increases rapidly as viscosity (the degree to which a fluid resists flow under an
applied force) and up-hole velocity are increased. After cuttings are brought to the surface, however, it is essential
that they drop out as the fluid flows through the settling pit. The desired results are obtained by properly designing
the mud pits, controlling the viscosity and weight of the drilling fluid and adjusting the pump speed (Driscoll, 1986).

During the drilling process, solids accumulate in the drilling fluid - especially when drilling silt, clay or weakly
consolidated shale (Driscoll, 1986). The thickness of the drilling fluid often needs to be adjusted during drilling by
adding more water and/or removing some of the accumulated cuttings from the settling pit.

Fluid which is too thick will be difficult to pump and will cause unnecessary wear of the mud pump since cuttings
will not have settled out of the mud before the mud is pumped back down the borehole. It will also make it
difficult to remove the mud from the borehole walls and adjacent aquifer during well development. The rate
of penetration is also potentially reduced (Driscoll, 1986).

If the mud is too thin, cuttings will not be brought to the surface and the drill bit and drill pipe may get stuck in the
borehole by settling cuttings. In addition, thin mud can result in excessive migration of mud into the formation, thus
decreasing the potential yield of the well.

Once the well is started and the fluid is being pumped, it is important to keep the well and mud pits full of water and
complete the drilling and installation of the casing before the well is allowed to run out of water from the drilling
process. If return circulation of drilling fluid out of the borehole is suddenly lost, ensure that you take immediate
action (seeAppendix G-1).

If drilling stops for more than a few minutes and the water recedes down the hole, the well may cave-in!
(see Appendix G-2). To minimize caving risk, keep the drill pipe in the well (several metres off the bottom) and re-
fill the well through the drill pipe. Do NOT pour water down the open hole since this may actually cause a cave-in!
If the drilling stoppage lasts long, pull the drill pipe out of the borehole to ensure it is not jammed and lost (the drill
string can even be pulled-out by hand using pipe wrenches).

How to Use a Marsh Funnel:

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Viscosity is a measurement of a fluid's resistance to flow: the greater the resistance, the higher the viscosity. The
viscosity of drilling mud is influenced by the gelatin-related density and the solids content. The viscosity can be
controlled by adding drilling mud and adjusting the pH. The viscosity should be adjusted depending upon the type
of material being drilled, the drilling rate, and the hole size.

Different types of clay have a wide range of hydration potential. The more the clay hydrates, the more it expands
and has more lifting ability. Selling clays like bentonite and montmorillonite are preferred because the clay particles
are much thinner and come apart more easily than those of other clays. When properly hydrated in water, these clays
can swell to approximately 10 times their original volume. Bentonite and montmorillonite hydrate only in fresh
water.

Viscosity can be measured with a Marsh Funnel. The procedure is as follows:

1. Hold funnel in upright position with index finger over the outlet.
2. Pour the drilling fluid through the screen in the top of the funnel until the drilling fluid reached the marked
line just beneath the screen.
3. Remove the finger from the outlet and measure the number of seconds it takes to fill the accompanying
container up to the marked 1 quart line.

The following guidelines can be used to assess whether drill mud is thick enough:

Material Being Drilled Marsh Funnel

Viscosity
Water (with no swelling clay)
Natural Swelling Clays 32 to 37
Normal Conditions (including non-swelling clay
40 to 45
and fine sand)
Medium Sand 45 to 55
Coarse Sand 55 to 65
Gravel 65 to 75
Coarse Gravel 75 to 85

Application Guidelines

 Adjust pH: The pH of the drilling fluid can affect performance of the drilling mud. Drilling mud will have
maximum hydration where the pH is between 8.0 and 9.0 Use 1/4 pound of soda ash per 300 gallons of
drilling fluid to bring water from a pH of 7 up to a pH of 8.5.
 Build and Maintain Viscosity: Drilling fluid must have enough time to hydrate. Pump the drilling fluid
throught he 3-way valve and recirculate the drilling fluid back through the pits. Check the viscosity before
drilling. Proper viscosity enables the drilling fluid to effectively bring up drill cuttings and to build a good
wall cake. The wall cake helps support the borehole and keep it from collapsing when drilling in
unconsolidated material.
 Control the Borehole: Loosing fluid to the formation typically causes borehole problems. The higher the
fluid loss, the greater the potential for weakening the formation to the point of collapse or thickening the
wall cake - either of which can get you stuck. Have a barrel of thick drilling mud available. Add the thicker
mud to the mud pit for a quick thickening of the drilling fluid. If return circulation of drilling fluids is
suddenly lost, TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION!

The viscosity of the drilling fluid is also a function of the rate of flow for the pump and the size of the
borehole. The bigger the borehole, the lower the upper velocity of the fluid. At lower velocities, the
viscosity is higher because electric charge on the clay particles will hold in a tigher bond. This is why the
clay in the drilling fluid tends to gel when the fluid is at rest. If drilling stops, even for a few minutes, raise
the drill bit off the floor of the hole to avoid drill cuttings from trapping the bit. Pull the pipe out of the hole

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 if drilling stops for an extended time (overnight).

 Clean-up the Drilling Mud: Bentonite does not readily breakdown, and it can be difficult to remove drilling
mud from the borehole and aquifer. Thin out the drilling mud before setting the casing. Many drillers switch
to a polymer drilling fluid in marginal aquifers before reaming. To switch from drilling mud to polymer,
pump the drilling mud out of the mud pits and replace the fluid with a properly stabilized drilling polymer.

Drilling polymers are organic additives which take the place of natural clay. After several days, organic
additives breakdown toa fluid as thin as water, and it can be thoroughly flushed from the well. Additing
chlorine to the well during development will accelerate this breakdown and allow for faster development of
the well.

NOTE: Polymers may be added to drilling mud to improve the overall performance. Drilling mud makes a
better wall cake. Polymer is better at increasing the viscosity of the drilling fluid. Polymers can be slowly
sprinkled into the mud pit. If fed at too fast a rate, lumps will form.

References and Footnotes

1
Drilling polymer's (such as "Revert" made by Johnson & Johnson 612-636-3900), are organic drilling fluid
additives which take the place of native clay or bentonite. When Revert is mixed with water in a ratio of about 7.1
Kg per 1000 litres (6 lb per 100 gal), a bright blue viscous fluid forms. Revert prevents caving, drops cuttings in the
mud pit better than bentonite mixtures. Biological breakdown causes it to change ("revert") to a fluid as thin as
water after several days (the fluid becomes light grey when reversion to a water-like fluid is imminent). After the
fluid has reverted, it can be thoroughly flushed from the well and the well can be developed as easily as if only clear
water had been used in drilling. Dry Revert powder can be put in a coffee can and slowly sprinkled into a barrel of
water which is agitated using a paddle mixer (such as a paint mixer attached to an electric drill). If fed too fast it will
tend to form lumps. If more than 3 ppm iron is present, pre-treat the water with about .75 lb calcium hypochlorite
per 1,000 gals of water (50 ppm chlorine) to oxidize any dissolved iron.

Driscoll, F. (1986) Groundwater and Wells, St. Paul: Johnson Division

Moffat, B. (198?) "Efficient Water Wells", Developing World Water, Hong Kong: Grosvenor Press Int'l pp. 36-37.

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