WorldWide Drilling Resource

Boring Thoughts by Todd Tannehill Owner, Mud & More, LLC Location, Location, Location A look down at the Big Horn Basin, and you can see the results of volcanic ash from the Cretaceous Period. Around 1948, the name “bentonite” was used to describe this naturally occurring material near Fort Benton, Wyoming. This high-swelling clay is sodium bentonite, and it has a unique platelet structure which allows the platelets to separate and swell. The platelets of one cubic inch of clay could cover 66 American football fields. Think of it like a deck of playing cards you deal out. While there are calcium bentonite reserves found around North America and the world, the largest volumes of sodium bentonite are found in the western U.S. This is why many of the major bentonite companies have mining operations in the region. For east coast drilling companies paying freight of $5000+ for truckloads of product, mine location is the reason bentonite products are so expensive. However, freight is an even playing field; the cost to move 23 tons of bentonite from Plant C is the same as from Plant B; and WXYZ too. Freight is what freight is. Jobsite proximity to the plants determines the final cost of the product you receive in Iowa, Ohio, New York, or Florida. Even if a bentonite com- pany stocks the product on the east coast, it still has the freight from out west added into the price from the warehouse. While railing product can save money, freight is still, what freight is. I am writing this article to address the glazed look I get when presenting a freight estimate to a northeast contractor. In the water well industry, tank and pump manufacturers run free freight specials for volume purchases. As the bearer of news, both good and bad, I am here to tell you drilling fluids will never ship with a free freight allowance. I have seen jobs with multiple trucks a week shipping for multiple years and still no free freight. There is a landed cost. This is the price it takes to get one bag to a jobsite or distributor. A landed cost quote should include product cost at plant, freight base rate, fuel surcharge, and tolls. When comparing bentonite bids, it is important you have all the charges accounted for. A bid that looks much lower than others received may not have the freight component added in. I have seen quotes in the field which include the base rate of the freight, but note a fuel surcharge and tolls were not included. This amount could be a hidden cost of as much as $1100 on a 2000-mile route. I have a memory from 2005 where I took customers from New Jersey to a plant out west. Knowing what they pay for bagged bentonite, they were horrified to see mounds of bentonite exposed to the weather! I explained it was “native soil”, and in the rain, only the top layer hydrates and seals; much l ike it does in your borehole. Todd michele@ worldwidedrillingresource.com Google Earth, sited May 2018. ENV 34 JULY 2018 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® September Issue Deadlines! Space Reservation: July 25 th Display & Classified Ad Copy: August 1 st