WorldWide Drilling Resource

21 MARCH 2021 WorldWide Drilling Resource® In Memoriam John Thomas Coleman (1947~2021) The WWDRTeam was saddened to learn of the sudden passing of John Thomas Coleman, of Woodstock, Georgia, on January 16, 2021. Born in Pike County, Kentucky, he graduated Belfry High School and attended Berea College for a short time. Instead of waiting to be drafted, he joined the Air Force. Afterward, John finished college and graduated from Lincoln Memorial University. In the late 1970s to mid-1980s, he worked at Austin Powder, General Electric Carboloy’s mining division, and as product manager of drilling tools at Hughes Tool. John went on to sell hammer bits for Sandvik after they purchased Hughes. In Atlanta, he was sales manager for Secoroc’s hammer bit business. For the last 28 years, he was a partner in Blue Demon Company, Inc. His favorite pastime was watching most any sport on TV, and he was an avid Kentucky Wildcats fan. He also enjoyed spending time with his family and friends. John is survived by his wife of 45 years, Elaine; sons John (Joanna) and Jevon; daughter Laura (Dustin); grandchildren Allison, Katie, Henry, Fischer, and Lucas; sisters Betty and Margaret (Jeffrey); favorite uncle JC (Nancy); and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Lest we forget . . . Bentonite-Based Drilling Fluids & Avoiding Hidden Costs Adapted from Information by Directional Technologies, Inc. To bentonite or not to bentonite? That is the question - whether bentonite-based drilling fluid or biopolymer-based drilling fluid is better for horizontal applications. Sometimes a set mind can limit options and even cost more money in the long run. This may be the case with a common misbelief about bentonite-based drilling fluid for directional drilling. Vertical well drilling professionals do pour dry bentonite chips or pellets into the space between the vertical well and formation and then add water to create an effective seal. Somehow this knowledge is used as an analogy for the horizontal well drilling process with the false assumption bentonite-based drilling muds can damage the formation or not flush easily because they form a seal during well development. Just because straight bentonite hydrated in the well bore makes a great seal does not mean it performs the same in a drilling fluid when installing a horizontal well. In fact, just the opposite happens because bentonite-based drilling fluid is hydrated outside the bore path and yielded before drilling starts. Bentonite is only one component of the mud system, rather than being the only component. A seal never forms with this drilling mud. Some directional drilling professionals may be using biopolymer components, manmade products based on guar gums and vegetable products, which biodegrade after use into various sugars. These are supposed to jump-start the bioremediation process by supplying nutrients to naturally-occurring bacteria. However, this can be problematic because sugars tend to encourage undesirable bacteria, which can create slime and damage the formation. Of course, there is not a one-size-fits-all formula for every drilling operation. Creating the optimal drilling fluid for each job is both a science and an art. When building the bore path, it is imperative to consider preventing formation damage, enabling safe, cost-effective drilling and installation, and preventing biofouling. Consider cost-effectiveness. One company, Directional Technologies, Inc., drilled 99% of their more than 1000 horizontal remediation wells with a bentonite-based fluid. In the process, they consistently found the cost of disposing of biopolymers to be higher than with bentonite-based fluids. Additional costs are not always evident up front, so an unsuspecting drilling professional may end up with a disposal cost 50% higher than with bentonite. Although the debate continues, such an unwanted, hidden cost might be a good reason to consider using bentonite-based drilling fluids for future drilling operations. Horizontal well mud pit. DIR

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