In the drilling of oil and gas wells, fluids are pumped down the drill stem that lubricate the drill stem as it goes deep into the earth. The drilling fluid also helps clean the bit and maintain hole stability. The fluid is returned to ground level, where it is pumped down the drill stem once again. This circulation of drilling fluid continues the entire time that there is drilling. There are various compounds that are mixed in with the water to make the slurry a more effective lubricant than just water. The bulk of the product is bentonite [found in the soils of Wyoming]. Other chemicals are also added to alter the PH of the slurry. Morgan Mud supplies these products to the oil drilling industry. There are fissures and fractures in the formations of the earth that the drilling must go through, and occasionally the fluid never returns to the surface, as it is lost in the earth. It is the responsibility of the engineer with the mud company to check depths daily and prescribe the proper mix of fluid that will be needed to avoid any of these pitfalls. When circulation is lost, that is when the mud engineer makes recommendations also as what to pump into the ground that will seal off the fracture in the formation. It's not exactly in the sky, but the mud engineer is equivalent to a navigator in an airplane. His responsibility is to have the product that they might need available, and to monitor the PH levels and viscosity of the drilling fluid. Some of the most commonly used products to stop the loss of circulation are Cedar wood fiber and cotton seed hulls, but shredded plastic and paper are also pumped down the hole.

David and Lucy Lines are the owner operators of Morgan Mud here in McCook Nebraska, and graciously agreed to be the corporate sponsor of this Bur Oak Canyon Symposium. Please show your support and thanks by stopping by after the event and picking up one or two of Dave's hundred pound bags of bentonite!