Bentonite under pressure

摘要

Put simply, oil and gas extraction could not exist without the technical drilling fluids - and the myriad additives and minerals that go into them - that are used to simultaneously clean, lubricate and seal boreholes. Drilling muds, or fluids, encompass a wide range of products that each plays a pivotal role in the extraction of hydrocarbons. Of the three main fluid types - water-based, oil-based, and synthetic - water-based fluids consume the most minerals in their production. Broadly speaking, this is the chief reason why numerous industrial minerals rely heavily on oil and gas markets to fuel demand; the majority of drilling that takes place at present uses water-based fluids, owing to economic reasons and, importandy, environmental concerns.