Extreme pressure testing is supposed to determine the film strength of a lubricant, but the test methods are…questionable, which is why Matt hates them.

Expecting a water flow, you went ahead and drilled with WBM instead of OBM – and now you’re encountering a water flow. What next?

We are no miracle workers, but sometimes we are asked to perform many. As a drilling fluids provider, we always get questions – what can we do about the mud during a water flow?

What’s in a name? Matt and Justin discuss the similarities and differences in friction reducer, ROP enhancer, and lubricant in the fluids domain. 

What’s it like to work in another country? Is it really all that different? Matt had the fortune of working internationally early in his career and describes some of his experiences as an American abroad. 

Let’s face it – there are a lot of green hard hats out there right now. Some of us have experience but just got back to work. Justin and Matt review some drilling fluid and general pointers for rig safety. 

PHPA, Amines, and Glycols Why do we seldom hear about glycols, and how does cloud point impact performance? Why does it seem PHPA and amines replaced glycols? Justin and Matt dig into some of the history and applications of each. 

Warehouses and mud plants are essential to drilling fluid maintenance. What are these facilities responsible for, and what does it take to keep them up and running? Justin and Matt discuss.

When it comes to being offshore, logistics are an essential part of an efficient drilling operation. Justin and Matt discuss the challenges of managing materials, boats, and fighting for space in the sack room.

Every year, we have a pretty special group of interns work with us and bring their energy to the office. Get to know two from this year’s group and hear their perspective.

Bigger. More tanks. A riser. Let’s talk about the things that make a deep-water rig circulating system different than a traditional land setup.

Matt and Justin dive into circulating systems, going over the process of where the mud starts and where it ends (spoiler alert it involves the Flowline).

We’re back at work and there are a lot of new faces at the rig site. What can you do as a mud engineer to make things with your derrick hand go as smoothly as possible?

It’s been a while since we’ve talked about the whole fluid circulating system. Justin and Matt go back to basics to discuss the tanks and volumes that hold drilling fluids.  

You’re about to come out of the hole. Is the mud in good shape? Should you treat now or just wait until you’re back on bottom? Justin and Matt discuss.

Flipping things around from last week, what are things to think about when you are drilling with brine and decide to make the change to oil-based mud?

Consider a scenario where you are losing valuable oil-based mud while drilling. What are some of the risks to swapping to brine to reduce your losses?

In this episode of the Flowline, Justin finds himself hunting down students at this year’s AADE Fluids conference to bring onto the podcast. Herson Cruz and Armando Lopez from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology sit down and have a quick rapid-fire session discussing life as a Petroleum Engineering student in today’s environment. […]

Different brines have different properties based on a number of factors. In some cases, blending them provides a cost-effective solution – but only if they are compatible. Matt and Justin break down what to consider when using multiple brines in the same operation.

In this episode, Justin sits down with David Rathgeber, a Ph.D. candidate at Montana Tech and SPE Student Chapter President at this year’s AADE Fluids Conference.  David shares his journey as a Ph.D. student studying the relationship between hole cleaning and drilling performance. Specifically, David is focusing on designing a multi-phase fluid flow system to […]

Should we be talking more about just percent oil as opposed to trying to go by retort oil? In this episode, Matt answers Justin’s questions regarding retort oil vs OWR.

What comments belong in the daily mud report? After all, it’s the only area where you can explain how mud properties, costs, and consumption relate to ongoing activity. You better make it count!

What’s the makeup of a typical technical conference? Matt and Justin discuss what a conference is like and the different ways you can learn and grow professionally when you attend.

What are the options to get the lowest weight of a drilling fluid possible? Matt and Justin discuss various techniques and fluid systems – along with their advantages and disadvantages.

Shale testing is multi-dimensional. Certain tests can sometimes be more troublesome than helpful. Matt talks about why the linear swell meter might not be his favorite test – especially when it’s run without additional context.

The topic that is constantly on everyone’s mind: Oil Prices. In this episode, we discuss what makes up the price of oil, what the industry should look out for, and what that could mean for drilling fluids.

What are fluid roles to prepare the wellbore, get casing to bottom, and ultimately cement the casing string? In this episode, we’ll talk more about fluid considerations for a casing run.

There are a lot of types of sweeps used for hole cleaning, but seldom at the right time or for that right reason – and that can get expensive. Justin and Matt talk about the scenarios where sweeps are unnecessary and why it’s hard to break those habits.

“My relief sucks.” Why is it that when you come back from days off there is so much to fix?! Let’s discuss ways to strengthen the working relationship, how can you be a good back-to-back, and make sure your relief returns the favor.

In this episode, Matt and Justin sit down with William Villalobos, an inspirational senior Petroleum Engineering student at Texas A&M University. They discuss his work as a student and his efforts to align regulators, academia, and the industry. Click the link below for information on the #ESG Summit he’s organized at College Station on March […]

Want to drill fast? Drilling fluid properties include tradeoffs – some can help you drill faster, but other times you could face a nasty slow down if you don’t balance fluid interactions with the race to TD.

It seems that the oilfield is back to some sense of sustained activity – and you know what that means – more people are back to work. Some are new, some left, and some were here the whole time. Justin and Matt discuss how we adapt based on our background.

One of the more challenging aspects of mud school is all of the calculations – but they are really important. Matt and Justin run through just some of the concepts a mud engineer needs to master to thrive at the wellsite.

If you’ve ever had to talk about formation damage, you’ll realize it’s confusing and convoluted in many ways. Support Services Manager Leigh Gray joins Justin and Matt to talk about the issues with formation damage testing and share a few war stories along the way.

There have been a lot of questions and claims about aphrons since our last episode. Justin and Matt discuss some of the technical concerns and maybe spark the ire of the Internet in the process. 

What are some ways that oilfield waste is handled? Justin and Matt discuss waste management techniques and the big picture of weighing your options.

What role does shear play in drilling fluid? What are the sources of shear? Justin and Matt talk about why shear matters and how it impacts fluid properties.

Justin was recently asked why the mud weight is lighter after a trip but returns to the original mud weight after circulating. Matt and Justin discuss minor settling versus sag and other mud weight fluctuations that occur during trips. 

We want to thank our listeners, guests, and team for their support for another successful year of The Flowline! The holidays are in full swing and we want to give a special shout-out to all the field personnel making sacrifices over the holidays to keep the world spinning.

There’s the price of something, and then there’s the actual cost. What are factors that help determine the total cost of a drilling fluid solution relative to overall drilling costs?

High fluid loss squeezes are used when loss rates are at their worst. We discuss a field application of a new squeeze with special guests Richard Toomes and Jordan Benge, who were instrumental in the design and execution of successful treatment.

Electrophoresis techniques allow for separation and reuse in a number of industrial and biomedical processes. What can they do for drilling fluids?

What makes fine grind barite different than conventional API barite? Where and when is it used to improve fluid performance?

Gas hydrates present a number of challenges in drilling, completion, and production operations. What causes them and what prevents them from forming?

What are our options when we need to change the mud weight while drilling? Is one solution better than another? Can solids control do all the work? Justin and Matt discuss options and selection factors to adjust drilling fluid density.

What do you get when you combine the oilfield, charities, and an organization that brings people together? Magic. In this episode, Justin brings in Adelaide Nortier, Strategic Marketing at AES, to meet the masterminds behind Social Octane. They sit down with founders Marc L’heureux and Madison Lenberg to discuss the growth of Social Octane, views […]

Cement integrity is critical for both well security and production performance. What can you do with a drilling fluid to make sure the cement job succeeds? Justin and Matt review drilling fluid properties for effective cement displacement.

Foaming usually happens at the worst possible time. What’s causing it and what can you do about it? Justin and Matt will talk through the mechanisms, prevention, and treatment of drilling fluid foaming issues.

There are all kinds of drilling fluid base oil options out there. We’ve talked a lot about more environmentally friendly options, but in this podcast, we’ll talk about price-driven options and if they’re really that cheap after all.