Good Things in Small Packages

Borrowed drilling methods are sometimes exactly what is needed.

By Todd Tannehill

We borrow in drilling testing methods, specifications, and products (when compatible) from different sides
of the industry.

For example, we utilize many of the testing methods and specifications developed by the American Petroleum Institute (API), a trade organization that represents the oil and gas industry in the United States on the civil and non-oil and gas side of the business.

In another example of borrowing technology, this column is going to begin by discussing a product family that was developed for horizontal directional drilling (HDD). This product group can be applied to the water well and vertical drilling segment.

Stand-Alone Polymers and Additives

The HDD industry was inundated half a dozen years ago with new polymers and additives that were introduced as stand-alone systems. The goal was to reduce and sometimes eliminate bentonite drilling fluid systems. Many companies came to market from the usual non-oil and gas drilling fluid companies, oilfield chemical producers, and eventually specialty startups that focused on this market exclusively.

These products were based on two models:

• Product Repackaging: The first approach simply repackaged existing products that were currently accepted and used with bentonite systems into smaller packages.
• Innovation: The second approach was to innovate and develop different versions of those polymers and additives that were more concentrated and contained more active ingredients.

For the HDD industry, it was important that these systems were liquid-based and did not require a venturi mixing hopper. The goal of most of the products was to replace bentonite for HDD bores.

Some companies even marketed this as the “be all, end all” to replace the need for clay-based bentonites completely. That didn’t happen and many of these stand-alone products ended up adding bentonite to their lines as time passed.

In the case of my company, CETCO Drilling Products, we have always said that these polymer-based systems were for simple, small-diameter, and shorter bores. Think utility hookups from the mainlines (gas, water, electric, and fiber optic services). That is where these products shine.

They are better than using only water (remember, water is not a drilling fluid) and can create a less labor-intensive job in a residential neighborhood. However, it is important to be able to switch over to a bentonite system when conditions demand.

Having Quality Control

Circling back to water well and vertical drilling, another benefit of these small packages emerged as their use became more widespread—quantity control. All drillers, no matter which industry segment, have an issue with being able to pour exact doses from 5-gallon pails.

HDD and vertical drilling contractors were able to give a few small jugs or packs to their teams for the job at hand on any given day. This proved to save money as the crew was able to empty a small jug and not overdose the mixes. Soon many contractors saw a polymer and additive cost reduction on their bottom line.

Drillers in colder zones also liked being able to reduce the chances of freezing a 5-gallon pail by using the smaller packaging.

For states that require NSF products to be used, many of these small, concentrated packages carry NSF certification, but some still cannot qualify for NSF for one reason or another.

For more on NSF, I recommend reading my column in the November 2025 issue of Water Well Journal titled “Understanding NSF/ANSI/CAN Standard 60 Certification” as it explained some facts and myths about the certification process.

Easier to Measure

Finally, for water well and vertical drillers, the smaller packages are easier to measure out for lower volume drilling pans. The products work great for mixing with bentonite or for mixing stiff foams for air drilling.

For light clay, there are NSF-certified drilling detergents that treat 500 gallons of bentonite drilling fluid, some in small 8-ounce pouches. For heavier clay that needs to be encapsulated, a small half gallon jug of a partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (PHPA) replaces that 5-gallon pail drillers are using currently.

Specialty reactive clay and sand products are also available. A large percentage of the products being offered are liquids, which makes it easier to mix in the field.

Borrowed technology is a benefit for the drilling industry as it allows research and development money to be distributed over a wider group of drilling segments and reduces the cost to the end user.

Sometimes there is just no need to reinvent the wheel.

Todd Tannehill, based out of northeast Ohio, is the North American Director for the Drilling Products division of CETCO. Minus a brief hiatus, Tannehill has been with CETCO since 2005 and is well known in the industry for providing strong technical support to contractors, distributors, and engineers. He is a past board member of the National Ground Water Association and can be reached at todd.tannehill@mineralstech.com.