Product overview

Horizontal directional drilling often encounters changing soil and clay conditions along the bore path. The fluid must transport excavated material, remain pumpable and work with the site's recovery equipment. A suitable APAM grade may contribute to viscosity or solids interaction within an engineered mud formulation.

Bluwat recommends matching the polymer function to the ground. Reactive clay conditioning, sand transport and treatment of recovered drilling water are different tasks. A grade selected for flocculating waste slurry should not automatically be used in the circulating drilling mud, where excessive particle agglomeration may be undesirable.

Product benefits

Technical specifications

Grade selection for this application

Provide the ground profile, bore geometry, make-up water, base-mud recipe and recycling arrangement. Identify whether the objective is conditioning the active mud or separating solids from spent fluid. Include any restrictions associated with the project and receiving environment.

Check the complete mud against pump capacity, drilling-fluid return behavior and the planned solids-control equipment. Avoid promising that a soluble polymer can prevent all inadvertent returns or replace bore-path and pressure management. Those outcomes depend on the drilling operation as a whole.

Application evaluation and use

Solution preparation and dosing

Use clean, compatible make-up water and add the powder gradually into an established mixing flow. Avoid dumping powder in one location, which can create lumps with dry cores. The TDS gives 0.1–0.5% as general solution-preparation guidance. If specified on an as-supplied powder mass basis, this corresponds to 1–5 kg of powder per 1,000 kg of final solution; agree the concentration basis for the project.

Allow approximately one hour of agitation as a starting reference, then confirm complete hydration. Water quality, temperature, grade and equipment affect the required time. The TDS’s 200–400 rpm reference is equipment dependent and should not be scaled to a different tank solely by rpm. Avoid severe shear after hydration. Determine the final treatment dosage through the application tests described above.

Packaging storage and handling

The featured packaging is a 25 kg PE bag with an inner plastic liner. The TDS also lists 25 kg kraft paper or PE bags and 750 kg net big bags. Store powder dry, protected from direct sunlight and at 0–35°C. Keep opened packaging tightly closed. Consult the current SDS for handling, spill control and personal protection.

Why choose Bluwat Chemicals

Frequently asked questions