One challenge for many drilling contractors is disposing of drilling fluids. Many states are imposing tighter regulations on contractors regarding the disposal of this liquid waste.
Environmental remediation is the process of reducing contaminants in environmental media such as groundwater, surface water, soil, or other ground types.
Thousands of water supply wells are drilled every year. Some of these wells are drilled for individual homeowners, new subdivisions or municipalities. The wells may also be drilled for a water source for industrial use or irrigation.
The bentonite used for drilling fluids, grout and sealants is primarily mined in the area encompassing Wyoming and surrounding areas in the western United States. This sodium-based bentonite is an ore whose major constituent is the clay mineral, sodium montmorillonite. Montmorillonite is a three-layer mineral consisting of two tetrahedral silicate layers sandwiched around a central octahedral aluminate layer.
