| Title | A New and Different Geothermal Drilling Fluids System |
|---|---|
| Authors | Conners, James H., II; Otto, Michael J. |
| Year | 1980 |
| Conference | Geothermal Resources Council Transactions |
| Keywords | Drilling; USA; California; East Brawley; Muds; Additives |
| Abstract | A traditional geothermal drilling fluid in Southern California has consisted of sepiolite clay as a viscoifier and a large quantity of lignite as a filtration control agent. Occidental Geothermal, Inc. has tired and successfully tested an alternative mud systems for geothermal drilling. Its main component are MIL-TEM additive for high temperature rheological control an dither CHEMTROL X additive or DFE 104 for filtration control. The use of Wyoming bentonite, often avoided because of its tendency to gel excessively at high temperatures, can and should be used in this mud system to promote better wall cake characteristics and filtration control. An examination is made of Occidental's Rutherford #1 well in the East Brawley area of Southern California, a geothermal well that successfully used this alternative mud system. |