Know your mud.

What the course covers

Ten modules in order, from what mud is for through to setting up your pits, then a final quiz.

1. Introduction to the mud courseHow the course works and what you’ll cover.
2. Properties of a drilling fluidViscosity, density and filtration, and why each one matters on the rig.
3. Why use a drilling fluidWhat mud does for the hole that water alone can’t.
4. Drilling fluid typesThe main fluid systems and when each one gets used.
5. Functions of a drilling fluidLifting cuttings, cooling the bit, holding the hole open and controlling pressure.
6. BentoniteHow bentonite builds viscosity and wall cake, and how to mix it properly.
7. PolymersWhere polymers fit, how they differ from bentonite and the common mixing mistakes.
8. Clays and shalesWhy reactive formations swell and cave, and how the right mud keeps them stable.
9. Loss circulationRecognising losses early and the options for getting returns back.
10. Pit designSetting up pits so cuttings settle out and clean mud goes back down the hole.
11. Final quiz30 questions to check what you’ve learned.