We have worked throughout Oklahoma and parts of Texas. Because we have focused on a specific region we have more than just a general understanding of the geology in our area. Certainly there are a lot of different formations within this region of the country but the dominant formations are weathered shales, shales, sandstone, clay, limestone and unconsolidated sand or silt. We have spent over twenty years drilling in these formations. We feel that we have a better understanding of these local formations than does the normal HDD contractor.
Formations are generally unique to the area where you find them. An example of this is one that is common in most parts of Oklahoma. It is a weathered shale formation commonly known as the "Oklahoma Red Beds." Out of state contractors typically have a great deal of problems with this formation. On geotech reports it appears to be a fast drilling shale. While we are not able to claim we will handle the formation without problem, we will recognize the potential for issues like inadvertent mud fractures and the balling up of bits and reamers. This is common. We have been fighting this formation successfully for 23 years. To us, it is naive to think someone from out of state will handle this troublesome formation as well as we do.
Maintaining mud returns is always an area of concern. We feel it is handled differently depending on the local and specific job characteristics. Some of the controlling characteristics of good returns are: the formation, the drill fluid properties, elevation differences, pump rates, bore hole depth and penetration rate. Mistakes in any of these areas can create difficulty. We will be happy to discuss how we approach each project. Maintaining.good returns is often the most important thing we can do to help our clients maintain good relations with the public.
