We are over half way through our A-Z of energy alphabet – can you help us with the next letter and win your school one of the latest iPads?
Jake Thain, Lauryn Shearer, William Urquhart and Callum Hopkins from Northfield Academy were this month’s winner with their team’s description of what Mud is.
Our next letter is N for North Sea. To get involved all you have to do is tell us about the North Sea in an energy context . . . what is the biggest industry out there and how do we extract its riches. And which countries are involved?
Write it up in no more than 250 of your own words and send your entry to us by Friday, March 22. You could get your entry printed in Energy next month and win your school an iPad, thanks to Shell, which is supporting our A-Z of energy.
Don’t forget to include your name, age and what school you are at.
Shell’s Inside Energy app is packed with information on energy through videos, animations and photo galleries.
E-mail your entries to alexander.holmes@ajl.co.uk And good luck.
M for Mud
What is mud? Mud is used as a drilling fluid. The three main types of mud are: water-based mud, non-aqueous mud, which can also be known as oil-based mud and gaseous mud, where many different gases can be used.
What is mud used for?
Oil-based mud is made up of a liquid which is like diesel fuel.
Oil-based muds are used for very different things such as keeping the drill bit clean and also can withstand great heats without breaking down.
The use of mud has to take in special considerations such as the environment so there is no pollution.
Some advantages of mud include that they can use higher drilling rate and lowered drill pipe drag.
Mud is also used to provide pressure to try and stop fluid entering a well bore.
It also keeps the drill bit cool so it does not over-heat and snap.
Most drilling muds are thixotropic – that is, they become thick when they are not working.
This helps keep the cuttings from the drill suspended when the mud is not moving.
Mud Engineer
A mud engineer is the name given to an employee of an oil field company trained to work with the chemicals used in making mud.
Recommended for you
