Given the economic and environmental constraints of North American shale plays, oil-based drilling fluids are not always the optimal choice.

Recognizing that no two shale plays are alike as well as the need to rein in costs, M-I SWACO developed the HydraGlyde high-performance water-based drilling fluid system specifically for the economically challenging North American onshore unconventional sector.

The system provides a fast, trouble-free, flexible drilling fluid solution that fits within rigid AFE and HSE constraints. Its novel cost-effective chemistry reduces torque and drag in addition to shale swelling and dispersion. The HydraGlyde system delivers oil mud–comparable ROP, exceptional hole cleaning, and wellbore stability in high-angle-build and long-lateral sections—all while reducing restrictive costs and decreasing environmental impact.