NEMUD.COM - North East Mud Services Company, LLC

We understand virtually all of the problems that can be encountered here in the Northeast. There are water-sensitive shales, sandstone formations with high water flows, sandstone formations with high flows of gas or oil, mud ring build-ups in highly permeable formations and all of the mechanical problems that are a result of inadequate planning for a well project.

The most common problem with drilling a well is lack of inhibitive ingredients while drilling water-sensitive shales. NEMSco can provide all the ingredients necessary to successfully inhibit the shales that the operator will have to drill in order to get to his target zone. We understand that shales in different regions and different depths have diverse characteristics. It is important to consult an experienced mud company so that they might make recommendations for the planned well project.

Drilling in Ohio, PA, WV and KY:

Mauch Chunk:
What is Mauch Chunk? This is an interval that appears in the upper Mississippian age of sedimentary formations. The green, purple and red shales that lie in this interval are soft, brittle, unstable and very sensitive to water. NEMSco has developed not only drilling fluids that can easily deal with these troublesome formations, but we have also developed foam-drilling mixtures that inhibit these shales. This serves to provide fast penetration rates and thereby reduce drilling costs. For more information on foam-drilling water-sensitive formations, go to the "Foam and Under-Balanced Drilling" page.

Marcellus Shale:
This black and calcareous shale is about 100-150 feet thick and lies near the bottom of the Devonian age of sedimentary deposits. It is very sensitive to fresh water. It has a tendency to become unstable and slough when drilled with air or air/foam.

The engineers at North East Mud Services Company have been working with drilling contractors and operators for years and have learned how to prevent and correct problems associated with the Marcellus shale.

Drilling in New York:
Central New York has quickly taken center stage with the discovery of large deposits of natural gas in the Black River formation. However, there are some formidable obstacles between ground level and the target zone at 10,000 feet.

Salina Salt:
Mother Nature has put some extensive salt deposits in a region that spans from central Ohio all the way over into central New York and down into Pennsylvania. The salt layers in the Salina Formation, as it is called, will range from 25 feet to 1000 feet in thickness. It takes special know-how to drill this interval without problems. Air and foam-drilling the Salina is not impossible, but it will not be drilled without problems. North East Mud Services' drilling fluids engineers are there to assist the operator with foam-drilling ideas. If the air and foam operation cannot continue due to formation stability issues, we can formulate a superior fluid that will stabilize this formation.

Vernon Shale:
This formation is about 400 feet thick and is very water-sensitive. The bottom part of this interval has presented some very difficult problems in stabilizing. We have analyzed the samples from this section and have found some very unique characteristics. NEMSco has developed a fluid recipe that can give superior stability to the shales in this interval as well as the Salina formations that lie above. Loading this interval with fluid and drilling the Vernon shale has now become a routine and virtually trouble-free operation.