Obviously, water-based fluids are the safest out of the three categories. They work well with some situations, but they don’t work in every situation. They’re typically either dispersed or non dispersed and are made by mixing water with the clays that are present in the soil wherever the well is being constructed. In some extreme situations, the clay might be brought in from other areas and mixed on site. Wells that utilize water-based fluids are typically referred to as gels because the water allows this fluid to flow with the consistency of milk until the drilling process is suspended for a time. At that time, the entire mixture becomes gelatinous, effectively preventing any additional fluid from coming up through the bore hole. It also works well because this is not a flammable mixture, making it one of the top choices when it can be used effectively.
