Summary Treatment of Mud Contaminants

The following table presents the main contaminants and the chemical treatment to be used.

CONTAMINANT	CONTAMINANT ION	TREATMENT CHEMICAL	CONCENTRATION PER 100 ppm CONTAMINANT
Gypsum or Anhydrite	Calcium (Ca ⁺⁺)	Soda ash if pH okay Sodium bicarbonate if pH too high	0.1 lb/bbl 0.15 lb/bbl
Cement	Calcium (Ca ⁺⁺) Hydroxide (OH)	Sodium bicarbonate	0.15 lb/bbl
Hard Water	Magnesium (Mg ⁺⁺) Calcium (Ca ⁺⁺)	Caustic Soda to pH 10.5 then add Soda ash	0.1 lb/bbl 0.1 lb/bbl
Hydrogen Sulphide	Sulphide (S ⁼)	Keep pH above 10 and add zinc Basic carbonate	0.12 lb/bbl
Carbon Dioxide	Carbonate (CO₃) Bicarbonate (HCO₃)	Gypsum if pH okay Lime if pH low Lime	0.1 lb/bbl 0.05 lb/bbl 0.05 lb/bbl