All drilling operation will require a blend of chemicals which are mixed (drilling fluids) commonly known as drilling mud, solids control and the circulating equipment are critical and interrelated part of the drilling operations. Drilling mud consists of a continuous liquid phase to which various chemicals and solids have been added to modify the operational properties.

The drilling mud has a host of critical functions, including controlling formation pressure, removing cuttings from the well sealing permeable formation and marinating well bore stability until the casing is cemented in the well bore and cooling and lubricating the drill bit.

Meanwhile solids control equipment separates drill solids from the drilling mud, thereby allowing it to be re-circulated down the drill pipe. Depending on the geological formation, environmental, application and well objectives, the drilling mud system are either water based or emulsion based.

For environmental reasons and restriction especially in land drilling operation, the drilling mud and cutting must be handled in an environmental safe condition. Therefore instead of storing and mixing the chemicals at individual rig site, majority of the oil companies are now adapting to have a central Liquid Mud plant, where the storage, handling and mixing and liquid storage are kept.

From this centre, the liquid drilling mud is distributed by road tanker to the various rig sites. After the drilling operation the road tankers will transport the used drilling mud back to the center for treatment, reprocessing and storage. The waste water and solids are transported to the Waste Management facilities for treatment and disposal.