MLchartDataset catalogue

Red mud

Term · Oil and gas · MLC-T-OAG-003069

An early water-based drilling fluid built from bentonite and treated with quebracho tannin extract and caustic soda, named for the red-brown colour of the tannate salts. It was widely used in the 1940s and 1950s, with lignite added for filtration control, until lignosulfonate thinners replaced it. High pH from caustic soda was needed to dissolve the tannin.

Table 1. Record
IdentifierMLC-T-OAG-003069
FieldOil and gas
SubjectDrilling Fluids
Record as JSON 
{
  "id": "MLC-T-OAG-003069",
  "term": "Red mud",
  "field": "Oil and gas",
  "definition": "An early water-based drilling fluid built from bentonite and treated with quebracho tannin extract and caustic soda, named for the red-brown colour of the tannate salts. It was widely used in the 1940s and 1950s, with lignite added for filtration control, until lignosulfonate thinners replaced it. High pH from caustic soda was needed to dissolve the tannin.",
  "subject": "Drilling Fluids",
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/oil-and-gas/red-mud/"
}

Record 3,271 of 4,469 in Oil and gas terminology (MLC-0103). Request the full dataset.