mineral, baryte, fluorite or galena
Object numberP12015
Titlemineral, baryte, fluorite or galena
Descriptionthis specimen of baryte was found in Derbyshire, where it it common. Baryte is used principally in the drilling industry where it is used as a weighting agent for drilling fluids in oil and gas exploration to suppress high formation pressures and prevent blowouts. As a well is drilled, the bit passes through various formations, each with different characteristics. The deeper the hole, the more barite is needed as a percentage of the total mud mix. An additional benefit of barite is that it is non-magnetic and thus does not interfere with magnetic measurements taken in the borehole, either during logging-while-drilling or in separate drill hole logging.
Object namebaryte, fluorite, galena
Object categoryMineral
Dimensions
- length: 16.8 cm
width: 15.1 cm