Galaxy Drilling Fluids Pvt Ltd

Water Based

Additives for water-based drilling mud

Water-based mud uses water or brine as its continuous phase, and its additives set the viscosity, fluid loss, inhibition and lubricity of the system. Galaxy Drilling Fluids Pvt Ltd supplies 68 additives for water-based mud, in its Water Based division.

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What the range covers

It runs from the polymers that build viscosity and control fluid loss, through dispersants and shale inhibitors, to lost circulation material, lubricants, spotting fluids and the clean-up chemistry used at the end of the section. Each category below links to its own page, where the choice between grades is explained.

Product designations and classifications are those of the manufacturer. Descriptions explain the function of the chemistry and are not performance specifications. Technical data sheets and certificates of analysis are issued with quotation. Galaxy Drilling Fluids Pvt Ltd is a supplier of these products.

Products in this range

A brass dot marks a product flagged for Iraqi wells.

Viscosifier 7

  • Gel Starch

    Modified API starch

    Modified starch. Holds water in the mud instead of letting it seep away into the rock.

  • GS Starch CM

    Carboxymethyl starch

    Same job as standard starch, but tolerates heavy salt and calcium.

  • GS Starch HT

    High-temperature starch

    Starch built for hot wells, where ordinary grades break down.

  • GS Drill Series

    PHPA — liquid, powder and cationic grades

    PHPA polymer. Thickens the mud and coats cuttings so they don't crumble. Liquid, powder and cationic grades.

  • GS Temp HTL

    High-temperature polymer

    High-temperature polymer. Keeps mud thickness stable in deep, hot sections.

  • GS Vis WHT

    High-temperature polymer

    High-temperature polymer. Maintains carrying capacity when the hole gets hot.

  • GS Viscal HTR

    High-temperature polymer

    High-temperature polymer for thickness control in the hottest wells.

Fluid Loss Control 4

  • Gel Asphatex

    Sulphonated asphalt

    Sulphonated asphalt. Seals the wall of the hole and steadies shale.

  • GS Aqua Gil

    Liquid gilsonite

    Gilsonite in liquid form. Seals the hole wall, and no dust when adding it.

  • GS Hexaplex

    Aluminium complex

    Aluminium complex. Plugs tiny pores in shale so pressure cannot push into it.

  • GS RX

    Resinated lignite

    Resin-treated lignite. Controls water loss at high temperature and keeps the mud thin.

Dispersants 7

  • GS Lig

    Lignite

    Lignite. Baseline control of water loss and mud thickness.

  • GS C Lig

    Causticized lignite

    Lignite pre-treated with caustic soda so it dissolves immediately.

  • GS K Lig

    Potassium lignite

    Potassium lignite. Thins the mud and releases potassium to steady shale.

  • GS CR

    Chrome lignite

    Chrome lignite. Thins heavy mud at high temperature.

  • GS CFLS

    Chrome-free lignosulphonate

    Chrome-free lignosulphonate. Same thinning job, meets chrome-free discharge rules.

  • GS CFD

    Chrome-free deflocculant

    Chrome-free thinner for weighted mud, with no heavy metals.

  • GS Thin W

    Polymeric dispersant

    Polymer thinner. Reduces thickness without harming water-loss control.

Shale Inhibitors 3

  • Gel PA Series

    Polyamine — PA, PA P, PA D, PA E, PA A grades

    Polyamine. Stops water-sensitive shale swelling and falling into the hole. Five grades.

  • GS Guard C

    Quaternary amine derivative

    Quaternary amine. Stabilises clay in water-sensitive sections.

  • GT Salt Hib

    Salt crystallization inhibitor

    Stops salt crystallising out of saturated brine as the mud cools.

LCM 9

  • GS Carb (C/M/F)

    Sized calcium carbonate

    Graded limestone. Plugs pores and small cracks, and dissolves in acid so it can be cleaned out of the pay zone.

  • Gel Flake (C/M/F)

    Sized acid-soluble calcium carbonate flakes

    Flat limestone flakes. Bridge across wider cracks quickly. Acid-soluble.

  • GS White (C/M/F)

    Sized ground marble

    Graded ground marble. Bridging agent for drill-in and completion fluids.

  • GS Nut Plug (C/M/F)

    Sized walnut shells

    Graded walnut shell. Hard granules that wedge into fractured rock.

  • GS Mica (C/M/F)

    Sized mica

    Graded mica flakes. Seal seepage and partial losses, usually blended with others.

  • GS Graphite (C/M/F)

    Sized resilient graphite

    Springy graphite. Squeezes into a crack and reseals when pressure changes.

  • GS K Seal (C/M/F)

    Sized blended fibres, granules and flakes

    Ready-made blend of fibre, granule and flake – covers a wide range of crack widths in one addition.

  • GS LC Seal (C/M/F)

    Sized LCM fibres

    Graded fibres that mat together to form a seal.

  • GS LCM P

    Shredded cellulose fibres

    Shredded cellulose fibre. Economical bulk material for sweeps and routine treatment.

Loss Circulation 2

  • GS Lox

    High fluid-loss plug formation

    Squeeze material for severe or total losses. Dehydrates inside the crack to form a hard plug.

  • GS Seal M

    High fluid-loss plug

    Fast-setting plug for loss zones that ordinary bridging material cannot stop.

Well Bore Strengthening Both for WBM & OBM 1

  • GS MMO

    Mixed metal oxide

    Mixed metal oxide. Thin under pump pressure, thick at rest – strengthens the hole and prevents losses.

Lubricants 9

  • GS Lube

    Eco-friendly, universal application

    General-purpose lubricant for water-based systems. Reduces drill-string friction. Classified eco-friendly.

  • GS Lube NV

    Low pour-point lubricant

    Lubricant that stays pourable in cold weather.

  • Gel EB Lube

    Ester based

    Ester-based lubricant. High lubricity with a good environmental profile.

  • Gel EP Torque Reducer®

    Vegetable based

    Vegetable-based, extreme-pressure. For long horizontal and high-torque sections.

  • GS EM Lube

    Lubricant for clear brines and completion fluids

    Lubricant for clear brines, where there are no solids to help.

  • GS Sal Lube

    Clear brine

    Lubricant for clear brine. Soluble, non-toxic and biodegradable.

  • POLVO LUBE

    Powdered lubricant

    Powdered lubricant. Same job, without the drum.

  • POLVO EB LUBE

    Powdered ester-based lubricant

    Powdered ester lubricant.

  • POLVO EPTR

    Powdered extreme-pressure torque reducer

    Powdered extreme-pressure torque reducer.

Surfactants 2

  • Gel Det

    Detergent

    Detergent. Stops sticky clay balling up on the bit.

  • GS Rig Wash

    Surface-active agent

    Cleaning agent for rig floor, tanks and equipment.

Emulsifiers 1

  • GS Oil-Merge

    Oil-in-water emulsifier (direct emulsion)

    Blends oil into water-based mud to improve lubricity and filter cake.

Spotting Fluids 3

  • GS Free NW

    Eco-friendly, non-weighted

    Soaking pill to free stuck pipe. Unweighted, classified eco-friendly.

  • GS Free W

    Eco-friendly, weighted

    The same, weighted, where mud pressure must be held during the soak.

  • Polvo Spot

    Powder spotting fluid

    Powdered spotting fluid. Less freight and less storage.

Filter Cake Breaker 2

  • Filter Cake Breaker

    Enzyme for WBM filter-cake breakage

    Enzyme that digests the filter cake so the well can flow cleanly.

  • GS Break FG

    Liquid acid precursor

    Releases acid slowly and evenly to dissolve the filter cake.

Well Bore Clean Up 1

  • GT Bottoms Up

    Fibres for hole cleaning

    Fibre sweep that lifts settled cuttings out of high-angle holes.

Specialities 17

  • Kure Pill

    Crosslinked polymer pill

    Cross-linked soft cellulose polymer. Controls loss of clear brine to the formation during cased-hole completion and workover.

  • Sure Pill Series

    In-situ cross-link polymer pill package — with retarder and accelerator

    Pill that cross-links in place to seal fractures, with retarder and accelerator to time the set.

  • GT Lati Seal

    Sealing nano-emulsion

    Nano-emulsion that seals microscopic cracks and shale pores.

  • GT Scav

    Triazine-based H₂S scavenger

    Removes hydrogen sulphide gas. Zinc-free, so mud weight and thickness are unaffected.

  • GS Scav Zi

    Zinc-based H₂S scavenger

    Zinc-based hydrogen sulphide remover. Fast-acting for high concentrations.

  • GS NOX Series

    Oxygen scavenger — NOX, P, SF, EB grades

    Removes dissolved oxygen so it cannot corrode pipe and casing. Four grades.

  • GS CI Series

    Corrosion inhibitor — PF, P, Plus, OS, HT, CV, CT grades

    Corrosion inhibitors that film the steel and protect it in aggressive brines. Seven grades.

  • GS Bio AM / AL / TZ / GS Cide

    Biocide

    Biocides. Stop bacteria eating the polymer and starch in the mud, and protect mud and brine in storage.

  • GS Col L / M / H

    Clouding glycol — low, medium and high cloud point

    Cloud-point glycol. Adds shale protection and lubricity. Three cloud points.

  • GS Stab Series

    Polymer temperature extender / polymer stabilizer

    Raises the temperature at which the mud's polymers stop working.

  • GS Defoamer Series

    Defoamer — S, A, G, P grades

    Kills foam in the mud system. Four chemistries.

  • GS Foam CB

    Additive for foam drilling

    Generates stable foam for underbalanced and air drilling.

  • GS RAA

    ROP enhancer

    Reduces cuttings sticking to the bit, so drilling goes faster.

  • GS ACIP

    Acid precursor

    Solid acid source that releases slowly to clean the area around the wellbore.

  • GS NE 615

    Non-emulsifier / demulsifier for acidization

    Prevents emulsion blocks forming during and after acid jobs.

  • Gel Sil EPL

    Eco-friendly, for sodium silicate mud

    Eco-friendly additive for sodium silicate mud, used on very unstable shale.

  • Gel SS 20

    Non-invasive fluids

    Drill-in fluid that stays out of the reservoir rock, protecting future production.

Frequently asked questions

What additives are used in water-based drilling mud?

A water-based mud normally needs viscosity and fluid loss control, and may need shale inhibition, thinning, lubricity and lost circulation material as the well requires. Galaxy Drilling Fluids Pvt Ltd supplies 68 additives for water-based mud across these functions.

When is water-based mud used instead of oil-based mud?

The choice depends on the formations, the temperature, environmental rules and cost, and water-based mud relies on inhibitors where oil-based mud would avoid shale reaction. Galaxy Drilling Fluids Pvt Ltd supplies additives for both, and can advise from the section being drilled.