Drilling fluid or mud is flowing out of the borehole. This is a 'mud rotary' type drill rig that uses a mixture of water and drilling compound to cool the cutting bit, bring cuttings to the surface and hold the hole open so it doesn't collapse. |
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The shaker separates the cuttings from the drilling fluid. Coarse sand and gravel is on the shaker as shown by the image at the right. |