The composition of the drilling fluid and control of its properties concern every member of the drilling crew because they affect the safety of the workers as well as the success of the drilling operation. How well the composition of the fluid meets well requirements is determined only by performance in the hole. If the fluid fails in some essential function, the composition can be altered to bring about the needed change in properties, provided the relationship between function, composition, and properties is recognized.

The nature of a suspension such as drilling fluid is that fine particles of solid materials are mixed throughout a liquid medium.

In water-base drilling fluids, water is the medium. It is said to be the “continuous phase”. The particles, such as clay, shale, barite, and other solids-are said to be the “dispersed phase”. That part of the drilling fluid in which particles are dispersed so finely as to be invisible when viewed through an optical microscope is called the colloidal, or reactive, fraction. Solids such as sand that remain inactive in the dispersion are referred to as the inert, or non-reactive, fraction. The control of water-base fluids deals mainly with the colloidal fraction, because it is the portion that can be enriched by the addition of clays, improved by chemical treatment, or damaged by contamination.

Clays can be defined in a number of ways, but their important characteristic, for drilling mud purposes, is the ability to absorb water and hydrate, or swell. The gelling and swelling qualities of clays give drilling fluid properties that make them different from other viscous liquids such as honey or lubricating oil. This tendency to hydrate, which is greater in some clay than in others, determines whether chemical treatment is needed to achieve the properties desired for a particular drilling situation.

Bentonite, commonly used colloidal clay, is predominantly montmorillonite, a clay mineral that disperses into small particles in water and hydrates, increasing viscosity and reducing filtration. Native clays, on the other hand, usually hydrate only slightly; when added to a fluid, they tend to remain inert, increasing the viscosity of the mud only slightly. Clay yield refers to the number of barrels of drilling fluid with a viscosity of 15 centipoises (cp) that can be obtained from 1 ton of material. The defining value for yield is 15 cp because the critical part of the clay yield curve for all types of mud appears at that point. Additions of clay up to 15 cp promote little viscosity.

Other useful information about a mud can be obtained by considering its clay constituents. For example, about 20 pounds per barrel (lb./bbl.) of bentonite is required to produce a 15-cp viscosity drilling fluid. Such a fluid would contain 6 percent solids by weight, yield 90 bbl./ton, have 2.5 percent solids by volume, and weigh about 8.6 pounds per gallon (ppg).

The quality of the water used to make up and maintain water-base drilling fluids affects the way fluid additives perform. Clays have the greatest yield in distilled water. Hard water - water that contains large quantities of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) salts - and brine waters reduce clay yield, usually resulting in poor mud performance. If the makeup water is salt water (having 10,000 or more parts per million [ppm] sodium chloride), native clay and Wyoming bentonite will lose a significant portion of their gelling and viscosity producing properties, and salt water clay may be substituted. Saltwater clays are composed chiefly of attapulgite, which gels and develops viscosity in saturated salt water in much the same way as bentonite does in fresh water.

An understanding of the viscosity characteristics of clay-water mud is extremely important in drilling mud control. Good mud properties can be maintained only by controlling the concentration and quality of low-gravity solids. Solids picked up by the mud during drilling cause mud-treating problems. These drilled solids seldom provide adequate colloidal properties for good mud control; therefore, the nature of the solids already in the mud must be determined before treating the mud.

It goes without saying that no one would like to be reminded about their accidents, however we shall all understand and accept the importance of learning from mistakes. Nowadays, the maritime navigation is aided by the various technically sophisticated integrated systems of e-navigation installed on board most of the vast majority of modern ships to provide precise positioning of the vessel, as well as detecting and heading functions, all making the navigation much easier than it used to be decades and centuries ago.

But still all ship masters and owners shall possess due knowledge of the risks of collision and/or stranding that remain present and shall be accounted for at all times, since failure to do so can eventually result in the severe and even tragic consequences, although the stranding and collision cases are relatively rare today.

The idea of the author of this brilliant title was to remind readers that it is critically important to effectively manage the above mentioned risks, enabling the ship officers to apply the associated rules in a consistent manner, contributing to the safety of the ship, people on board, and environment. It is a great one for those having enough prescience and determination to go through this collection of selected incidents, and analyze the associated situations and root causes.

Nowadays, the activities in the business and law field are becoming one of the integral parts of the day to day operations of any deck officer, and the importance of such operations is increasing from year to year. Considering the newly introduced laws and other regulatory items originating from the ILO, IMO and other world scale entities, as well as the gradually reducing turnaround time, we can now understand the pressure they are subjected.

As it is clear from the title, the present volume is intended to be used for training and self-examining purposes. With its content prepared by the recognized experts, the book will serve as an invaluable training instrument for those preparing to sit for the associated examination.

There are nine major sections in the book, starting with the one on the maritime treaty instruments, such as the SOLAS and MARPOL international conventions, followed by the section on the Flag State, covering the official bodies in the maritime industry. Then, there are sections addressing such important aspects as ship registration, charters, approval of the equipment, crew related requirements, maritime insurance, general average, voyage and all related things including but not limited to the planning, cargo handling, safety communications., and so many others.

Although there are many titles available today on the subject of marine inspections, the one presented to your attention is actually the only book directly linked to the practical work of ship surveying. The content is absolutely practical and full of images and detailed procedures which, when used together with the check sheets provided by the author, will make this volume an excellent and perfectly handy tool for the yacht and boat owners willing to find out the actual condition of their craft without asking someone else for assistance.

You will get to know how to assess the defects commonly found on board vessels of smaller size; understand their severity and possible consequences. The volume will guide you step by step through the entire process of surveying, covering everything – hull and machinery items, rigging, outfitting etc.

It is a very valuable study and reference source for the students and even qualified inspectors, owing to the concise and methodical approach making the book very readable and instructions so easy to follow. Note that even the report writing techniques have been covered, meaning that you can do the yacht survey as the third-party specialist and provide the owners with the professionally looking report.

And this is the closing part of the Advance Marine Engineering Knowledge set, started with the Vol. 1 and continued with Vol. 2, both available here. Nowadays, the shipboard safety is directly connected with the seamen, the way they perform their duties, as well as with the working environment, and the ship procedures shall address the essential safety aspects as necessary.

Taking into account that the structure of any vessel is impacted by the corrosive environment from the very first day, and that the engines and other machinery items work highly loaded, the possibility of the hazardous conditions on board is high. That is why it is critically important for the safety of the ship and people on board to possess a sound technical knowledge coupled with a good practical experience.

Unlike the first two parts, the authors used the completely new format here, and presented the material in the Question-and-Answer format. The subject change was effected in response to the numerous feedback messages received after the release of the preceding parts.

This new approach developed and introduced by the authors was maybe that something so much needed by the engineers, and this made the complete set perfect, well met and popular. It is absolutely imperative that any marine engineering student and even practicing engineer has a full set of books readily available for training and reference purposes.

Here is the opening part of the world popular three-volume set released specifically for the students of marine engineering related disciplines and practicing marine engineers. The today’s marine engineers have to solve the complex problems of the entire spectrum of technology, depending on the type and size of the vessel they work on.

The content of the present set of book is intended to provide all marine engineers with the necessary information enabling them to perform their duties in a professional manner. It is also a perfect training and reference source for those preparing to sit for the MEO Certificate of Competency exam. Featuring a thoroughly updated content, this release takes into consideration all latest technological advances in the field, presenting the material in a lucid and concise way, so highly appreciated by the students and engineers all around the world.

This first volume is made of eleven chapters, covering such the important aspects of marine engineering as the internal combustion engines and fuels used on board marine vessels, lube oil and fuel oil systems, problems normally arising when operating the engines and conducting their routine technical maintenance water treatment and other important areas. Note that the Vol. 2 and Vol. 3 are also available, so make sure you have your own full set of publications.

Today, there are numerous titles available on the subject of the transport documents that are usually in use when arranging the marine transportation of the cargo, and this particularly relates to the bill of lading. However, the present publication was released to bring some absolutely fresh view combined with the comparative approach to the subject documents.

Note that different jurisdictions have been covered in addition to the traditionally dominating English law, and the comparison is provided of the civil and common law wherever same was considered appropriate. The volume will provide readers with a good historical background as well as the development perspective in connection with the above mentioned transport documents from the very first appearances and up to today.

This results in the good and professional insight into the development of the international shipping law over the decades and centuries, and application of its values and basic essential principles. The author analyzes the legal issues addressing the transport paperwork, supplementing the theory with the fresh ideas, making the title even more practically useful in today’s world. It is an excellent choice for the students of the maritime law entities as well as the lawyers, but will be equally valuable to the other parties involves in the transportation, such as the masters, officers, shore support offices etc.

You are strongly encouraged to have a close look at this third release of the bestseller written by one of the most recognized and respected experts, explaining how the professional weather forecasts should actually be combined with the self-assessment of the observed condition of the sky in order to get to a proper local coming weather forecast.

The publication is intended to serve as a basic guidebook describing the fundamentals of the process of forming weather, and it provides the readers with the knowledge and understanding of the process required for correct interpretations of the signs of the sky. The volume has been in wide use for more than a twenty years, and the success of the previous two editions made the author prepare a third one, featuring the significantly improved and thoroughly revised content.

The text now is even more reader friendly, and supplemented with the numerous images. The explanatory part has also been improved to meet the requirements of the readers. Note that the volume also deals with the newly introduced sources of weather info, such as the internet websites and applications that provide seamen with the forecasts. It is a truly perfect intro book for those willing to understand weather better.