saltwater flow — Oil & Gas Glossary

An influx of formation water, usually salty and sometimes hard, into the mud in the wellbore. Saltwater flows contaminate freshwater or seawater muds, making it expensive, difficult and time-consuming to regain the mud properties. Influxes pose a lesser problem for saltwater muds. Saltwater contamination flocculates the bentonite clay in fresh- or seawater muds. Flocculated, thick, filtercake on a permeable zone