Investigations are being undertaken into Mexican clay deposits as a resource for Montmorillinite and Bentonite swelling clays. Swelling clays such as these are widely used in the oil field industry as viscosifiers for drilling fluids and as such can be considered as valuable commodities. Laboratory test work has been undertaken on a number of Mexican clays samples, testing has involved the refining of the clay fraction from the matrix, and further refining and upgrading of the swelling clay fraction. Samples from phase 1 of testing are currently being analysed by a world leading external laboratory, phase 2 of testing will commence pending the results of this analysis.
