Mixed Metal Oxide (MMO/MMH), is blend of complex chemicals fundamentally different from conventional chemicals. MMO/MMH is chemically reacted blend of Oxides and Hydroxides of Aluminum and Magnesium. MMO/MMH acts as bentonite extender to maximize carrying capacity in water based drilling fluid.
The rheological profile of mud is obtained using six speed viscometer, mud containing MMH has shown to provide relatively high 3 rpm and 6 rpm readings vis-à-vis, 300 rpm and 600 rpm reading. Hence, by design MMO/MMH produces relatively high rheological values without impacting the gel strength, thus resulting in lower energy requirement to initiate circulation. Thus MMO/MMH helps in providing higher gel strength when in motion while being relatively thinner when in motion.

Soil conditions such as Gravel or Cobble require high Gel Strengths in suspending and carrying out cutting. Especially in directional drilling the suspension and removal of cutting is far more troublesome which is where MMO/MMH helps in the cause. Bentonite-MMO/MMH drilling fluids can create very high gel strengths in order to suspend heavy drilling cuttings. Faster the bentonite drilling fluid moves thinner it gets (viscosity of drilling fluid changes with shear instead of temperature) and when at rest bentonite drilling fluids for a gel like structure that prevents drill cuttings from settling. MMO/MMH drilling fluid additionally accentuates this principle of Bentonite drilling fluids and takes the application to extreme.