Barite as weighting agent for drilling is a soft, dense, chemically inert material. Barite as weighting agent for drilling is usually used as a weighing agent in oil well-drilling fluids to counteract certain pressures that result from well drilling and operation. By far, the principal use of barite as weighting agent for drilling is as a weighting agent in oil and natural gas drilling. In this process, barite as weighting agent for drilling is crushed and mixed with water and other materials. It is then pumped into the drill hole. The weight of this mixture counteracts the force of the oil and gas when it is released from the ground. This allows the oil and gas rig operators to prevent the explosive release of the oil and gas from the ground.