Theo and DIED, you both make logical points that give me hope.
I don't remember the recipe for how much you use per sq. ft. but is must be tilled in. I've tried disking it in and that certainly didn't work.
Assuming for now that we can use the drilling mud, does anyone have any experience with amounts necessary to seal a given area? We'll be sure to till it instead of disking it--the ponds should be small enough that it won't be a problem.