This is pretty smart of the guy, if he can make money from it. Cuttings are nothing but finely crushed rock, though, so it’s not quite the difficult matter they make it out to be.
The “mud” he is referring to is actually a sophisticated multi-purpose fluid, custom designed for each hole (it’s not a well until it’s finished out)- but it looks like mud, so that’s what it’s called.
Im no expert on drilling mud, but I tend to relate drilling mud with clay, and I tend to relate clay with slippery when wet.