National Driller articles from June 2008

National Driller archives from June 2008

Check valves for submersible installations: the fundamentals of pumped water systems.(Tech Topics)
June 1, 2008... Check valves permit water flow in one direction only, and are required on all submersible pump installations. Their purpose is to prevent the water in the column above the pump and in the pressure tank from draining back into the well when the...

Heavy equipment thefts are on the rise: for thieves, rewards far outpace the risks.(Smart Business)
June 1, 2008... If our economy had been growing at a rate of 20 percent a year for the last decade or so, most of us would be luxuriating in hog heaven right now. That's apparently where a lot of heavy equipment thieves reside, because that's been the growth...

Green is good for the buildings business.(News and Notes at Press Time)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Two recently released studies, one by the New Buildings Institute (NBI) and one by CoStar Group, have validated what the green building community has stressed all along: third-party-certified buildings outperform...

Geothermal opportunities.(News and Notes at Press Time)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Highlights of a recent report from Glitnir Geothermal Research: * The investment requirement to service current geothermal projects in the United States is approximately $9.5 billion. A total investment of nearly...

Who let in the cynic?(News and Notes at Press Time)
June 1, 2008... Random economic thoughts while trying to predict when my 401k will become worth less than the stamp used to mail me its quarterly report: * The politicians who tear their rotator cuffs patting themselves on their backs for being so...

Oops! Sorry about that.(News and Notes at Press Time)(Correction notice)
June 1, 2008... In last month's issue, some photos in the article "Illinois Contractors Meet" may have left some attendees and those who know them questioning whether or not their identities had been stolen: Pictures were flip-flopped, and those pictured...

Reader lets us know: larger tanks are available.(News and Notes at Press Time)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2008... Wanted to let you know that I appreciate reading Mr. Robert Pelican's article on pressure tanks in your May 2008 issue ("Using Multiple Pressure Tanks for Larger Systems"). Mr. Pelikan indicated in the article that the largest commonly...

Coming events.(Conference news)(Calendar)
June 1, 2008... JUNE 2-6 Elko Mining Expo Elko, Nev. 800-248-3556 www.elkocva.com/ miningexpo.shtml 5-7 Florida Water Quality Association Convention Orlando, Fla. 863-644-6622 www.fwqa.com 8-12 American Water Works Association Conference & Expo...

Resort turns to geothermal technology.(On the Job)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Upon its completion, the Devil's Thumb Ranch & Lodge was the largest geothermal project in Colorado to date. The facility utilizes all three types of geothermal loop fields--vertical boreholes, horizontal trenches...

Water well abandonment.
June 1, 2008... Unplugged or improperly plugged abandoned wells pose a serious threat to ground water. These wells serve as a pathway for surface pollutants to infiltrate into the subsurface, and present an opportunity for various qualities of water to mix....

Range of choices.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: GEOTECH & COMPACT RIGS)
June 1, 2008... The compact Schramm T450 Series Rotadrills are intended to deliver big-time drilling performance in a small, lightweight package. Choices include the truckmounted T450WS equipped with a 1,050/350 air compressor, the track-mounted T450GT for...

New DTH track-mounted rig.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: GEOTECH & COMPACT RIGS)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Atlas Copco introduces the Mustang 4-F1 compact rig, a down-the-hole, track-mounted rig particularly useful for space-restricted applications. The Mustang 4-F1 is a crawler-mounted rig with high ground clearance, and...

Sonic drilling system.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: GEOTECH & COMPACT RIGS)
June 1, 2008... The Versa-Drill Versa-Sonic by Laibe Corp. is engineered to achieve superior drilling speed through tough materials, and provide true continuous, large-diameter, relatively undisturbed core samples of any overburden formations without the use...

New compact rig.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: GEOTECH & COMPACT RIGS)
June 1, 2008... The ground-bearing pressure of Central Mine Equipment Co.'s new CME550X is less than 9 psi, depending on tools on board. It can eliminate the need for expensive access roads to the drilling site. The hydraulic feed-andretract system provides...

Surface exploration drill rigs.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: GEOTECH & COMPACT RIGS)
June 1, 2008... Sandvik's multi-purpose mineral exploration drill rigs have the ability to perform both diamond core and reverse circulation (RC) drilling. Sandvik also manufactures singlepurpose diamond core and rotary drills, as well as a variety of tools...

Compact geotechnical drill rig.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: GEOTECH & COMPACT RIGS)
June 1, 2008... SIMCO's 2800 HS (HT) is a compact geotechnical drill rig engineered for versatility, power, performance and efficiency. Its features include a high speed/high torque hydrostatic drill head, auto hammer, multiple winches, 11-foot stroke mast...

Environmental and geotechnical drill rig.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: GEOTECH & COMPACT RIGS)
June 1, 2008... The AMS PowerProbe functions as a dual-combination environmental and geotechnical drill rig, which, combined with the dual capabilities of direct-push and hollow-stem augering, helps enable completion of comprehensive fieldwork. AMS Inc....

Limited or difficult access capability.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: GEOTECH & COMPACT RIGS)
June 1, 2008... MARL Technologies Inc. presents the Fraste MultiDrill XL. With applications that include soil investigations, water well and geothermal drilling, the versatile rig can be customized, and accommodates mud rotary, air or DTH hammer drilling....

All-hydraulic compact drill.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: GEOTECH & COMPACT RIGS)
June 1, 2008... The Soil-Scout is an all-hydraulic compact drill for soil sampling, ground water monitoring and core drilling in very restricted spaces. Standard features include a 55-HP Deutz diesel engine with 12-volt electric start, radio-remote control and...

Track-mounted rigs.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: GEOTECH & COMPACT RIGS)
June 1, 2008... Track-mounted drill rigs are suitable alternative choice for geotech drilling. Rig Source Inc. promises versatility and reliability when it comes to drills and/or carriers, offering a choice between a Morooka or IHI carrier, depending on your...

New technology for Sonic drilling.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: GEOTECH & COMPACT RIGS)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] USExploration Equipment Co. now provides simultaneous rotation in the Compact Roto-Sonic (CRS) 2x5 Head. The CRS Drill Head uses the eccentric system and housing of the Compact Sonic Head, and adds a rotary spindle....

For long bores and tough soil conditions.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: GEOTECH & COMPACT RIGS)
June 1, 2008... The Ditch Witch JT4020 All Terrain is equipped with a welded, double rack-and-pinion thrust-drive system designed to withstand the rigors of long bores and tough soil conditions. The JT4020AT features a two-pipe rock-drilling system and an...

Crawler rig.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: GEOTECH & COMPACT RIGS)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sonic Drill Corp. now offers sonic drilling capabilities on mounted tracks. Sonic's latest crawler rig can drill overburden material to 300 feet and beyond. It's suitable for geothermal, environmental and water well...

Multi-purpose drill.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: GEOTECH & COMPACT RIGS)
June 1, 2008... The compact Grundodrill 4X from TT TECHNOLOGIES is designed for residential service, small-diameter main installations, last-mile operations and gas pipeline applications, offering 9,800 pounds of thrust and pullback. Using the compact drill is...

Rig with short mast configuration.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: GEOTECH & COMPACT RIGS)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Watson Inc. offers the Model 1100 with a short mast configuration. This drill rig (pressure digger) was developed with the help of utility contractors to meet their unique needs in the field. The working mast height...

Mid-size HDD system.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: GEOTECH & COMPACT RIGS)
June 1, 2008... The DD-9014, branded with the Astec name, is a self-contained, mid-size directional drilling system that is engineered for the toughest trenchless jobs. The American Augers-designed DD-9014 features a Caterpillar 230-HP, C-6.6 Tier III diesel...

Diesel- and electric-powered units.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: GEOTECH & COMPACT RIGS)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Davey Drill offers both dieseland electric-powered units to handle your micropile, geothermal and low-headroom jobs. The sectional mast design allows the machine to work in 8 feet of headroom, yet quickly move...

MGWA marks its 80th expo.
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] The Michigan Ground Water Association's annual convention saw its 80th year this spring, and the industry marked the milestone in Lansing, Mich., on Mar. 17-18. With a theme of "Celebrating the Past, Looking to the...

A new rig for hook drilling.
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ed Hook and his brother Jerry, or "G," as everyone calls him, are owners of Hook Well Drilling of Tyler Hill, Pa. G knows drilling, but he likes the variety of running the service side of the business. Ed, on the...

Produced water act is passed.(LEGISLATIVE UPDATE)
June 1, 2008... The United States Senate recently passed the More Water, More Energy, Less Waste Act of 2007. The legislation could lead to the clean up and usability of produced water from oil and gas drilling and coal-bed methane extraction. Produced water...

Wyoming now requires licensing.(LEGISLATIVE UPDATE)
June 1, 2008... The 2008 Wyoming legislature has passed the Water Well Drilling and Pump Installation Licensure. Until now, Wyoming was the only state within the lower 48 that did not require some form of licensure, certification or registration of water well...

Pharmaceuticals in drinking water.(LEGISLATIVE UPDATE)
June 1, 2008... Senator Frank Lautenberg, Chair of the Subcommittee on Transportation Safety, Infrastructure Security, and Water Quality, recently held a hearing to review the federal response to recent news articles that documented the presence of...

Improving wetland and stream mitigation.(LEGISLATIVE UPDATE)
June 1, 2008... The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a new rule to clarify how to provide compensatory mitigation for unavoidable impacts to the nation's wetlands and streams. The rule works to enable the agencies...

Water/energy relationship examined.(BULLETIN BOARD)
June 1, 2008... It is easy to overlook that most of the energy we consume daily, such as electricity or natural gas, is produced with the help of a dwindling resource --fresh water. Virginia Tech professor Tamim Younos and undergraduate student Rachelle Hill...

Heat mining a key energy resource.
June 1, 2008... A comprehensive new study of the potential for geothermal energy within the United States has found that mining the huge amounts of heat that reside as stored thermal energy in the Earth's hard rock crust could supply a substantial portion of...

Grimmer Industries sells to Atlas Copco.(BULLETIN BOARD)
June 1, 2008... Grimmer Industries Sells to Atlas Copco Grimmer Industries Inc., head quartered in Franklin, Ind., has announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its operations to Atlas Copco North American. The operations, doing business as...

Franklin electric takes accolades.(BULLETIN BOARD)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] On its annual list of the best companies to work for in Mexico, the Great Places to Work Institute of Mexico has ranked Franklin Electric No. 8 overall. The Franklin Electric Linares, Mexico, plant is a major...

Amthor honored.(BULLETIN BOARD)
June 1, 2008... Amthor International has been named to the list of "Fantastic 50" companies by Virginia Business magazine and the Virginia Chamber of Commerce. Amthor International is the nation's largest manufacturer of tanks for trucks, and distributes tanks...

Cuttings disposal.(The World According to Wayne)
June 1, 2008... Now that most of us are drilling in the 21st century, cuttings disposal is starting to become a much more important issue than it was. In the nottoo-distant past, most of us just left the cuttings in a pile on location for the customer to worry...

Washington State doings.(BULLETIN BOARD)
June 1, 2008... The Washington State Ground Water Association presents several educational opportunities this fall. The Annual Fall Convention being held Sept. 25-27 at the Mirabeau Hotel in Spokane will include classes for drillers and pump installers, along...

Another seldom-used drilling method: a look at a method not commonly used anymore.("Let Me Tell Ya")
June 1, 2008... My last column was about drilling methods that largely have fallen into disuse. In this column, I'm going to talk about another method that once was extremely popular, but also has fallen into disuse--cable tool. I am aware that in some areas,...

Hot dry rock project.(BULLETIN BOARD)
June 1, 2008... Australian company Geodynamics Ltd. has completed drilling on the first commercial attempt to create a commercial geothermal power plant using hot dry rock technology. Total depth of the production well is 13,850 feet. [ILLUSTRATION...

Underground carbon sequestration is subject of new study.(BULLETIN BOARD)
June 1, 2008... The Awwa Research Foundation (AwwaRF) has announced a new study to investigate the potential effect of underground carbon sequestration on ground water resources. Currently undergoing examination as a method for reducing greenhouse gas...

Remembering Walkerton.(Drilling Fluids)
June 1, 2008... In the year 2000, you may or may not have been aware of the darkness that fell upon Walkerton, Ontario. This past May was the eighth anniversary of one of the worst water well disasters in North America. Although the first victim died on May...

Drillers' challenges.(Porky's Hole Thoughts)
June 1, 2008... Well drillers often are called on to do everything from getting animals out of dug wells, to recovering stolen car dealers' keys from wells, to pumping out flooded basements. Sometimes, the requests are almost unbelievable. While in the...

Sediment filters available.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: WATER TREATMENT)
June 1, 2008... Merrill Manufacturing offers Whole House Sediment Filters in a variety of models--Spin-Down, Trapper and Hot Water (chemical-resistant) filters. Reusable screens are available in polyester or stainless steel in several mesh sizes. Covers are...

Portable water-analysis test kits.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: WATER TREATMENT)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CHEMetrics Inc. manufactures portable water-analysis test kits in both visual and instrumental formats. The V-2000 Multi-Analyte Photometer is pre-programmed to test more than 40 analytes, including chloride,...

Self-sanitizing water conditioners.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: WATER TREATMENT)
June 1, 2008... The self-sanitizing Sanitizer Plus Series water conditioners, new from Water-Right Inc., now have operating and programming intelligence to optimize removal of iron and sulfur bacteria that clog pipes and stain plumbing fixtures. A...

New arsenic-testing kits.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: WATER TREATMENT)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Industrial Test Systems Inc. now offers Arsenic Quick mini-kits. The new mini-kits, smaller versions of the Arsenic Quick kits, have detection ranges from 1 ppb to 500 ppb. The Quick tests were developed with...

Filtration system.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: WATER TREATMENT)
June 1, 2008... The AquaNue system from Lancaster Water Treatment is an air-injection filtration system that removes iron deposits (stains) and hydrogen sulfide gas (rotten-egg odor) from water, without using any chemicals. The system works by aerating the...

Water conditioner.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: WATER TREATMENT)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Aquathin SOFT AND CLEAN Water Conditioning Series is a compact, total-home water-protection system for the removal of calcium, magnesium and up to 5 parts per million of iron. The fully automated Super...

Stainless steel strainers.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: WATER TREATMENT)
June 1, 2008... Miller-Leaman introduces stainless steel Thompson Strainers, designed to remove particulate from well water in a variety of applications, including municipal, industrial and irrigation. The strainers feature a large conical screen element, and...

New residential water treatment system.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: WATER TREATMENT)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Res-Kem Corp. has introduced its new Homestead System residential water treatment system product line. Sold through a network of dealers, these systems treat common water treatment problems, including hardness,...

Liquid chemical injectors.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: WATER TREATMENT)
June 1, 2008... These water-powered injectors are a viable water treatment solution for providing potable drinking water for wells. The CP33 model has a working range of 12 gpm to several thousand gallons per minute, depending upon the application. The HN55...

Eliminating limescale deposits.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: WATER TREATMENT)
June 1, 2008... ScaleBlaster eliminates formation of limescale deposits in water pipes, boilers, cooling towers and drilling equipment without the need of water-softening equipment, salts, chemicals or maintenance. The integrated circuitry system produces a...

Ultraviolet disinfection systems.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: WATER TREATMENT)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] R-Can Environmental's Sterilight Silver line of ultraviolet disinfection systems is based on the "PA" series, using low-pressure UV lamps and traditional reactors. The Sterilume-EX-coated, high-output UV lamps offer...

Integrated water treatment systems.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: WATER TREATMENT)
June 1, 2008... Wyckomar's residential, commercial and institutional integrated water treatment systems are said to provide bottled water quality at high flow rates. Skid-mounted and fully factory-assembled for easy installation, these systems are intended to...

Reverse osmosis.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: WATER TREATMENT)
June 1, 2008... The newest product from Crane Environmental is the EPRO Series 1X440E/2X440E, a (1 or 2) 4-in.- by-40-inch membrane reverse osmosis system. The system is capable of producing up to 2,200 (4,400 with the 2X440E) gallons per day (of...

Combination water filter/conditioner.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: WATER TREATMENT)
June 1, 2008... Atlantic Filter Corp offers the combination of a filter and conditioner in one unit. This dual-tank treatment system is intended for homeowners who desire both whole-house carbon filtration and softening in a minimum amount of space. This...

UV systems stocked.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: WATER TREATMENT)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Big Brand Water Filter carries Trojan UV Systems and spare parts for the West Coast. The new Trojan PRO series systems feature professional-grade electronics with data-logging capabilities. Big Brand stocks all the...

Whole-house ozone systems.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: WATER TREATMENT)
June 1, 2008... The OPW whole-house ozone systems are designed to eliminate iron, sulfur, manganese, foul taste and odor, as well as iron and sulfur bacteria. All ozonators are considered maintenance-free, with nothing to replace or refill. The OPW systems...

Sensors for free chlorine and chlorine dioxide.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: WATER TREATMENT)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] EMEC Americas Inc. features two new amperometric sensors used for monitoring free chlorine and chlorine dioxide in the water treatment flow stream. These new sensors mount directly into the treatment flow stream,...

Now available: no-splash airgaps.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: WATER TREATMENT)
June 1, 2008... Schedule-40 airgaps have been added to the Eco-Tech product line. These female-threaded inlets, available in 1/2-inch to 1-inch models, provide the versatility of connecting rigid pipe, or tubing adapters of any material. Model DLA-G15 fits...

Industrial sea water reverse osmosis.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE: WATER TREATMENT)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Pure Aqua Inc. offers the SWI series of industrial-sized seawater reverse osmosis systems. Suitable for commercial, industrial and offshore applications, the SWI series includes systems capable of 11,000 gallons to...

Getting together in New England.
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The annual Spring Expo put on by the New England Water Well Association took place Mar. 28-29 in Marlborough, Mass., and once again, a lot was accomplished in relatively short order. [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] ...

Drilled shafts seminar.(BULLETIN BOARD)
June 1, 2008... The Deep Foundations Institute is presenting a drilled shafts specialty seminar June 24 at the Hilton Oakland Airport Hotel. The program will give attendees the opportunity to learn from experts on the latest developments in drilled shaft...

Geoprobe Field Days Tour.(BULLETIN BOARD)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Geoprobe Systems' Field Days Tour '08 stopped by Crown Point, Ind., on Apr. 24. If anyone had questions about direct-push technology in general, or about Geoprobe machines and equipment in particular, they were able...

Home Geothermal Systems acquires a SIMCO.(TRADING POST)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Home Geothermal Systems LLC, Fargo, N.D., recieves a new SIMCO 2800. The unit is mounted on a Ford F550, turbo diesel with PTO. Equipped with a 2-by-3 centrifugal mud pump, this rig will be use for geothermal wells....

Schramm delivers to Oasis Drilling.(TRADING POST)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Oasis Drilling, Union Gap, Wash., takes delivery of a new T455i Rotadrill equipped with Schramm's i-Control system. Jerry and Derrick Rank of Oasis Drilling are shown with Tom Runyon, Schramm area sales...

Dreiling obtains a Versa-Drill.(TRADING POST)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dreling Drilling Co., Fort Morgan, Colo., receives a new Versa-Drill V-100NG from Laibe Corp. Mounted on a Peterbilt chassis with Cummins diesel, the rig is outfitted with 3-by-4 centrifugal mud pump and IR 500/200...

Higgins and Shumway do business.(TRADING POST)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gary Shumway of Cedar City, Utah, purchased this 1984 Gardner Denver Falcon 40 from Higgins Rig Co., Hodgenville, Ky. The drill is equipped with a 900/350 compressor, 12V92TT deck engine, and comes mounted on a 1983...

Laibe ships to tuck's.(TRADING POST)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tuck's Well Drilling Inc. of Deland, Fla., purchases its second new Versa-Drill V-100NG from Laibe Corp. Mounted on Peterbilt 6-by-6 with Cummins diesel, the rig comes equipped with IR 500/200 air and a 3-by-4...

Terra Drill purchases a Power Probe.(TRADING POST)
June 1, 2008... AMS Inc. sells a new 9500.VTR to Tom and Sherri Marlo of Terra Drill, Dupo, Ill. It is their first Power Probe. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Connecticut Valley gets a Sandvik.(TRADING POST)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Jerry Sherman of Sandvik Mining and Construction delivers another new Sandvik T25K5W water well drill to Connecticut Valley Artesian Well Co., located in E. Longmeadow, Mass. Proudly accepting delivery: owner Joe...

Bryan chooses Higgins.(TRADING POST)
June 1, 2008... Higgins Rig Co., Hodgenville, Ky., sold this 1979 Ingersoll Rand TH55 to Bruce Bryan, Heyworth, Ill. The rig has a development compressor, 3-by-4 mud pump, and is mounted on 1979 International with a DT466 engine. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The business case for green buildings.
June 1, 2008... In a nutshell: The business community has totally bought into green buildings. That's it, end of discussion. The only question now is how fast will "building green" become the norm for all corporate and developer decisions? In 2007, we saw...