National Driller articles from May 2003

National Driller archives from May 2003

In on the action. (Letters to the Editor).
May 1, 2003... Just a little note to let you know we enjoy reading National Driller. We have a group of about 25 drillers in Louisiana and Mississippi who have regular get-togethers. After we read the February "NewScope" item about the nude rain dance...

Old tools get planted. (Letters to the Editor).
May 1, 2003... My fiancee is a floral designer who does a lot of charity and volunteer projects. Earlier this spring, the New York State Museum presented its annual "New York in Bloom" floral show. Michele Peters of Buds Florists and Greenhouses of Castleton,...

Birth of a sinkhole. (Letters to the Editor).
May 1, 2003... I was drilling a well in High Springs, Fla., in early March, and to my surprise, I discovered a sinkhole beginning to form about 60 feet to the west of my drill rig. It was just about a perfect circle -- eight feet across and about three feet...

Backing the green jacket. (Letters to the Editor).
May 1, 2003... I would like to contribute my two cents worth to the commentary about the Certified Master Contractors' green blazers. Early in the 1970s, when the certification program was getting started, my husband John realized that this was a...

Keep up the good work. (For Openers).
May 1, 2003... Often in this space, I've implored our loyal readers to submit contributions to National Driller. From day one I've stressed that this is your magazine and that you should get more involved with it and its contents so that it best meets your...

The fundamentals of pumped water systems: what is a jet pump and how does it differ from a centrifugal pump? (Jet Pumps -- Part 1).
May 1, 2003... A jet pump actually is two pumps in one: a centrifugal pump and a jet assembly, commonly called an injector. Figure 1 shows a typical shallow well jet pump. Parts 1, 2, and 3, the adapter, nozzle and venturi on the left side of the pump are the...

Drilling safety. (Kwader's Corner).(Column)
May 1, 2003... The world is changing in many ways, and overall I believe it is for the better. Although I'm still only a youngster (at 30 years) in the business, I've seen the safety of our drillers evolve -- we work to eliminate safety hazards associated...

Decorative rocks for landscape enhancement. (Product Info).
May 1, 2003... Dekorra Products' decorative rocks are used to conceal utility equipment in the residential landscape. They are installed by placing the rock over the device and securing the rock with provided ground stakes. Adding decorative stone, mulch and...

Ductile iron mud pump. (Product Info).
May 1, 2003... Centerline Manufacturing, manufacturer of aluminum hydraulic-drive mud pumps, introduces its new line of ductile iron models. The new models incorporate all the features of the aluminum models but utilize a new ductile iron pump body. The...

Stainless steel well screen. (Product Info).
May 1, 2003... The Sand Blocker Well Screen from Maass Midwest features all stainless steel construction. The well screen consists of perforated stainless steel inner and outer tubes, with stainless steel fiberwool between the two for sand retention. Said to...

Check Valves for submersible pumps. (Product Info).
May 1, 2003... The Danfoss Flomatic Corp. announces a new product enhancement of its Enviro Check Valve Series 80E and 100E. The new check valves are especially designed for submersible well water pumps, where the well water may initially contain clay and...

Dry Pellet Chlorinator. (Product Info).
May 1, 2003... The Mark V Dry Pellet Chlorinator from B&B Chlorination treats well water problems in the well by dispensing an EPA-registered dry chlorine pellet directly into the well water. As the chlorine dissolves, it oxidizes iron and manganese to reduce...

Self-contained HDD. (Product Info).
May 1, 2003... Designed to minimize support equipment and maximize operator efficiency, the self-contained D200x300 Navigator horizontal directional drill from Vermeer Manufacturing Co. integrates the power pack, operator's station and crane with a...

Pipe repair system. (Product Info).
May 1, 2003... Indumar Products Inc.'s STOP IT pipe repair system has been successfully used by municipal utilities, irrigation systems, commercial, industrial and municipal buildings, school, hospitals and farms to repair leaks. Pipes are wrapped with a...

Steel pressure tank. (Product Info).
May 1, 2003... The Pro-Source steel pressure tank from Sta-Rite Industries Inc. features a pressurized water-system performance cycle. The tank's seamless, one-piece water cell provides controlled two-dimensional expansion, with compressed air around the...

Submersible motor protection. (Product Info).
May 1, 2003... The Subtrol-Plus system is specifically designed to protect Franklin Electric six- and eight-inch three-phase submersible motors. Its microprocessor technology creates a system that detects overload, underload, overheating and rapid cycling...

Portable air compressor. (Product Info).
May 1, 2003... Ingersoll-Rand's line of portable air compressors, HP600-XP825, features a coolbox design that allows inside temperature to remain no more than 20 F above outside air temperature, eliminating long cool-down periods. The large capacity fuel tank...

Pneumatic diverter system. (Product Info).
May 1, 2003... The Divertech model 3000-12 pneumatic diverter system from Washington Rotating Control Heads Inc. is adaptable to mount onto most top head drive rigs and can be used in many drilling environments, such as water, monitor and, geothermal. The...

Flexible HDPE pipes. (Product Info).
May 1, 2003... Jain Irrigation Systems' Sure-Loc high-density polyethlene (HDPE) pipes combine flexibility with toughness and can be installed to follow terrain contours. The Sure-Loc joint is designed to ensure a positive locking and leak-proof joint, and...

New HDD technology. (NewScope).(Halco America Inc. and Central Mine Equipment partner to demonstrate drilling system)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... On May 13, a new horizontal and directional rock drilling technology will be demonstrated at a limestone quarry near St. Louis. Halco America Inc. and Central Mine Equipment are joining forces to present this onsite demonstration featuring...

What's your bid? (NewScope).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... This old rig was spotted in the Lanfair Valley of the East Mojave National Scenic Area in California. The photo is part of the Geo-Images Project, which attempts to make images (mostly photographs) that are useful in teaching geography more...

Groundwater University. (NewScope).(Brief Article)(Calendar)
May 1, 2003... The Groundwater University is accepting applications for its 2003 session through May 9. Groundwater University will be held June 24-26, 2003 at Platte River State Park located near Lincoln. Neb. This educational summer camp is directed at...

The Pros & Cons of going into business for yourself -- part 1: money is the number one reason, followed by a desire to be one's own boss. (Smart Business).
May 1, 2003... Most of the articles in this column are aimed at the owners and managers of contracting firms in this industry. However, this begins a series of three articles that are even more pertinent to field crews than you bosses. Consider sharing it...

Senate committee considers aquifer control. (Legislative Update).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The Michigan State Senate Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee is debating a bill to limit the amount of water that can be pumped out of the ground. The bill would require the state to identify critical aquifers, limit water...

Kentucky legislators approve water projects. (Legislative Update).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The Kentucky General Assembly recently approved financing for 267 water and sewer projects that will provide treated water to 30,000 households for the first time. An additional 700,000 households will get improved water service under the plan....

Storage tank bill approved. (Legislative Update).(Underground Storage Tank Compliance Act )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The U.S. Senate and Public Works Committee recently approved legislation designed to help prevent ground water contamination caused by leaking underground storage tanks. The Underground Storage Tank Compliance Act requires inspection of...

Senate rejects ANWR drilling in close vote. (Legislative Update).(Arctic National Wildlife Refuge )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The U.S. Senate recently voted 52 to 48 to reject oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), the 19 million-acre reserve in northeastern Alaska. Senate Republicans called for allowing oil companies to explore the refuge to help...

California ends water dispute. (Legislative Update).
May 1, 2003... California and four state water agencies presented a plan to the U.S. Department of Interior that would bring to an end the long dispute regarding California's use of water from the Colorado River. Governor Gray Davis pledged more than $350...

Water projects bill passes. (Legislative update).
May 1, 2003... The New Mexico House of Representatives recently passed a bill that would dedicate severance tax bonds for water projects, reported the Ruidoso News. House Bill 882 requires that 10 percent of the annual severance tax bonding capacity be...

Senate increases SRF Funds. (Legislative Update).
May 1, 2003... The Senate recently adopted by voice vote a bi-partisan amendment that would increase funding for water infrastructure programs by $3 billion, to $5.2 billion under the Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRF). The...

EPA exempts oil and gas industries. (Legislative Update).
May 1, 2003... In a rule published in the Federal Register, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) exempted the oil and gas industry from regulations governing water pollution from construction at drilling sites. The exemption postpones the...

Lower arsenic level proposed. (Legislative Update).
May 1, 2003... The California Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment recently released a draft Public Health Goal for arsenic in drinking water. The draft proposes to identify four parts per trillion as a level of...

EPA withdraws TMDL rule. (Legislative Update).
May 1, 2003... The EPA recently withdrew the 2,000 final total maximum daily load (TMDL) rule. A TMDL is a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a water body can receive and still meet water quality standards, and an allocation of that amount...

Pesticide legislation. (Legislative Update).
May 1, 2003... The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA) is proposing legislation that would make it easier to find out what pesticides that might adversely affect groundwater are being sprayed in communities. The group said the law contains...

Berry Tractor teams up with Atlas Copco. (NewScope).
May 1, 2003... Atlas Copco CMT USA Inc., Commerce City, Colo., announces that Berry Tractor and Equipment Co. is the company's newest rock drilling equipment distributor. Berry Tractor, based in Wichita, Kan., is a family-owned operation, employs 60 people...

Consumer education. (NewScope).
May 1, 2003... The American Ground Water Trust is offering a brochure titled, "Safe Water from Your Well." The flyer is a stand-alone consumer information piece concerning private wells. It informs potential and current well owners about the economic benefits...

Crimaldi to lead NDA. (NewScope).
May 1, 2003... Recently elected president of the National Drilling Association (NDA) is Lisa Crimaldi, Mid-America Drilling Services Inc., Elburn, III. "It is an honor for me to assume the presidency of NDA and have the opportunity to continue to expand the...

Fracturing technologies to enhance remediation -- part 3.
May 1, 2003... Pneumatic fracturing is performed by injecting high-pressure gas down a borehole to create subsurface fractures. Proprietary injection nozzles normally are used with or without inflatable packers. The technology can be applied in an open...

They said what? Survey your customers to enhance performance.
May 1, 2003... Consider these statements -- offered as the key to success in a tough economy -- that recently appeared in several noted business journals. "We talk often and directly with our customers." "Our strategy is the same as it has always been." "We...

Clean water equals good business.
May 1, 2003... Clouds of vapor shroud and water our earth, oceans swath it in a vast sea of life, and coursing streams run through the continents like lifeblood itself. In a similar way, our systems of faith and belief envelop mankind and draw upon water and...

Another energetic NEWWA show.
May 1, 2003... If you could tap the energy of the whirlwind that was the New England Water Well Association's annual expo, you could power the region for weeks. The unrelenting pace of the action at the Mar. 21-22 event in Marlborough, Mass., was not for the...

Versa-Drill Service in the Northeast. (NewScope).
May 1, 2003... Laibe Corp., manufacturer of Versa-Drill, has opened a Northeast Service branch in New Hampshire. Due to a large increase of Versa-Drill sales and regional service needs, Laibe Corp. has decided the time is right to expand. The Northeast Branch...

Wisconsin Water Well winners. (NewScope).
May 1, 2003... At this year's annual meeting of the Wisconsin Water Well Association, Atlas Hydraulic Casing Drivers held prize drawings for attendees. The winner of the sapphire necklace drawing is Tina Farago (Farago Drilling, Plainfield, Wis.). Pictured in...

Drilling school offers great opportunities -- part 1.
May 1, 2003... As most drilling contractors can attest, it's hard to find good help these days. Many times, you'll hire a helper only to have him leave for lunch and not return, or not show up the next morning after just one day's work With an industry-wide...

Foundation drilling ensures safe highways: drilling contractors work hard to keep up with California's aging infrastructure.
May 1, 2003... Frequently, the workers on the side of bridges, overpasses, highways or soundwalls are ignored or unnoticed by motorists. These workers, called foundation drillers, are an obscure but key specialty within the Caltrans Division of Structural...

Pretreatment Technology. (NewScope).
May 1, 2003... A.I. McDermott Co.'s Jay Pokrandt is joined by Brian Borders of Zabel Environmental Technology, A.I. McDermott's' Tom McDermott Jr. and Jim Miller of the Wisconsin Department of Commerce Safety & Building division. They're standing behind a...

10 "must-have qualities" for business success.
May 1, 2003... There are specific qualities that separate the seriously committed entrepreneurs who win big from the rest of the pack. The entrepreneurs who hang in there, pushing through to find the "best way," become massively successful in their financial...

The good ones make it look easy: Brotcke Well & Pump Inc. boasts a highly successful well rehabilitation technique.(Company Profile)
May 1, 2003... Headquartered in Fenton, Mo., Brotcke Well & Pump Inc., has been in business 20 years. Company president Paul Brotcke tells us, "We specialize in municipal and industrial well and pump maintenance and instalation." The 25-employee firm...

Internal and external fishing tools. (Drilling Accessories).
May 1, 2003... Fishing tools often are overlooked drilling accessories. Mills Machine Co. offers a wide variety of fishing tools with two basic types -- the taper tap for internal and the die collar overshot for external retrieving tools lost down the hole....

Pump hoist with continuous rotation. (Drilling Accessories).
May 1, 2003... The new Kyle 8K Evolution pump hoist provides 360 degrees of continuous rotation while maintaining the same line speed as a standard pump, hoist' (120 ft./min). The pump-pulling crane, is completely hydraulic (including all extension) and has...

Hydraulic planetary winches and drives. (Drilling Accessories).
May 1, 2003... Pullmaster Winch Corp.'s hydraulic planetary winches come with a bare drum line pull range of 1,100 pounds to 75,000 pounds. The planematic range of hydraulic planetary drives provides an output torque range of 50,000 pounds/inch to 136,000...

Ultrasonic clamp-on flow meter. (Drilling Accessories).
May 1, 2003... The FloCat C-YD5O-C compact ultrasonic transit time damp-on flow meter uses time-of-flight ultrasonic technology to measure most any liquid containing less than 40 percent total suspended solids or aeration. The unit clamps on the outside of...

Mud recycling/mixing systems. (Drilling Accessories).
May 1, 2003... Kem - Tron Technologies Inc. manufactures a complete line of mud recycling and mixing systems. Its Tango 350 is complete with a 3,000-gallon, two-compartment holding tank, a patented multifunctional linear motion shaker operating with high...

Booster compressor. (Drilling Accessories).
May 1, 2003... Center Rock Inc. introduces the Hurricane 27641B/1000 booster compressor. Equipped with current technology, this compressor is designed for efficiency. The unit is available from Center Rock Inc. for rent or purchase. Center Rock Inc., Card No....

Well cleaning brush. (Drilling Accessories).
May 1, 2003... Cotey Chemical Corp. offers a brush designed to be used with its well cleaning products. It is an all-purpose brush for use in casing and screen and can be used on cable or pipe as well. Self-cleaning, the brush allows scale particles to flush...

Waterwell inspection system is portable. (Drilling Accessories).
May 1, 2003... CCV Engineering & Manufacturing presents its portable waterwell inspection system. The system includes a dualview or single-view camera,' a keyboard for onscreen tilting, 500- to 2,000-foot cable, an electric-powered winch with on-screen depth...

What's up in the world of drill rigs -- part 1.
May 1, 2003... Drill rigs -- central to any drilling operation -- are essential to a contractor's business. Knowing this, over the next couple months, National Driller is presenting a series to look at what's hot, what's not in the realm of drill rigs. We're...

Flexible pump cables. (Drilling Accessories).
May 1, 2003... Coleman Cable Inc.'s Baron brand of pump cables recently expanded to include the Supreme line of flexible cables. These pump cables feature a distinctive blue jacket that enables cold weather flexibility; abrasion resistance and low-profile...

Web and software solution provider. (Drilling Accessories).
May 1, 2003... STL Technology Partners provides a wide variety of consulting services, networking solutions, support services and web and software solutions. The latest technologies are used to provide clients with custom services tailored to their needs. STL...

Heeter proves naysayers wrong. (Project Profile).
May 1, 2003... Work currently is underway to repair a section of State Route 7 (SR7) near Powhatan Point in Belmont County, Ohio, that was damaged in 1998 by the flooding of the Ohio River. Since the flooding, the road has been slowly shifting from its...

IR branch expands. (NewScope).
May 1, 2003... The Villa Park, Ill., branch of ingersoll Rand Equipment & Services Co. has added water well drilling to its capabilities. Sewing the Illinois and Indiana markets, the branches telephone number is 630-530-7600. Pictured are outside sales agent...

IAGP is picking up steam.(Illinois Association of Groundwater Professionals celebrates anniversary)
May 1, 2003... The Illinois Association of Groundwater Professionals (IAGP) celebrated its 75 years in the industry Feb. 20-21 in Rockford, Ill. And it did so in style as the occasion of the group's diamond anniversary seemed to infuse an invigorated sense of...

Five things your Web site should be doing. (Portfolio: The Business Management Files).
May 1, 2003... Web sites can provide some real direct and indirect benefits for your firm, helping it grow and boosting its bottom line. A new publication from our management consultant friends at Natick, Mass.-based ZweigWhite outlines five basic ways which...

Don't fuel that fire. (Portfolio: The Business Management Files).(verbal communication strategy)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... When trying to cope with someone who's infuriated, try the advice of business communications consultant Dr. Alberto Cereghino. He says to visualize the person as having a psychological sun burn. If you touch the person when the sunburn is at...

The truth about manhole covers. (Portfolio: The Business Management Files).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Hopefully, you've never been compelled to take time out from your busy life and ponder the mystery of why manhole covers are round. But, on the odd chance that it might come up someday, our man with all the answers -- Cecil Adams...

Share your powers. (Portfolio: The Business Management Files).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Business psychologist. Jay Hall tells us how successful managers use power: They share power with the less-powerful employees in order to extend decision-making to the individuals most affected by decisions. They downplay their own...

Tempered positive thinking. (Portfolio: The Business Management Files).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Beware of over-optimistic managers. Positive thinking certainly is a great thing for the most part, but getting carried away with it, at the expense of tough realities, such as cash flow difficulties, sales slumps, etc., can be dangerous....

Porky in the Army. (Porky's Hole Thoughts).
May 1, 2003... Howard "Porky" Cutter At about age 24, Bess and myself were living in Chanute, Kan., and were partners of Cutter & Dad Drilling Co. with my father. I was drafted into the United States Army and sent to Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., for basic...

Well rehabilitation: option for declining well yield. (Drilling Fluids).
May 1, 2003... Well rehabilitation. is a more promising alternative these days. Products now being marketed for this purpose are more user-friendly. They are safer to handle, less toxic and less corrosive. Methods for applying these products also have been...

A-1 Drilling gets rig from Pulstar. (Trading Post).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... A-1 Drilling purchased a Pulstar P38000 pump hoist from Pulstar Manufacturing Inc., Dodge, Neb., and had it delivered to its facility in Gillette, Wyo.

Rotary supplies Russell well drilling with new rig. (Trading Post).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Rotary Drilling Equipment Inc. of Olyphant, Pa., sent a new Driltech model T25K5W to Clyde and Chris Russell, the father and son drilling team of Russell Well Drilling, located in Taylorsville, N.C. Pictured left to right before the rig are...

Second reverse rig arrives at Uni-Tech. (Trading Post).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The Nelson Group Inc. of Enid, Okla., acted as an independent agent in its second delivery of a reverse circulation rig to the Uni-Tech Drilling Co., Malaga, N.J. Uni-Tech's new Failing Model Jed-A will be used to drill large diameter reverse...

Higgins Rig travels to Texas. (Trading Post).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Jacob Loewen of Seminole, Texas, purchased this Mayhew 1000 from Hodgenville, Ky.'s Higgins Rig Co. Equipped with a 4-by-6 Worthington mud pump, his drill is mounted on a 1974 International truck.

Redwine resources acquires SEMCO. (Trading Post).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Tom Shelton and Bobby Bray of Redwine Resources Inc., Dallas, pick up their new S25,000 SEMCO pump hoist.

E. Benedini goes with Flatwater Fleet. (Trading Post).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Kim Johnson arid his son Keith Johnson of E. Benedini Artesian Well Co., Barre, Vt., take delivery of their new Flatwater Fleet RTT-Rig Tender. This 20-foot, 2,100-gallon unit, mounted on a Peterbilt, came with a 5,000-pound live hydraulic...

Probe Services buys from independent. (Trading Post).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... This used 1995 Gator probe now is in the hands of Scott Green of Probe Services, Morris Plaines, NJ., thanks to the sales efforts of Jim Price, Independent Well Rig & Supply, Mt. Pleasant, Mich.

Aqua Drilling does business with AquaSource. (Trading Post).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Tim Hlavnicka of AquaSource Drilling & Pump, Great Falls, Mont., delivered this Flatwater truck to Roger Thrall of Aqua Drilling, Reno, Nev.