The Driller
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EQUIPMENT
  • SAFETY
  • VIDEOS
  • EDUCATION
  • SOURCEBOOK
  • EVENTS
  • SUBMIT
  • ABOUT
  • SIGN UP
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Water
  • Geothermal
  • Construction
  • Environmental
  • Mining
  • All Industry News
  • EQUIPMENT
  • Rigs & Heavy Equipment
  • Consumables
  • Pumps
  • Featured Products
  • VIDEOS
  • Newscast
  • Drill Talks
  • Ask Brock
  • Emerging Drillers
  • EDUCATION
  • Drilling Business Insights
  • Reference Desk
  • Sponsored Insights
  • EVENTS
  • Conferences & Demo Days
  • Newscast LIVE
  • SUBMIT
  • Drillers @Work
  • ABOUT
  • Contact
  • Advertise
The Driller
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
The Driller
  • NEWS
    • Water
    • Geothermal
    • Construction
    • Environmental
    • Mining
    • All Industry News
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EQUIPMENT
    • Rigs & Heavy Equipment
    • Consumables
    • Pumps
    • Featured Products
  • SAFETY
  • VIDEOS
    • Newscast
    • Drill Talks
    • Ask Brock
    • Emerging Drillers
  • EDUCATION
    • Drilling Business Insights
    • Reference Desk
    • Sponsored Insights
  • SOURCEBOOK
  • EVENTS
    • Conferences & Demo Days
    • Newscast LIVE
  • SUBMIT
    • Drillers @Work
  • ABOUT
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP

How Dad Stole Footage -- A Lesson Well Taught!

April 9, 2001
A lesson from his dad teaches columnist Howard "Porky" Cutter to check your depths yourself upon your arrival and again when your shift is up.

As a youngster while drilling oil wells with my father (Ellis "Porky" Cutter Sr.) in Chanute, KS, we were working 12-hour shifts. I usually worked the evening shift, midnight to noon.

When I arrived at the drill site, the first thing I checked on the drillers' log (on the knowledge box in the doghouse) was how deep we were and how many feet my father had drilled on his shift (he almost always drilled 300 feet in 12 hours). I had asked him several times how he made more footage than I did. He told me that you just have to keep it turning to the right. He advised me that I always started rotating, trying to drill faster, and many times, before he had his clothes changed, I had broken something. He would again advise me to just keep it turning to the right.

Several weeks later after trying to beat his record of 300 feet per shift (and my 200 feet per shift,) I started my shift at midnight. Dad had left and I had lost count of the total drilled depth. Knowing how much total drill stem we had on the pipe rack (trailer), I counted the drill stem remaining on the rack. We were 100 feet shallower than my father showed on the driller's log. Dad had been stealing hole from me all along. In other words, I had been drilling part of his hole each shift.

Throughout the night, the longer I thought about his stealing hole from me, the madder I got. The next morning, I was loaded as to how I was going to deal with the situation.

Upon Dad's arrival and before he changed into his work clothes in the dog house, I challenged him. "You've been stealing hole from me all this time." Dad just smiled and his response was, "I guess it taught you one thing." I thought a moment about what he said, then I asked him what it should have taught me. His answer (with a big smile) was, "Don't trust nobody."

That lesson, alone, taught me that when working shifts, always check your depths yourself upon your arrival and again when your shift is up.

In the many years of being in partnership with Porky Sr., I learned many valuable "old school" lessons.

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • geotechnical drilling rig

    6 Onsite Phrases Environmental Drillers Hate

    Here are six phrases that highlight common frustrations...
    Opinions
    By: Jeff Garby
  • Wayne Nash

    Pipe Stuck? Common Causes and Solutions for Drillers

    If you have drilled for any length of time, sooner or...
    Opinions
    By: Wayne Nash
  • deep water well

    Selecting and Sizing Submersible Pump Cable

    This article helps pump installers and servicers decide...
    Pumps
    By: Bob Pelikan
You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Manage My Account
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • Manage My Preferences

The Driller Newscast - The Exit Interview: The Battle of Bron vs. Brock

The Driller Newscast - The Exit Interview: The Battle of Bron vs. Brock

The Driller Newscast: Hard Hats, Hot Topics, and Dad Jokes

The Driller Newscast: Hard Hats, Hot Topics, and Dad Jokes

Environmental Works - 3135GT Testimonial

Environmental Works - 3135GT Testimonial

ClimateMaster’s “Geo Joe” Discusses Industry Growth Through State Organizations

ClimateMaster’s “Geo Joe” Discusses Industry Growth Through State Organizations

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the The Driller audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of The Driller or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • demo of a DM450 drilling rig during a customer factory visit
    Sponsored byGeoprobe

    Built for You: Smarter Drill Rigs, Stronger Support, Bigger Opportunities

Popular Stories

An image of the Plume Stop tech

New Filter System to Mitigate PFAS Said to Last 40 Years

An image of a pair of boots

The Job Site Fit Check: Boots

An image of a Vesa Drill rig

Breaking: Charger Acquires Versa-Drill

The Driller Classifieds

COMPRESSORS

EAST WEST MACHINERY & DRILLING IS BUYING AND SELLING AIR COMPRESSORS, AIR BOOSTERS, AIR ENDS & PARTS
Company: East West Machinery

DRILL RIGS

LOOKING FOR LATE MODEL TOPHEADS & DRILLTECH D25'S
Company: Spikes’s Rig Sales

DRILL RIG PARTS

MEETING DRILLERS NEEDS AROUND THE WORLD
Company: East West Machinery

ELEVATORS

SEMCO INC. PIPE ELEVATORS
Company: Semco Inc.

GROUTERS

GROUTING EQUIPMENT - GROUT PUMPS & GROUT HOSE REELS
Company: Geo-Loop Inc.

PUMP HOISTS

SEMCO INC. - BASIC PUMP HOISTS
Company: Semco Inc.

WELL PACKERS

LANSAS PRODUCTS - INFLATABLE WELL PACKERS
Company: Vanderlans Lansas Products

WELL SCREENS

WELL SCREENS & SLOTTED PIPE
Company: Alloy Screen Works

Products

Water Quality Engineering: Physical / Chemical Treatment Processes

Water Quality Engineering: Physical / Chemical Treatment Processes

By carefully explaining both the underlying theory and the underlying mathematics, this text enables readers to fully grasp the fundamentals of physical and chemical treatment processes for water and wastewater.

See More Products

The Driller E.G.O. Award - Enter now!

Related Articles

  • Wayne Nash

    How Do I Drill a Straight Hole for a Well?

    See More
  • How Deep Should a Monitoring Well Be?

    See More
  • Dad's 1947 Lincoln

    See More
×

Dig deeper into the drilling and water supply industry!

Build your knowledge with The Driller, covering the people, equipment and technologies across drilling markets.

SIGN UP NOW
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
    • Classifieds
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eNewsletters
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

The Driller
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
The Driller
  • NEWS
    • Water
    • Geothermal
    • Construction
    • Environmental
    • Mining
    • All Industry News
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EQUIPMENT
    • Rigs & Heavy Equipment
    • Consumables
    • Pumps
    • Featured Products
  • SAFETY
  • VIDEOS
    • Newscast
    • Drill Talks
    • Ask Brock
    • Emerging Drillers
  • EDUCATION
    • Drilling Business Insights
    • Reference Desk
    • Sponsored Insights
  • SOURCEBOOK
  • EVENTS
    • Conferences & Demo Days
    • Newscast LIVE
  • SUBMIT
    • Drillers @Work
  • ABOUT
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP