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
Water WellsPorky's Hole Thoughts

Porky’s Hole Thoughts: Water Well Drilling with the Navajo

By Howard "Porky" Cutter MGWC
Porky's Hole Thoughts
March 1, 2014

In 2002, I was contracted by a religious organization in Virginia to teach cable tool well drilling to the Navajo people in northeastern Arizona. They commissioned me to locate a 22-W Buckeye drill and tools, purchase it and have it shipped to Tonalea, Ariz.

Once it arrived, I traveled to Arizona to find a qualified Navajo person to form, manage and operate the business. I went through four people before I was able to find a qualified person that fit all the requirements. Once I found the right person, we decided on a business name “Tonahalii Drillers.” (I was advised the word tonahalii means “where the rivers come together.”)

The Navajo Nation Council requires that all land on the reservation have an archaeological survey before drilling (or construction) is permitted, which could take up to six months and cost several thousand dollars. For that reason, we set the rig up on an existing site at a church that had been approved and started several years before. I was told that the Navajo ran the rotary drillers off the land when the drillers attempted to fill their water tank from a nearby Navajo windmill. Water is life to the Navajo and their livestock. Water is sacred and extremely scarce.

All drillers know it’s not a good idea to drill in an old hole. However, they needed the well drilled at this location because the process to obtain a new archaeological survey and permit could take six months or more.

Unknown to us, this hole drilled by the angelos (white men) was crooked. Straightening a crooked hole with a cable tool drill is tedious work. We should have started a new hole or filled the existing hole with rocks and re-drilled the hole. We lost the drilling tools in the hole at the mandrel (where the cable attaches to the drilling stem). Note that the formation in much of Arizona consists of Navajo sandstone (very abrasive sandstone) and typical wells will be about 650 to 750 feet deep.

We were able to borrow the proper fishing tools from the Navajo water drilling division in Ft. Defiance, Ariz. During the fishing process, the spudding arm clutch broke. At the time, Tonahalii Drillers didn’t have the finances to rebuild the clutch assembly.

Four years later, they had the clutch assembly repaired. My son, Chris “Piglet” and I returned to install the clutch assembly and continue fishing for the lost tools from the hole. We expected that the tools were probably stuck (after four years on bottom) and impossible to recover. However, in a couple hours, Piglet and his Navajo student had the tools on top of the ground. Expertise and experience always helps!

At this point, the decision was made to abandon this project and move the rig back to Tonahalii’s base.

While Tonahalii Drillers was searching for a new contract, Piglet and I had the opportunity to travel a little. At first, we thought that only the Navajo could travel freely on the reservation. We were staying in Page, Ariz., and when we found that we could travel freely, we drove many of the off-highway dirt roads on the reservation. We visited many of the chapter houses (Navajo community centers) and trading posts in the four corner area (Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico). We also visited Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon, Cedar Breaks and Beaver, Utah (the Cutter home in 1958).

In our travels on the reservation, we found that the Navajo are friendly once they get to know you. However, many are still reluctant to trust the angelos. Piglet was not surprised to hear the name “Porky” on more than one occasion.

After the NGWA Exposition in Las Vegas several years ago, our Navajo friends invited Bess and I to visit. Bess and I drove from Las Vegas to Tonalea and stayed with them in their home. They have a very nice concrete block home. They served us American-style meals. Their daughter took Bess to see the sacred white buffalos near the Grand Canyon. We had a great visit and consider them lifelong friends.

 In about 2005, the religious organization in Virginia that purchased the 22-W for Tonahalii Drillers signed over ownership. They continue to drill only on the reservation to this day.  

KEYWORDS: cable tool drilling

Share This Story

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

Howard cutter 200px
Howard "Porky" Cutter, MGWC, is a regular contributor to The Driller. For more Porky columns, visit www.thedriller.com/porky.

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...
    The Underground Network
    By: Jeff Garby
  • Wayne Nash

    Pipe Stuck? Common Causes and Solutions for Drillers

    If you have drilled for any length of time, sooner or...
    World According to Wayne
    By: Wayne Nash
  • submersible pumps, water well pumps

    Selecting and Sizing Submersible Pump Cable

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

Report Abusive Comment

Subscribe For Free!
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • Manage My Preferences

The Driller Newscast: Coiled Tubing Drilling and the Future of Geothermal

The Driller Newscast: Coiled Tubing Drilling and the Future of Geothermal

The Driller Newscast, Episode 147: Global Geothermal Collaboration at NY-GEO 2025

The Driller Newscast, Episode 147: Global Geothermal Collaboration at NY-GEO 2025

The Driller Newscast: New York Geo Talks 2025 Conference with Hands-on Driller Education

The Driller Newscast: New York Geo Talks 2025 Conference with Hands-on Driller Education

The Driller Newscast: 21st Century Drillers | Part 1 DEMAND

The Driller Newscast: 21st Century Drillers | Part 1 DEMAND

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

MainPhotoTwoBrothers.jpg

Two Brothers' Journey Through the Drilling Industry

demo of a DM450 drilling rig during a customer factory visit

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

AI and Drought Concerns

AI’s Growing Thirst for Water and Power

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

Subscribe to The Driller Newscast

Related Articles

  • Porky's Hole Thoughts

    Porky’s Hole Thoughts: Well Drilling Starts with a License

    See More
  • Porky's Hole Thoughts

    Porky's Hole Thoughts: Jubilee Returns to Water Well Drilling Show’s ‘Grass Roots’

    See More
  • Porky's Hole Thoughts: Reflections on Drilling through the Years

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • M:\General Shared\__AEC Store Katie Z\AEC Store\Images\ND\new site\water-well-pumps.gif

    Audel Water Well Pumps and Systems Mini-Ref

  • M:\General Shared\__AEC Store Katie Z\AEC Store\Images\ND\new site\water-and-wastewater-treatm.gif

    Water and Wastewater Treatment: A Guide for the Nonengineering Professional, Second Edition

  • M:\General Shared\__AEC Store Katie Z\AEC Store\Images\ND\new site\modern-well-design.gif

    Modern Well Design: Second Edition

See More Products

Events

View AllSubmit An Event
  • October 14, 2016

    Virginia Water Well Association's Fall Field Day 2016

    This year, we are looking forward to stepping back in time and seeing first-hand what it took to construct wells, tools and maintain them.
View AllSubmit An Event
×

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