We hear the term “sustainability” often these days. What does it mean? Oxford lists these two definitions: “the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level” and, secondly, “the avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance.”
I have seen both definitions at play in the drilling Industry. My good friend Leif Larsson, who retired from Atlas Copco, used “sustainable” to describe a goal in DTH hammer manufacturing. His use of the word means that, as the hammer is utilized, it maintains its original level of proficiency. He made choices regarding hammer design and material specifications with that sustainability in mind.