Equipment manufacturer Epiroc has unveiled a new water well drill rig, the VA20 (Valoria). In a release, the company says the new rig is designed to meet the changing demands in the market.

“Epiroc took this initiative to develop a new sturdy, reliable and cost-effective solution,” says Mukesh Chaturvedi, head, product management. “We have a rich history in water well drill segment with DB- and TH– water well rigs series. The new VA20 drill inherits the well-known Epiroc’s quality. With its robustness, ease of operation and lower operating cost, VA20 will be a true win-win solution for our water well customers.”

The VA20 rig is available in select regions, including the markets of Africa, Asia, the Middle East, South America and Latin America. Epiroc says the sturdy construction and rugged components give the VA20 drill rig reliability across the water well range.

VA20 rig customers can select their preferred carrier configuration for their drilling operation. Customers can purchase the VA20 along with a truck assembled at the factory, or as a module to mount easily on their local truck of choice.

Equipped with a rugged rotary head featuring a single hydraulic motor drive for rotary and DTH drilling, the VA20 can reach depths up to 900 feet with a 6½-inch final diameter. The drill rig offers 23,800 pounds of pullback force and 11,600 pounds of pulldown force, as well as a table opening of 10.6 inches. A highly efficient cable feed system can trip out of the hole at speeds around 275 feet per minute.

The VA20 also features:

• A manual single-rod loader that facilitates rod operations directly from the rod box, increasing safety.
• An Atlas Copco C146 air compressor configured with a two-stage rotary screw airend producing 28.3 m3/min at 20.6 bar pressure (1,000 cfm flow at 300 psi) for DTH drilling needs. This can be disengaged (manual de-clutch system) to increase fuel economy up to 30 percent. 

“The VA20 drill rig is rigorously field tested and proven for water well drilling application,” says Hrishikesh Labdhe, product manager, water well drills. “It has field proven fuel efficiency (liters/meter or feet), higher drilling speeds and safety over conventional drills. We have carefully built in many efficiencies in this machine for our customers that will help them keep the investment at the lowest while getting faster returns.”

Epiroc serves customers in the mining, infrastructure and natural resources industries in more than 150 countries. It develops and produces drill rigs, rock excavation and construction equipment, and also offers services and consumables. For more information, visit www.epirocgroup.com.