A quick introduction: When I found out I had the opportunity to contribute to the Tech Topics column for The Driller, I was excited to share the perspective from a provider of drilling services, drilling equipment and performance tooling. I hope that my contribution provides insight to the base of educated readers and drives discussion in the exploration drilling market.
In 1882, company founder, Mahlon Layne, combined hard work and ingenuity to devise better ways of drilling to coax water out of the arid lands of a community known as Old Swan Lake, near what is now Hurley, S.D. Mahlon’s neighbors quickly took notice and shortly thereafter, a company was born.
In the '50s, we were drilling oil wells in southeastern Kansas. It was a convoy when we moved equipment to another drill site. The drill usually took the lead, then the next most likely to have a problem followed. The pickups tailed behind to assist with any problems.
The geothermal heat pump (GHP) industry prides itself on offering an efficient, environmentally friendly technology for satisfying the thermal loads of buildings. To do so, a GHP system relies on circulating water through pipes placed underground (either vertically or horizontally) to tap the natural heat retained by the earth.
Many of the ideas for my column are inspired by questions I get from readers and friends in the industry. A few weeks ago, someone asked how to wire in a pressure switch with a pump protection device that required a control relay. The pump protector’s internal relay was rated at 10 amps, sufficient for a 1 horsepower, 230 volt pump but not enough to handle his 3 horsepower pump motor directly, so an additional relay was called for.
I wrote last month in this space about the new www.thedriller.com. It’s quite a change, and one I think moves in the right direction for serving our readers. This month, I want to write more broadly about technology, because “quite a change” has grown into the norm for so many industries, including the array of sectors in which drilling contractors work.
My inbox inspires me. Of course, I get dozens of press releases. Those lack the quality to inspire (sorry, P.R. guys and gals). But, occasionally, I receive a story idea, or even a story, that offers a clear, interesting point of view.