Columns

How to Hire Drill Crews in an Age of Medical Pot

verduscoj@bnpmedia.com (Jeremy Verdusco) — Mon, 24 Jul 2017 00:00:00 -0400

A "one-strike" policy can keep employers from limiting their hiring options.

Striving for a 100-Percent Safety Record

verduscoj@bnpmedia.com (Jeremy Verdusco) — Sun, 01 Jan 2017 09:00:00 -0500

I’m not exactly what you’d call a walking encyclopedia of OSHA policies, guidelines and interpretations.

Finally, the Last Column on Pitless Adapters

Hazyschmitt@aol.com (John Schmitt) — Sun, 01 Jan 2017 08:45:00 -0500

You readers have probably been saying, “Ol’ Schmitt must have a fixation with pitless adapters.”

Avoiding Common Mud Mixing Mistakes on Drilling Jobs

george.dugan@cetco.com (George Dugan) — Sun, 01 Jan 2017 08:45:00 -0500

This January will mark 40 years of experience of working with drilling fluids and drilling fluids recycling equipment for this author, and yours truly could write a book on drilling fluids mixing errors made by both vertical and horizontal directional drilling contractors.

What Drilling Contractors Need to Know About Motors

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 08:45:00 -0500

At the heart of every well operation is a pump drive system that you may know very little about. But you should.

How Do You Stay Connected to Drilling Crews?

afoster@andrews-foster.com (Ashley Foster) — Sun, 01 Jan 2017 08:45:00 -0500

I spent the first six weeks of my time at Andrews & Foster observing. I observed office workflow, the field operations, and the communication methods between the office and the field.

Standards: The HDD Industry’s Reputation is at Stake

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 08:45:00 -0500

As a skilled trade that takes pride in our chosen vocation, it is vastly important that we ensure the welfare and industry professional standards that we take pride in.

Well Drilling Passes from One Generation to the Next

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 08:30:00 -0500

In my travels around the world, I find that many farmers are also the local well digger (that is, the person who digs wells by hand).

Bridging the Gap Between Horizontal and Vertical

questions@askbrock.com (Brock Yordy) — Sun, 01 Jan 2017 08:30:00 -0500

As a young vertical driller, I believed that vertical drilling and horizontal drilling were radically different.

Is the Drilling Industry Attracting Young Talent?

verduscoj@bnpmedia.com (Jeremy Verdusco) — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 10:00:00 -0500

Is the Drilling Industry Attracting Young Talent? If you had to start over, would you start over in this industry?

Cable Tool Rig the Star of Virginia Water Well Association Event

Thu, 01 Dec 2016 09:00:00 -0500

In October, I and my sons Randy and Piglet attended the Virginia Water Well Association’s 2016 Outdoor Days in Christiansburg, Va.

Simple Change in the Industry Can Mean Easier Drilling Jobs

Thu, 01 Dec 2016 09:00:00 -0500

Okay, I have to admit that five years ago, had anyone mentioned the term “drilling,” I would have assumed they were referring to some sort of DIY project.

Riding Out a Hurricane on a Gulf Drilling Rig

rockbit8@hotmail.com (Wayne Nash) — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 09:00:00 -0500

Most of you know that we’ve had a hurricane come through the Southeast recently.

Insects Finding Their Way Through Water Well Caps

Hazyschmitt@aol.com (John Schmitt) — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 09:00:00 -0500

If you are a regular reader of this column, you have probably noted that I have been writing about pitless adapters for some time.

Which Geothermal Exchange Method is Right for You?

jayegg.geo@gmail.com (Jay Egg) — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 09:00:00 -0500

There are almost as many geothermal-exchange methods as there are geothermal-exchange misconceptions.

‘Pilot Drillers’ Tech Makes Drilling Jobs Safer, More Productive

questions@askbrock.com (Brock Yordy) — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 09:00:00 -0500

It is the end of 2016, and time to reflect on the past business year. Did the year turn out the way you expected?

Hack Your Drilling Business

verduscoj@bnpmedia.com (Jeremy Verdusco) — Tue, 01 Nov 2016 09:30:00 -0400

When people hear the word “hacking,” they usually think of overgrown teenagers in their PJs on their parent’s basement computer breaking into other computers — like at the Pentagon or a bank or a certain private email server.

Floating Through the Good Old Days

Tue, 01 Nov 2016 09:00:00 -0400

As a water well company, Cutter and Dad Drilling Company in Adel, Ga., our advertisements consisted of the company name on all our equipment, a basic ad in the phone book, referrals and our reputation.

For Drillers, Early Experiences Add Up to Safety Mentality

rockbit8@hotmail.com (Wayne Nash) — Tue, 01 Nov 2016 09:00:00 -0400

The drilling industry has changed a lot in the 50 years I have been involved.

Safety Has to Be a Lifestyle on Drilling Jobs

Hazyschmitt@aol.com (John Schmitt) — Tue, 01 Nov 2016 09:00:00 -0400

Those of you who are regular readers of this column know that I usually write about “what I know.”

Tips for Materials Safety on Drilling Jobs

michael.kleespies@mineralstech.com (Michael Kleespies) — Tue, 01 Nov 2016 09:00:00 -0400

Everyone can agree that safety has become an integral part of any construction site. We all have the same goal — to come home safely at the end of every day.

Drilling Contractors Reduce Risk with Distracted Driving Policies

Tue, 01 Nov 2016 09:00:00 -0400

For Boart Longyear employees, “DNT TXT N DRV” is merely the beginning.

Working the Oil Fields During an Earlier Boom

Sat, 01 Oct 2016 09:00:00 -0400

In our almost 60 years of marriage, Bess and I have lived in most of the United States. We have some great memories of these places.

Remembering Noted Drilling Industry Innovator Carl Back

Hazyschmitt@aol.com (John Schmitt) — Sat, 01 Oct 2016 09:00:00 -0400

I was deeply saddened to belatedly learn of the passing of my friend, Carl Back.

Pushing the Limits of Well Drilling

rockbit8@hotmail.com (Wayne Nash) — Sat, 01 Oct 2016 09:00:00 -0400

The past 100 or so years have seen some revolutionary changes in the drilling industry.

How Do Drilling Fluids Affect a Geothermal Installation?

todd.tannehill@mineralstech.com (Todd Tannehill) — Sat, 01 Oct 2016 09:00:00 -0400

Before the homeowner turns up the thermostat, before the HVAC contractor installs the equipment, and before you place the loops and grout the borehole, there is Step 1: the drilling of a good hole that stays open and allows for the loop to be installed to the required depth.

Demos Pass Drilling Know-How Among Regulators, Support Staff

questions@askbrock.com (Brock Yordy) — Sat, 01 Oct 2016 09:00:00 -0400

How do we transfer knowledge and valuable experience to new people in the industry?

Drilling Contractors Can Help the Industry Through Feedback

verduscoj@bnpmedia.com (Jeremy Verdusco) — Sat, 01 Oct 2016 09:00:00 -0400

How did you learn the drilling trade?

For New Drilling Contractors, ‘No’ is a Good Start

verduscoj@bnpmedia.com (Jeremy Verdusco) — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 09:15:00 -0400

Think for a minute about how you started out.

Remembering a Training for Drillers in Taiwan

Thu, 01 Sep 2016 09:00:00 -0400

One of my most enjoyable and satisfying consulting jobs was in Taiwan, teaching drilling in 1984.