Drilling Industry Top Stories

The Cost of Super El Niño: Water, Power, Agriculture, & Lawsuits

brock@thedriller.com (Brock Yordy) — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:44:13 -0400

With $2,500/MWh power spikes and Nevada facing 70% water cuts, Brock Yordy breaks down the massive economic toll of 2026 El Nino

Uncharted Waters, Chapter II: A Community Blueprint for Defending Against Industrial Exploitation.

brock@thedriller.com (Brock Yordy) — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 13:02:01 -0400

An examination into stopping developers from isolating landowners, one dry borehole at a time with proactive blueprints to protect water lifelines.

Remembering the drilling company who answered the call for help in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 09:15:29 -0400

When planes hit the twin towers of the World Trade Center on 9/11, the moment became a lasting memory. But another big piece was the aftermath

The Tale of Two Mentors: How Knowledge Keepers and Wisdom Sharers Redefine Field Experience

brock@thedriller.com (Brock Yordy) — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Veteran drillers can either guard what they know or pass it on. The difference can shape safety, uptime, crew development and the future of the trade.

City of Virginia Beach Kick Off Geotechnical Drilling Work Along Stretches of the Chesapeake Bay

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 13:42:10 -0400

Working with the Army Corps of Engineers, the city is taking preventative measure to mitigate severe flood risks along the coast and in the town.

What they’re drilling for in Robbinsdale, Minn.

kgabriel@bnpmedia.com (Kerith Gabriel) — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0400

A PFAS investigation is taking drilling crews hundreds of feet underground in search of the contamination source.

The Regulatory Blind Spot and Hydrological Reality

brock@thedriller.com (Brock Yordy) — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 15:50:59 -0400

Private wells can feel the effects of large-scale groundwater use, even when pumping happens far below the surface. With federal oversight limited, local groundwater expertise may become increasingly important in evaluating development impacts before wells start running dry.

Remembering Porky

kgabriel@bnpmedia.com (Kerith Gabriel) — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Drilling professional Howard “Porky” Cutter, MGWC, was ahead of his time when it came to the future of drilling.

2026 State of the Drilling Industry Report

brock@thedriller.com (Brock Yordy) — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0400

A latest look at what’s powering water, energy and infrastructure

Berkeley County School District Turns to Geothermal for Heating and Cooling

johnnyoldaniwords@gmail.com (John Oldani) — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 14:40:35 -0400

According to a Department of Energy case study, the completed systems cut energy use by 75% and reduced annual energy and maintenance costs by a reported $772,000.

Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR)

brock@thedriller.com (Brock Yordy) — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 13:24:33 -0400

The critical realities of permanent land subsidence and well-construction safety, and why local policy and community involvement are essential to preventing "water bankruptcy."

Flomatic Introduces Sewair-Combo NXC for Wastewater Systems

johnnyoldaniwords@gmail.com (John Oldani) — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 12:28:41 -0400

The Sewair-Combo NXC is designed to handle three air management functions within a single valve.

EPA Opens Door to More Off-Grid Power for Data Centers, but Questions Remain

johnnyoldaniwords@gmail.com (John Oldani) — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Generating power outside the public grid could give data center developers more flexibility, but the environmental and ratepayer impacts are far from settled.

What If I Told You We Found Safety Compliant Workboots That Don’t Feel Like Boots?

kgabriel@bnpmedia.com (Kerith Gabriel) — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 08:55:58 -0400

New Jersey based footwear brand, NORTIV 8, says their goal is to produce quality boots and let word of mouth across industries take it from there.

Stories From the Site: Some of the Wildest Things Hit While Drilling

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 12:00:00 -0400

There are many zany things drillers encounter everyday while on a jobsite. We've asked a few to tell us for your reading pleasure.

The Road to 2050

brock@thedriller.com (Brock Yordy) — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 11:32:47 -0400

The geothermal exchange industry is an expanding, self-sustaining industrial empire.

The Day the Steam Cleaner Didn’t Start

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 13:42:00 -0400

Jim Beath recalls a year of writing about his life for The Driller.

Creating Data to Help Drillers Work Smarter, Not Harder

kgabriel@bnpmedia.com (Kerith Gabriel) — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 16:28:15 -0400

The Chicago-based data firm DrillerDB released the first of what it says is a series of planned databases and interactives to better serve the drilling industry

EPA Turns Attention to Rural Water Challenges in Western Kansas

johnnyoldaniwords@gmail.com (John Oldani) — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 12:57:19 -0400

Rural water systems rarely make national headlines, but they play a critical role in keeping communities healthy and local economies running.

The Unknown Formation

johnnyoldaniwords@gmail.com (John Oldani) — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 09:01:23 -0400

From spring poles to smart rigs, a look at the evolution of water well drilling

Teaching The Next Generation of Water Well Drillers

kgabriel@bnpmedia.com (Kerith Gabriel) — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 14:20:27 -0400

As experienced drillers retire, a new generation is stepping up. Meet the students, educators, and industry leaders working to build the future of water well drilling through hands-on training, mentorship, and opportunity.

The Energy Blueprint: Why Drillers Must Master the Business of Power

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Understanding all aspects of the drilling industry is how your business stays strong and you remain ahead of the game.

Smarter PFAS Barriers Start with Better Site Data

johnnyoldaniwords@gmail.com (John Oldani) — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 06:00:00 -0400

From adsorption testing to injection strategy, experts explain the decisions that help remediation contractors build more effective PFAS containment systems.

America’s Largest Aquifer Is Drying Up. Ranchers Are Running Out of Room for Guesswork

johnnyoldaniwords@gmail.com (John Oldani) — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

The Ogallala Aquifer supports millions of people and one of the nation's most productive agricultural regions, but decades of heavy pumping have taken a toll. Learn how better water data is helping producers manage every gallon more effectively.

Water well professionals united in full force at the South Atlantic Jubilee

kgabriel@bnpmedia.com (Kerith Gabriel) — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 11:19:48 -0400

Day two of the event was the kickoff of one of the largest trade shows for water well professionals. It also saw the event usher in new presidency.

Insight, information and innovation was at the forefront during the first day of the South Atlantic Jubilee

kgabriel@bnpmedia.com (Kerith Gabriel) — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 18:35:43 -0400

The annual meeting of the minds when it comes to water, and the workforce that powers it didn't disappoint on Saturday's day one of event.

The Summer Safety Four and 2026 Jubilee Preview

kgabriel@bnpmedia.com (Kerith Gabriel) — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 16:02:58 -0400

Brock Yordy breaks down the "Summer Safety Four," covering trenching, extreme heat, air quality, and volatile atmospheres. Plus, get a preview of what to expect at this year's South Atlantic Jubilee.

The World Cup has ended but how much water did it actually use? A whole lot.

kgabriel@bnpmedia.com (Kerith Gabriel) — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:22:45 -0400

Over 2.7 million gallons were used just to maintain the field on a game day, even before you got into regular maintenance of all 16 venues over the 39 days of the tournament.

The Geothermal Bottleneck

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 14:20:11 -0400

How bureaucracy is losing in the war to increase the number of qualified drilling talent

'The ultimate impact'

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 05:55:00 -0400

As four injection wells in Ohio were recently shut down, activists are calling on state officials to do more to protect well water from impurities