mud pump for 100 feet wells factory

When choosing a size and type of mud pump for your drilling project, there are several factors to consider. These would include not only cost and size of pump that best fits your drilling rig, but also the diameter, depth and hole conditions you are drilling through. I know that this sounds like a lot to consider, but if you are set up the right way before the job starts, you will thank me later.

Recommended practice is to maintain a minimum of 100 to 150 feet per minute of uphole velocity for drill cuttings. Larger diameter wells for irrigation, agriculture or municipalities may violate this rule, because it may not be economically feasible to pump this much mud for the job. Uphole velocity is determined by the flow rate of the mud system, diameter of the borehole and the diameter of the drill pipe. There are many tools, including handbooks, rule of thumb, slide rule calculators and now apps on your handheld device, to calculate velocity. It is always good to remember the time it takes to get the cuttings off the bottom of the well. If you are drilling at 200 feet, then a 100-foot-per-minute velocity means that it would take two minutes to get the cuttings out of the hole. This is always a good reminder of what you are drilling through and how long ago it was that you drilled it. Ground conditions and rock formations are ever changing as you go deeper. Wouldn’t it be nice if they all remained the same?

Centrifugal-style mud pumps are very popular in our industry due to their size and weight, as well as flow rate capacity for an affordable price. There are many models and brands out there, and most of them are very good value. How does a centrifugal mud pump work? The rotation of the impeller accelerates the fluid into the volute or diffuser chamber. The added energy from the acceleration increases the velocity and pressure of the fluid. These pumps are known to be very inefficient. This means that it takes more energy to increase the flow and pressure of the fluid when compared to a piston-style pump. However, you have a significant advantage in flow rates from a centrifugal pump versus a piston pump. If you are drilling deeper wells with heavier cuttings, you will be forced at some point to use a piston-style mud pump. They have much higher efficiencies in transferring the input energy into flow and pressure, therefore resulting in much higher pressure capabilities.

Piston-style mud pumps utilize a piston or plunger that travels back and forth in a chamber known as a cylinder. These pumps are also called “positive displacement” pumps because they literally push the fluid forward. This fluid builds up pressure and forces a spring-loaded valve to open and allow the fluid to escape into the discharge piping of the pump and then down the borehole. Since the expansion process is much smaller (almost insignificant) compared to a centrifugal pump, there is much lower energy loss. Plunger-style pumps can develop upwards of 15,000 psi for well treatments and hydraulic fracturing. Centrifugal pumps, in comparison, usually operate below 300 psi. If you are comparing most drilling pumps, centrifugal pumps operate from 60 to 125 psi and piston pumps operate around 150 to 300 psi. There are many exceptions and special applications for drilling, but these numbers should cover 80 percent of all equipment operating out there.

The restriction of putting a piston-style mud pump onto drilling rigs has always been the physical size and weight to provide adequate flow and pressure to your drilling fluid. Because of this, the industry needed a new solution to this age-old issue.

Enter Cory Miller of Centerline Manufacturing, who I recently recommended for recognition by the National Ground Water Association (NGWA) for significant contributions to the industry.

As the senior design engineer for Ingersoll-Rand’s Deephole Drilling Business Unit, I had the distinct pleasure of working with him and incorporating his Centerline Mud Pump into our drilling rig platforms.

In the late ’90s — and perhaps even earlier —  Ingersoll-Rand had tried several times to develop a hydraulic-driven mud pump that would last an acceptable life- and duty-cycle for a well drilling contractor. With all of our resources and design wisdom, we were unable to solve this problem. Not only did Miller provide a solution, thus saving the size and weight of a typical gear-driven mud pump, he also provided a new offering — a mono-cylinder mud pump. This double-acting piston pump provided as much mud flow and pressure as a standard 5 X 6 duplex pump with incredible size and weight savings.

The true innovation was providing the well driller a solution for their mud pump requirements that was the right size and weight to integrate into both existing and new drilling rigs. Regardless of drill rig manufacturer and hydraulic system design, Centerline has provided a mud pump integration on hundreds of customer’s drilling rigs. Both mono-cylinder and duplex-cylinder pumps can fit nicely on the deck, across the frame or even be configured for under-deck mounting. This would not be possible with conventional mud pump designs.

The second generation design for the Centerline Mud Pump is expected later this year, and I believe it will be a true game changer for this industry. It also will open up the application to many other industries that require a heavier-duty cycle for a piston pump application.

The average water well in the foothills surrounding the Santa Clara Valley is a 10-inch bore with 5-inch PVC casing to a depth of 300 feet that will yield 10 to 20 Gallons Per Minute (GPM). The casing is a 5-inch diameter PVC-F480, SDR21 well casing, the “screened” casings are factory perforated with a .032” slot size. We typically install 20 feet of screen per 100 feet of cased well, with a cap on the bottom of the well. A gravel pack is deposited into the annular space between the earth and the casing, from the bottom of the borehole to within fifty-five feet of the surface. A sanitary surface seal consisting of bentonite grout or sand-slurry cement is then pressure pumped from the top of the gravel pack to the surface of the well (as per County requirements, the depth of the seal will vary in different geologic zones).

A common misconception is that bigger is better when determining the size of the well casing. Customers are often led to believe that a larger diameter casing will mean that their well will yield more water. Consider this, a 5-inch water well may produce up to 90 GPM if Mother Nature can supply the water. Therefore, a larger diameter casing will not supply more water, just more storage. Additional well screens and sand pack is not typically necessary but is recommended for certain locations and circumstances.

Our water wells are constructed according to the California Well Standards and the specifications set forth by the customer, Guardino Well Drilling and the local governing agency. All wells are chlorinated after completion of drilling in order to disinfect the casing and gravel pack. When your well is complete it will be ready for pump installation. All the necessary information concerning your well will be contained on the Water Well Completion Report to be issued upon receipt of payment.

It is the customer responsibility to check for easements and underground pipelines. We usually recommend that the well is placed at least ten feet from the customer’s property line to provide for future access. The exact location of the water well will be chosen by the customer. Guardino Well Drilling will offer suggestions as to where to place the well based on the topography of the land, neighboring wells, and known geologic conditions in the area. If requested Guardino Well Drilling will provide the customer with the names of local geologists who may be of assistance in locating a site for the water well.

We require a minimum 20’ x 40’ semi-level pad for our drilling equipment. The site must also be free from overhead trees and limbs and accessible for drill equipment, piping and maintenance. The road entering the site must be at least nine feet wide and have a clearance of fourteen feet for our equipment to enter the property, bridges entering the site will also be checked for weight capacities. We often tell customers that if a cement truck can get into the site, then so can we. You may also want to consider that the well will eventually require electricity and piping and will need to be accessible for servicing in the future.

Logging is the record of the geology encountered while drilling the water well. Logs are also used by Geologist and Engineers in the design phase of the well. Logging is generally taken in two forms; 1) A Drillers Log written by the driller 2) E-log which is performed after the borehole has been drilled.

Centerline Manufacturing is committed to the highest level of customer service quality.  Every Centerline pump is comprehensively and repeatedly tested at diverse pressure levels to assure that it goes to our customer in perfect operational order. Centerline technicians work to ensure that our customers fully understand the operation of the model being delivered.  If a customer"s pump is down, we understand the importance of timely response and parts availability.  Centerline technicians will assess the problem and make repairs to bring the pump back into new specification. The Centerline mud pump technicians are well versed and qualified to operate and repair any product that is provided to the customer.

Greetings Tim & Charlott, below is a GPS link and information on the well we just installed in the honor of Tim & Charlott King! Your love and commitment has allowed our Clean Water 4 Life ministry to sink over 500 water wells for those in need here in the Solomon Islands! Here is a link to read my current newsletter with lots of pictures! http://www.rickrupp.com/newsletter.php

Togokoba SSEC Church & Community is approx 58 kilometers east of Honiara. It was a long bumpy drive to this village. I had to walk a long way to get to the place where they lived. They explained that their source of drinking water was the stream. They were so happy when I explained that our CW4L team was going to come sink a well right in their village. I tasted the well water several weeks later after our team had blessed them with a water well. It tasted so good! It was nice clean & cold water! It never ceases to amaze me that there is such a nice water table here in the rural areas of the Guadnacanal plains! I counted 10 houses in this community and the population is approx 80 people. Now they finally have a source of clean drinking water! These people have suffered for many years either drinking from an open hand dug well or from the stream. Togokoba SSEC Church & Community is very grateful to our CW4L sponsors.

This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data.

However, the electrical and motor cooling requirements are certainly different with voltage drop to the motor and various other factors becoming much more important. In Part 2 of this three-part series on the design of a submersible pump we will design our pump end using the hydraulic design data to fit the same sample application we previously used for a vertical turbine pump.

Using our example installation in previous columns of The Water Works, we have successfully designed a sample water pumping installation for a vertical turbine pump with the following conditions:

Now that we have completed the determination of the required pump capacities and operating head, the first step in actually selecting a submersible pump end is to estimate the target horsepower required for the design conditions. From Part 1 (WWJ, January 2017):

From the above brake horsepower (BHP) estimates, it is apparent there will be a wide disparity of required horsepower (almost 30 BHP) between the two operating points. Generally, an application that requires two operating points so far apart requires strong consideration of either using a variable frequency drive (VFD) to use the affinity laws to lower the pump and motor speed for the alternate condition, an inline control valve to regulate outlet pressure and pump discharge, or a pump with an extremely flat head-capacity (H-Q) curve.

In our example, the use of a VFD has previously been determined to be the most cost effective solution, although an inline control valve could also have been used. However, it is highly unlikely the desired horsepower of 14.5 BHP at the alternate COS would have been met as the majority of submersible units have steep operating curves, owing to multiple stages plus the pump speed of 3450 RPM.

The final option, use of a flat curve pump, would also be unlikely as a preferred choice. Again, this is due to the pump’s rotation speed and number of pump stages required, except for the possible use of a 10-inch or 12-inch-diameter pump, which would require fewer stages than a smaller unit.

Although the hydraulic design is primarily vested in the pump’s capacity and head, the bowl diameter is also a critical factor. With a submersible pump, the bowl diameter is generally dictated by two primary conditions: the required pumping rate needed (in gallons per minute) and the limiting diameter of the well casing or wet well the bowl will be placed into (the maximum bowl outer diameter [O.D.]).

Table 1 cites the general maximum and minimum flow rates (including speed reduced minimum flows) for various bowl diameters at their respective best efficiency point (BEP) from various manufacturers for 3520/3450 RPM (3600 RPM synchronous speed) and 1760/1725 RPM (1800 RPM synchronous speed) rotational speeds.

The maximum rated capacity for each bowl diameter and speed are based on the typically highest BEP from various manufacturers, while the minimum flow for each bowl diameter and 3600 RPM speed represents an approximate maximum pump and motor speed reduction of 40% from the practical BEP at the lowest rated flow rate for each diameter and speed.

This would approximate correction of the performance of a submersible pump and motor when used on a VFD or when used with a control valve to maintain a minimum motor speed of 36 hertz (~2100 RPM) to maintain proper motor cooling and bearing lubrication, well above the manufacturer’s typical minimum of 30 hertz (~1750 RPM).

Vertical turbine pumps (VTPs) do not generally operate with the same flow range limitations as submersible pumps and motors. Therefore, the range of allowable flow rates with a VTP is often greater than that with a comparable submersible unit. The vast majority of 6-inch and most 8-inch-diameter submersible pump motors below 100 HP operate at a two-pole speed, or 3600 RPM. Therefore, this example pump selection should also be conducted using that same speed.

Given the knowledge of the primary and secondary (alternate) design capacities (500 GPM and 156 GPM) and the well diameter (12 inches) creates a fairly easy determination of the bowl diameter. From Table 1 it is apparent either a 6-, 7-, 8-, 9-, or even a 10-inch-diameter bowl assembly at 3450 RPM will likely work for this application with a 6-inch-diameter bowl at the extreme end of its practical and efficient flow range for 500 GPM.

The minimum recommended flow for a 10-inch-diameter bowl is also above the BEP for the low flow of 156 GPM and will most likely only require two or three stages to produce the needed head, which will result in a flatter total head curve. This is generally not as desirable for use with a VFD and compromises the pump efficiency and optimum clearance inside a 12-inch-diameter well by using a 10-inch-diameter bowl. This tends to limit the best overall selection to a 7-, 8-, or 9-inch-diameter bowl.

Building a unit through an analysis of a per-stage performance of individual stages (Figure 1), as with a VTP, and then dividing the total head required by the head per stage to determine the number of stages and horsepower needed to create an assembled pump.

Evaluating a manufacturer or supplier’s preselected and preassembled units and then selecting a pump that comes closest to the required flow and head (Figure 2).

When using a single-stage performance curve to evaluate a potential submersible pump, always be cognizant multi-stage pumps almost always display a higher efficiency at the same operating point, impeller trim, and capacity than a single-stage unit, so an efficiency correction may be needed.

For example, the single-stage bowl assembly shown in Figure 1 is the same bowl assembly with the same impeller trim (4.875 inches) and nominal speed (3600 RPM) as the 4-stage bowl assembly in Figure 2. However, the efficiency is three points higher (77.9% vs. 74.9%) for the 4-stage bowl. This relationship holds true for both VTPs and submersible pumps.

Usually, if any correction is required for multiple stages, this is generally indicated on the pump curve itself. In many cases this type of unit is further classified by the bowl’s BEP design flow and/or motor horsepower, especially when stainless steel impellers are used. Stainless steel impellers are not as easy to trim. Therefore, knowledge of the well diameter and the approximate required horsepower will often provide a shortcut to a pump selection.

For our example, 43.77 of estimated HP translates to the probable need for a 50 HP motor. This could provide the information required to select a preassembled submersible pump with a rating of 500 GPM and a 50 HP motor. This procedure is often shown on pump selection data sheets or curves with nomenclature to indicate the bowl diameter first, followed by the pump’s rated capacity or relative rating, the number of stages, or the motor horsepower.

For example, a specific manufacturer may use a model number such as 7TLC, 7CHE, 8RJO, or 8M23. The first number (7 or 8) usually signifies the bowl’s outer (nominal) diameter. The second and/or third letter (TL, CH, RJ, or M) may designate the manufacturer’s bowl capacity or head rating, such as L for low, M for medium, or H for high. The final letter or number often describes whether the impeller is an open (using an O) or enclosed (E or C) impeller. The use of a specific number (as in 23 for 230 GPM) may indicate the bowl’s rated capacity at its BEP. In some cases, “S” is inserted into the model number to signify the unit is a submersible pump.

Finally, the number of stages and the horsepower rating is often applied to the end or sometimes as part of the model number. A complete model number for an assembled submersible pump unit, for example, may be an 8SHHE-7-100, to signify an 8-inch nominal bowl diameter submersible pump, with a high capacity and head rated enclosed impeller, equipped with seven stages, and a 100 HP rated horsepower motor. In all cases, you should verify the breakdown of a specific model number with the manufacturer as many pumps do not follow these criteria.

Occasionally, I receive a request from someone to design a submersible pump using a semi-open impeller. Although I have used this type of impeller numerous times on VTPs, I do not routinely use them on subs for several reasons.

First, since they are locked onto the pump shaft and often situated several hundred feet down a well, they cannot be adjusted to regain performance or efficiency without pulling from the well. Secondly, although semi-open impellers are often a few points higher in efficiency, they usually display more axial and radial thrust than enclosed impellers, making them undesirable for use on the lower thrust rated submersible motor.

Finally, designing an application using semi-open impellers is at best an estimation since the pump’s performance and horsepower draw is primarily a factor of the impeller’s proper running clearance from the bowl. Any variation to this clearance from the manufacturer’s published curve data will adversely impact the performance by underperforming, overperforming, over possibly overloading the motor.

The seven submersible pump ends in Table 2 represent only a fraction of those available for the primary conditions of service. However, these potential selections nonetheless represent a cross-section of the typical bowl diameters and number of stages to consider for this application.

The final determination of the selected pump must weigh several factors. Some are universal while others may be site or locality specific. And since it is fairly obvious all the selected bowls will fit inside the 12-inch well casing, this initial factor can be ignored.

The next selection criteria I generally examine is the BHP requirement and pump efficiency at the specific operating condition that will be subject to the highest use. In our example, even though the bowl assembly has been designed for a primary design condition of 500 GPM, in actuality the pump will usually operate somewhere between the two design points with the alternate COS (156 GPM) in service much more than the primary COS. The three units with the lowest BHP requirement at the alternate design condition in the table are pumps R-1, F-1, and M-1.

My next criteria, particularly since the efficiency at the primary COS is close for all units, is to evaluate the operating speed at the alternate COS. This is more important to the success of the installation than one might imagine, particularly when a VFD will be used for motor control. Most motor (and some pump) manufacturers dictate the motor speed shall not fall below 50% speed (30 hertz, or ~1750 RPM). This is to provide adequate bearing lubrication in the motor as well as maintain enough velocity past the motor for cooling. As previously stated, when feasible, I prefer to design an installation so the pump and motor will not exhibit a minimum speed below 40% of the motor’s rated speed or about 2050-2100 RPM.

Tempered with this fact, however, is the knowledge the motor must be permitted to operate at a low enough speed to facilitate a reasonable VFD operating range and proper control settings. Experience has taught me this factor works best for a multi-stage submersible unit when using a shutdown speed between 70%-90% of full load (FL) speed—a range of 75%-85% of FL motor shutdown motor speed often works the best. Obviously, all these criteria must be ascertained after a full evaluation of the pump curve (flat vs. steep) and HP at the minimum speed.

From an examination of the pumps in Table 2, it is evident all the sample pumps fulfill these desires, with pumps G-1, R-1, L-1, G-2, and F-1 fitting the best at the reduced flow of 156 GPM along with a reduced speed range between 75%-85% of FL speed.

Finally, when cost is a factor, weighing the individual options for the lowest initial and operating cost is often conducted. For this final evaluation, pumps R-1 and F-1 were both good choices, although my ultimate selection was for pump R-1 as the runout capacity (Q = 575 GPM) was lower than F-1. The BEP for the R-1 pump was also slightly to the left of the primary design point which helps to retain higher operating efficiencies at lower speeds, plus the pump was represented locally and replacement parts were more readily available.

The runout capacity of ~575 GPM is an important selection criteria for this example to avoid excessive well overdraft, especially since flows above 500 GPM will be served from a supplementary source. See Figure 3 and Figure 4 for full speed and variable speed curves for pump R-1, a 7-inch × 3-stage bowl assembly.

Now that the pump end has been selected, we generally examine any special construction or metallurgy required for the pump end. If sand or abrasives were a concern, bowl wear rings might be warranted. If the bowl’s upper stages were exposed to excessive high pressures, O-rings or gaskets may be indicated to prevent inter-stage leakage. Since most 6- and 8-inch bowl assemblies are constructed using threaded construction between stages, this would usually not be a concern unless a 10-inch or larger diameter bowl was selected and only then with pressures in excess of the manufacturer’s pressure rating.

Next, static or dynamic balancing of the impellers should be considered. On one side, this pump uses a stock pump with only three stages and fairly small diameter (4.875 inches) impellers, plus we plan to use a 7-inch-diameter bowl inside a 12-inch well casing, so balancing of the impellers is probably not needed. However, the added cost for balancing just three impellers does not generally represent a huge added cost to the bowl assembly. So if there is any concern regarding the well’s alignment, this may be a desirable option.

Finally, many firms feel all larger capacity units should be factory tested to verify performance. Although I often require factory testing for expensive or large or deep well pumping units, submersible and vertical turbine, I rarely require or recommend factory testing on smaller (<10 inches) wet ends for various reasons.

Besides the added cost (which can actually cost more than the pump itself) and the associated time delay, experience has shown conducting factory testing on smaller diameter, multi-stage pumps does not generally result in any true power savings or added assurance to the owner, especially since the selection curves from the majority of pump manufacturers have repeatedly been shown to be accurate for capacity, head, and horsepower. Also note the majority of submersible pump models between 6 and 12 inches have been tested by their manufacturer during development.

Remember, any of the above concerns will usually result in not only added cost but a delay in constructing and shipping the unit, so consider these carefully. For our example, none of these concerns are present, so the final factor would be the pump setting and drop pipe size.

The riser drop pipe and check valve sizes depend on various factors: the desired minimum and maximum uphole velocities (critical when using a VFD); friction losses; pipe cost; well and drop cable clearance; and adequate space for any additional elements in the well/pipe annulus—sounding tubes, well or water level measurement devices, future chemical treatments. For our example installation, the pump will operate within a range of 156 GPM minimum, up to 500 GPM maximum.

Figure 5b shows flow ranges for various pipe sizes, and indicates a desired flow range of 160-700 GPM for 5-inch drop pipe. These values will maintain a minimum uphole velocity of ~2.5 feet per second (FPS) at 160 GPM to transfer any heavier solids from the well to prevent settlement onto the pump, with a maximum uphole velocity of 10 FPS at 700 GPM as an upper economic sizing. Figure 5b shows friction loss for new 5-inch steel drop pipe at 500 GPM is 4.16 feet per 100 feet of pipe with a velocity of 8.02 FPS.

Figure 6 and Figure 7 are included for those who use either PVC or flexible hose as drop pipe. We will finalize the friction loss calculation upon determining the pump setting.

The desired pump setting is truly a case-by-case determination that must be performed with full knowledge of the well casing diameter and depth, well screen upper termination depth, the reliable pumping water level (PWL), sand or abrasives pumping potential, and a reserve (safety) factor for unusual well drawdown or seasonal drafts.

Typically, I like to plan deep well installations to maintain a minimum of 10 feet of submergence over the top of the pump, not the suction or inlet, at the maximum projected pump capacity. For our example, this translates to a minimum pump setting of 110 feet (~100 feet PWL at 515 GPM + 10 feet of submergence).

In cases such as this example, when more depth is available I prefer to set the pump at least 20 feet deeper in the well to compensate for any future well decline or seasonal shifts. So, I will plan for 150 feet of drop pipe. This results in the use of seven lengths (147 feet at 21 feet per length) plus a 3-foot length for the upper well seal to provide an easy-to-remember figure for future reference.

The total friction loss would therefore be 4.16 feet/c × 1.5 (for 150 feet) = 6.24 feet + 1.60 feet for the riser check valve and miscellaneous loss = 7.84 feet total, well under our original estimate of 10 feet. The riser check valve should be placed between 5 to 20 feet above the pump, with 10 to 11 feet (the first full 21-foot joint above the pump cut and threaded in half), my usual location. This places the check valve at a sufficient distance above the pump to allow for the vertical movement of any entrapped air or vapor from the pump to the check valve and avoid air locking of the pump. It also provides two shorter pipe lengths to enable easy installation of the pump/motor and the well seal.

Also, remember in our example and any installation with a VFD, the riser check valve should be designed for continuous operation on a VFD to prevent possible valve chatter and premature failure. The proposed finished installation, along with alternate wellhead completion techniques, are shown in Figure 8.

This concludes Part 2 of the three-part series on sizing of submersible pumps for municipal, industrial, and commercial water supply. In Part 3, we will conclude with a detailed discussion of sizing and installing the submersible motor and drop cable, plus some of the pitfalls and issues associated with using this type of pump and motor.

To help meet your professional needs, this column covers skills and competencies found in DACUM charts for drillers and pump installers. PI refers to the pumps chart. The letter and number immediately following is the skill on the chart covered by the column. This column covers: PIC-5, PIC-6, PIC-10, PID-4, PIE-8, PIE-9, PIE-13, PIE-14 More information on DACUM and the charts are available at www.NGWA.org/Certification and click on “Exam Information.”

Completing primarily residential wells in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, Michigan, area, third-generation Kraai Well Drilling has been in business close to 60 years. Also drilling commercial greenhouse and trailer park wells and agricultural center pivot wells, the business started doing rotary drilling during 1991.

As the number of small drilling companies in their region diminished, they increasingly picked up more work — completing more than 300 wells per year for the past 25 years. After purchasing a new rig in 2002, they saw a spike in production and began calculating the downtime cost of their aging fleet.

“Since the DM250 weighs under 22,500 lbs, we’re able to run during frost laws when larger rigs are shut down,” Kraai said. “The driver doesn’t need a CDL, which is a huge benefit in a tough market for finding workforce.”

“The DM250 drills deeper wells in tight locations very efficiently. We now use the DM250 on most wells where we would have previously used a cable-tool drill, which is very inefficient,” Kraai said. “The ease of operation also makes a smooth transition for drillers.”

Trouble with an older rig and their success with the DM250 led them to purchase a DM450. Being equipped with an on-board Mudslayer® 250 makes jobs easier on the drillers.

“Operators prefer to run the DM450 since they’re not shoveling out mud pans,” Kraai explained. “We use a dump trailer to haul away cuttings from under the Mudslayer®, making clean up much easier.”

“The Mudslayer® allows us to get a bigger rig in closer to homes since we’re not carrying or placing a mud pan. Eliminating the mud pan behind the rig allows us to put wells in a better location for the customer,” Kraai said. “By utilizing the Mudslayer® we can support the rig with a smaller water tanker with just 2,000 gallons.”

“The rig has an electric oil heater, which has been good in the colder climate,” Kraai said. “It heats the oil before engaging the PTO, which seems to be much easier on the rig.”

“We’ve drilled 5-, 6.9-, 8-, and 10-inch wells. We’ve drilled 800 gallons/minute 10-inch wells and 20 gallons/minute wells. It covers the majority of applications,” Kraai said. “We can efficiently drill shallow 100-foot wells or tackle deeper 400-foot wells just as easily.”

For Kraai, the hydraulic over electronic controls on the control panel of both rigs — which equate to easier operation and maintenance — plus great service from Donnie and the service department also contribute to the overall advantages of the DRILLMAX® line.

“We stay in the woods with our lanes between pine trees, and it can be real wet — easy to get stuck,” Chris Foster, drill operations foreman, said. “We wanted something smaller scale so it was easy to move around in the woods, but still had the power to perform.”

The power of the DM250 has meant they can use wireline technique to core the mine tailings in effort to identify the clay quality, indicating where to open the next kaolin mine.

According to Foster, coring the overburden doesn’t require them to go as deep as a water well driller. Their typical hole is 200 foot, drilling through overburden to 100 feet before hitting kaolin. However, they do have to go in and out of the hole more times than the typical water well driller.

By using the wireline technique with a bigger diameter rod, they save time tripping in and out of the hole repeatedly by leaving the rods in the hole and dropping the sampling barrel down. Sitting on a hole for three to four hours, Foster appreciates the rig’s power to handle the 4.5-inch rods.

This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data.

Safe, potable ground water is one of our most precious natural resources. It can be contaminated and made dangerous, even totally useless for drinking, by improper well drilling and pump installation practices.

To guide well drillers and homeowners in the construction of safe, usable wells, the Indiana State Department of Health offers the following standards for construction of wells and installation of pumps and appurtenances. Whenever a well is opened for repair, the work and materials used should also comply with these standards. Dewatering wells, irrigation wells, heating and cooling supply and return wells, temporary service wells, construction water wells, process wells, and other structures for withdrawing ground water or lowering of a water table, regardless of location, length of intended service, or original use or intent, should be constructed in accordance with these standards. Where possible, existing wells and water systems should be upgraded to meet these standards. See the end of this monograph for definitions of the terms used herein.

At the highest point on the premises consistent with the general layout and surroundings, but in any case in an area protected against surface water ponding, drainage or flooding. The finished well casing or pit-less adapter should extend at least 1 foot above the ground level or 2 feet above maximum flood level as determined by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, whichever is higher.

Private water supply wells and buried suction pipes serving a residence should be installed the following minimum separation distances from potential sources of contamination:Sources of ContaminationDistance* If the well casing terminates less than 25 feet from finished grade, or if the well penetrates creviced or highly porous formations, at a minimum, the distances listed in Table 1 should be doubled.Independent clear water drain; septic system perimeter drain; rainwater downspout; cistern; hydrant drain; or building foundation drain10 feet

Stream; lake or pond shoreline; below-ground swimming pool; open ditch or other waterway; sanitary or storm sewer constructed of water works grade ductile iron, cast iron or PVC pipe with mechanical or push-on joints20 feet

Watertight grease basin; septic tank; wastewater holding tank; absorption field; constructed wetland; sewage lift station; or sanitary vault privy (a privy that utilizes a solid wall wastewater holding tank)50 feet

Pit privy (a privy that has brick-, block-, or stone-lined pit walls); manure pile; manure holding tank; silage pit; dry well; seepage pit or trench; or cesspool100 feet

Septage or treated sludge disposal area; wastewater absorption; storage, retention or treatment pond; ridge and furrow waste disposal site; or spray irrigation waste disposal site500 feet

If the residence is located within 2,500 feet of a sanitary landfill, the Office of Land Quality of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management should first be consulted for recommendations on separation from the facility.

If the distances enumerated in Table 1 cannot be met, consult with your local health department about the potential for lesser separations based on special construction or favorable geology.

A well should be located so the centerline of its casing extends at least 5 feet clear of any projection from the building. A well should be reasonably accessible for servicing and maintenance utilizing equipment for cleaning, treatment, repair, testing, or inspection. Except for well houses specifically constructed for the purpose, it is totally unacceptable to locate a well in a building or in the basement of a building.

2.1 Well Design and ConstructionA well should be adapted to the geologic and ground water conditions existing at the site, to ensure full use of the natural protection afforded against contamination of the water-bearing formation and to exclude sources of contamination.

Every well should be tested for yield. The pumping equipment used should have a capacity at least equal to the pumping rate desired of the well during normal usage. Ideally, a well should be tested for stabilized yield and drawdown by pumping initially at 150% of the design pumping rate, and backing off until a stabilized yield is achieved. The test pump should be operated continuously for a minimum of one hour, continuing until the pumping water level stabilizes. A that point, the well yield and drawdown should be recorded. Bailing may be used to give a rough estimate of the yield of the well, but it is practical only for testing very weak wells. Bailing is not a reliable substitute for a pumping test when the anticipated or desired yield is more than 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm). Air lift pumping is not an acceptable method for determining yield.

A well should be capable of supplying sufficient water to meet required needs. Wells constructed as a source of water for a residence should have a stabilized yield of at least 5 gpm. If a well"s stabilized yield is less than required, the driller should inform the owner so he or she can provide additional storage and the proper kind of pumping equipment to satisfy the anticipated peak demand for water.

The minimum casing diameter for every new well should be at least 5 inches nominal inside diameter. Further, the inside well diameter should be at least 1 inch larger than the outer diameter of pumping equipment to be installed. Only those wells used for monitoring may be constructed of casing less than 4 inches in diameter.

Every drive pipe should be fitted with a standard drive shoe, threaded or welded onto the pipe so that the pipe rests on the internal shoulder of the shoe. The shoe should have a beveled and tempered cutting edge of metal alloyed for this special purpose.

The casing of the well should be steel or thermoplastic of sufficient thickness and quality to protect the well against structural deficiencies during construction, and against contamination by surface water or other undesirable materials during the expected life of the well. Only recessed couplings may be used on threaded steel casing. Steel casing should be new, first-class material meeting ASTM1Standards A-120 or A-53, or API2 Standards API-5A or API-5L. Thin-walled, sheet metal, used, reclaimed, rejected, or contaminated pipe or casing should not be used in a water well. Only casing salvaged from water well test holes may be reused for well drilling. Where corrosive water or soil is likely to be encountered, thicker walled casing than that specified in the following tables should be used.

2American Petroleum Institute, 1271 Avenue of Americas, New York, NY 10020Nominal Size in InchesExternal Diameter in InchesInternal Diameter in InchesWall Thickness in InchesWeight in Pounds / Foot - Plain EndsWeight in Pounds / Foot - Treaded Ends1Standard line pipe in these thicknesses may be threaded and coupled, or welded.55.5635.0470.25814.6214.90

1010.75010.1920.27931.2032.20Nominal Size in InchesExternal Diameter in InchesInternal Diameter in InchesWall Thickness in InchesWeight in Pounds / Foot - Plain Ends2Lighter weight pipe, meeting ASTM Standards A-53 or A-120 and API Standard API-5L, is suitable for welding only.55.5635.1870.18810.76

Thermoplastic pipe used for water well construction should comply with ANSI/ ASTM-F480, latest revision, "Thermoplastic Water Well Casing Pipe and Couplings Made in Standard Dimension Ratios (SDR)." Acceptable thermoplastic pipe materials for water well casing are acrylonitrilb-utadiene-styrene (ABS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and styrene rubber (SR) containing a minimum of 50 percent styrene and 5 percent rubber. Thermoplastic well casing should have a minimum wall thickness equal to SDR-26 for wells 100 feet deep or less and SDR-21 for wells deeper than 100 feet. All thermoplastic casing used on a well should be of the same type, grade and manufacturer. Pipe selection for diameters, wall thickness, and installation techniques should conform to latest edition of ASTM-F480 and the "Manual of Practices for the Installation of Thermoplastic Water Well Casing," developed by the National Ground Water Association and the Plastic Pipe Institute.

According to ASTM-F480, thermoplastic well casing pipe should be marked at least every 5 feet in letters not less than 3/16 inch high in a contrasting color with the following: nominal casing pipe size; casing pipe SDR; type of plastic used (ABS, PVC, or SR); the impact classification (for example, IC-3); ASTM designation F480; the manufacturer"s name or trademark; and the manufacturer"s code for the lot number, and date of resin manufacture. Thermoplastic well casing intended for potable water also should include the seal or mark of the laboratory making the evaluation for potable water use, spaced along the casing at intervals specified by the laboratory. Nominal Pipe SizeAverage Outside Diameter Tolerance in InchesOn Average Outside Diameter Tolerance in InchesOut-of-Roundness Tolerance for SDR-26 and SDR-21Out-of-Roundness Tolerance for SDR-17 and SDR-13.555.5630.0100.0500.030

The casing of any well should project at least 12 inches above the pump house floor or finished ground surface, and at least 24 inches above the highest flood level of record. No casing should be cut off below ground surface except to install a pit-less adapter. Likewise, a pit-less adapter should project at least 12 inches above ground surface.

There should be no opening in the casing below its top except for a properly installed pit-less adapter. The upper terminus of the pit-less adapter should comply with Section 4.8 concerning vents. A pit-less adapter should be attached to the well casing by threading or welding in a manner that will ensure a watertight permanent connection. The adapter fitting should be a commercially produced casting or shop-welded fitting, pressure tested to at least 100 pounds per square inch, with no weeping or leakage. Saddle-type fittings with heavy corrosion-resistant U-bolts and rubber gaskets are acceptable if the system will be under pressure at all times. The pit-less adapter should be designed to prevent the pump column pipe from dropping into the well if there is misalignment during assembly, or during installation or reinstallation the pit-less adapter"s internal parts.

The annular space between the well casing and the bore hole must be properly sealed with neat cement grout or bentonite clay grout, to prevent the entry of contaminants into the aquifer.The casing of a well completed in rock should be firmly seated in sound rock. If broken or creviced rock is encountered above the aquifer, the casing should be seated in sound rock. In areas where a rock well can be developed only in the upper fractured rock, the casing may terminate in this formation if there is at least 25 feet of unconsolidated material above the rock. When there is less overburden and deeper strata will not produce potable water, the sub-standard quality of the well must be recognized. Your local health department or the State Department of Health can be consulted for advice on treatment necessary to provide a safe supply.

In a rock well, the annular space between the casing and the drill hole should be sealed to a sufficient depth to prevent surface drainage water, or shallow subsurface drainage, from entering the hole. If rock is encountered within 25 feet of the surface, the hole should be reamed at least 4 inches greater diameter than the outer diameter of the casing so that a minimum 2-inch annular space is created that can be filled with grout. The casing should be extended at least 10 feet into rock, or to a point at least 25 feet below the surface, whichever is deeper, and the annular space grouted.

If neat cement grout is used to seal a bore hole it should be composed of a thorough mixture of Portland cement and clean water at a rate of one bag (94 lbs.) of cement to 5 to 6 gallons of water so that it can be pumped or puddled into the annular space to seal it. If neat cement grout cannot be placed effectively, additives may be used provided shrinkage is held to a minimum and the mixture will form a watertight seal throughout the entire depth required to prevent objectionable waters from entering the hole.

Wells drawing from unconsolidated water-bearing formations should be fitted with screens having the maximum open area consistent with strength of the screen and the size of materials in the water-bearing formation or gravel pack. The openings should permit maximum transmissivity without clogging or jamming. Recommended screen materials include stainless steel, fiberglass, PVC, and ABS. Slotted pipe or iron or mild steel screens are unacceptable. To prevent deposition in and around screen openings, the well screen should have a total opening area sufficient to allow water entry through the screen at a maximum velocity of 0.1 feet per second.

A temporary cap should be placed on a well until pumping equipment can be installed, to prevent insects, rodents and other contaminants from entering the casing.

Each drilled well should be tested for plumbness and alignment. The bore of the hole should be sufficiently plumb and straight that the casing will not bind as it is installed. The casing should be sufficiently plumb and straight that it will not interfere with installation and operation of the pump.

Water used in drilling should be potable, so that the well and water bearing formations penetrated do not become contaminated. Water from creeks and ponds is unacceptable. As an added precaution, water used during drilling should be treated to maintain a free chlorine residual of 100 milligrams per liter (mg/l).

The well driller should furnish the owner with a duplicate copy of the information he or she is required to submit to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources in accordance with Rule 312 IAC 13-2-6, including:Method of well construction;

No well or well-like structure may be used for the disposal of sewage, waste, or drainage or other material that might contaminate potable water. All disposal wells must be approved by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management prior to construction.

If a well is to be used to return uncontaminated water to an aquifer, the return water must not be aerated. It is important to minimize other adverse changes in return water quality, as compared to natural groundwater quality. The return pipe should discharge at least 5 feet below static water level in the return well. The screen of a recharge well should have two to three times the open area that would be provided for a comparable supply well.

If a well is to be abandoned, it must be properly sealed to restore, as far as possible, the hydrologic conditions that existed before the well was drilled. An improperly abandoned well is an uncontrolled invasion point for contaminated water. Unsealed wells are a hazard to public health, safety, welfare, and to the preservation of our groundwater resource. Sealing of wells presents a number of problems, dependent on construction of the well, the geological formations it penetrates, and hydrologic conditions. A properly sealed water well will: (1) eliminate the physical hazard; (2) prevent groundwater contamination; 3) conserve the aquifer"s yield; 4) maintain the aquifer"s hydrostatic head; and (5) prevent intermingling of waters when more than one aquifer is involved. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources addresses proper well abandonment in its Rule 312 IAC 13-10.

Every pump and water system should:Be durable in design and construction, and properly sized to produce the volume of water necessary for the intended use.

Pit-less adapters are designed to replace the upper section of a well casing, thus serving as the terminus of the well. They are designed to be field attached to the well casing, and the discharge piping that connects to the side of the pit-less adapter is designed to be pressurized by the water system at all times. The cap, casing cover or sanitary seal should be self-draining and overlap the top of the pit-less adapter casing with a downward flange. There should be no openings in the pit-less adapter cap, within the diameter of the pit-less casing except for a factory-installed vent. Pit-less adapter vents should comply with the Section 4.8.

A vertical turbine well pump should be mounted on the well casing, a pump foundation, or a pump stand, to provide an effective well seal at the top of the well. Further, the pump should be mounted on a base plate or foundation in a manner that will prevent dust and insects from entering the well.

Submersible pumps should have at least one check valve located in the discharge pump column pipe from the pump, inside the well casing. Therefore, a check valve is not needed on the piping between the well and the pressure tank. A watertight expanding gasket or equivalent well seal should be provided to seal inside the well casing and around the discharge pipe and conduit containing the power cable for the pump.

Unless the pump is submersible it should be installed at a weatherproof, frost-proof location. Pump controls should be similarly located. Any protective structure should permit removal of the pump and column pipe for maintenance and repair. The pumphouse floor should be constructed of impervious material, and slope away from the well in all directions.

Vent piping should be sized to allow rapid equalization of air pressure in the well. A minimum of ½-inch piping should be utilized. Vent openings should terminate at least 12 inches above finished grade; be turned down; be secured in position; be reasonably tamper-proof; and be screened with not less than a 24-mesh screen or else filtered in a manner that will prevent the entry of insects. Pay particular attention to venting of wells in areas where toxic or flammable gases are known to be a characteristic of the water. In such cases, all vents should discharge outside at a height where the gases will not accumulate or otherwise pose a hazard.

Pumps should be of a type that use water for lubrication of the pump bearings. If a storage tank is required for lubrication water, it should be designed to protect the water from contamination. Oil lubricated line shaft turbine pumps are not acceptable for use in potable water systems.

A water system should include a sampling faucet for collection of water samples, installed on the discharge piping from the pump, prior to chlorination or any other treatment. The sampling faucets should be a minimum of ½-inch I.P.S., have a smooth end, and a turned-down nozzle. Hose bibs are unacceptable, because their threaded nozzles prevent collection of representative bacteriological samples.

Offset pumps and pressure tanks should be located where they are readily accessible. They should not be located in a crawl space unless the crawl space is drained to the ground surface beyond the crawl space, preferably by gravity (rather than by use of a sump pump). There should be a minimum of 4 feet clearance between the floor of a crawl space and the floor joist overhead, to allow for servicing. Pumps and pressure tanks should be located within 5 feet of the crawl space entry. The crawl space access opening should be at least 2 feet high and 2 feet wide.

No material should be used in the well or pump installation that could contaminate the aquifer or the water produced, or cause an objectionable taste or odor.

During normal operation no chemical other than sodium hypochlorite should be fed into a well. If the water pumped from a well must be chemically treated, it must be accomplished in a manner that will prevent accidental backfeed or back siphonage of the treatment chemical into the well.

The contractor is responsible for properly disinfecting any new well or well subjected to repairs or pump maintenance, upon completion of the work. Likewise, a pump installer must disinfect the well after the pump is installed, or repaired. Sufficient chlorine solution should be introduced into the well and water system to insure a minimum dosage of 100 mg/l. This chlorine solution should remain in the well and water system for a minimum of 24 hours. However, after 24 hours at least 25 mg/l of chlorine should still remain in the water. Under these conditions the well need not be disinfected again until the pump is set.

Every new, modified or reconditioned water source, including pumping equipment and the gravel used in gravel wall wells, should be similarly disinfected before the well is again placed into service. Such treatment should be performed when the well work is finished and again when the pump is installed or reinstalled.Use Table 6 to determine the amount of water in a drilled or driven well, based on casing size and the total depth of the well: Diameter of Well Casing in inchesGallons per foot

For each 100 gallons of water in the well, calculated from Table 6 above, use 3 cups of liquid laundry bleach (5.25% chlorine) or 2 ounces of hypochlorite granules (70% chlorine). Mix the calculated amount of chlorine in about 10 gallons of water. For your convenience in measuring out the correct amount, the following conversion factors are listed:2 cups = 1 pint

Connect one or more hoses to faucets on the discharge side of the pressure tank and run them into the top of the well casing. Start the pump, circulating the water back into the well for a least 15 minutes. Then open each faucet in the system until a chlorine smell or taste appears. Close all faucets. Seal the top of the well.

After pumping the well and water system to remove the disinfectant, collect a water sample from the system using a sterile bottle provided by a laboratory that is certified to perform bacteriological analyses. Before the installation can be placed in service for human consumption, the water sample collected should have less than two coliform organisms per 100 milliliters of water. If the first sample is unsatisfactory, the disinfection procedure should be repeated and another sample collected for analysis. This procedure should continue until test results are satisfactory.

In addition to bacteriological testing, all new wells should be sampled for chemical analysis. The analysis should include all parameters listed in Table 7 below:Test ParameterState/Federal Drinking Water StandardAesthetic Recommendation* Only one test needs to be performed for nitrates. However, a laboratory can report the results of its nitrate testing in either of the ways listed.Total hardness, as CaCO3--------

If a resident has been advised by a physician to limit their dietary intake of sodium it is recommended that the water also be tested for sodium, so that source of sodium intake can be factored into the resident"s total diet. If a water softener will be installed for treatment, then that source of sodium input to the water should also be factored into the resident"s total diet. It also is desirable to test in the field for hydrogen sulfide.

The well driller and/or water system installation contractor should construct and install the well and/or water system in accordance with these standards and acceptable industry practices. If these criteria are met, the well driller and water system installation contractor should not be responsible for the quality or quantity of water obtained.

Several local health departments now require that a permit be obtained before construction of a residential water supply well or installation of a well pump.

If there are special conditions that make it impossible or impractical to comply with these recommendations, your local health department should be consulted for assistance in determining safe alternatives.

"Pit-less adapter" means a watertight unit designed and constructed for permanent attachment to the well casing. A pit-less adapter provides a vent, electrical, and discharge pipe connections while preventing contaminants at or near the surface from entering the well. It also permits termination of the well above the ground surface.