Well Done!
|
Movie failed to load - this page requires javascripting and QuickTime to be
enabled.
|
Here are some videos and photos from the two-day project we just completed with Black Mountain Drilling.
The drilling was surprisingly complicated. Although the crew was able to drill at a rate of over two feet per minute, it was often one step forward, two steps back.
The well drillers actually prefer to drill into hard rock. Our place is what they call a "mud well" because it is drilled though sediments ranging from gravel to sand to clay. During the casing, the portions passing through loose sediments are susceptible to collapse - the sides of the well fall in, blocking the casing.
The crew had to stop casing, redrill the remaining portion of the well, and then return to casing. This also resulted in that portion of the well being potentially much larger than the original diameter, making backfilling the well around the outer casing quite a chore. The space between the original dirt and the outer casing is filled with a special sand to allow water to percolate through. The more dirt that comes out of the hole, the more sand that has to be replaced when the drilling is done.
The witcher's stake marked the spot
The well drilling rig is part of a specialized (i.e. heavy and expensive) truck
A larger bit is used to bore out the hole to accept the casing steel. The larger bit allows use of a foam diverter - while it helps, this is still a very messy operation.
The rig can provide up to 1,000 cubic feet per minute of compressed air. This lifts the sediments and water out of the well. The sediment most likely to have water is coarse gravel.
Day one ended with most of the outer casing welded together and placed in the well
To pass the time as the crew alternatively bored and cased the mud hole, I made some repairs to our trailer.
The rig's water was shut off and compressed air was used to lift water and sediments out of the well.
The water depth we estimated, based on surrounding wells, proved to be a little shallow. Hoping for 150 feet, we eventually went to 210 feet below the high chaparal.
At this point water was entering well and mixing with the drilling foam. Estimated production is about 10 gallons per minute.
A special drill bit cuts slots in the outer casing to allow water to enter. This causes special problems, too. As the water rushes in, sediments are carried inside the casing. The bottom 7 foot of our 210 foot well were filled with sediments from this operation. The special sand placed between the outer steel casing and the PVC liner prevent sedimentation of the well. But, in a catch 22, you can't perforate the casing if the sand is already in place.
Day two ended with the good feeling of having water in the well, and an estimated water delivery rate that will support a household. Dead Avalanche batteries were a problem though - but Bob made a mad dash for help and managed to flag down the drilling crew before they headed back to Divide, CO.
The finished well, with a soft-start pump installed. The well is producing crystal-clear water at better than 8 gallons-per-minute. And, no, it's not much to look at. But, you can always re-read that part about "crystal-clear water at better than 8 gallons-per-minute".
The property is really shaping up! A habitat, a trailer, a well, a driveway, a beagle... we're on our way!