In coastal areas and river bottoms, and most places not in hard rock country, water is often produced from sand.

Most of us in the water well industry know our areas well enough to be able to preplan a well and go to the location with the right tools and equipment. But sometimes we run into the unexpected.

The driller has to not only find and identify the producing formations, he also has to minimize damage to the formation.

The other night, I got into a discussion with a group of well drillers that centered around bits or hole openers backing off in broken, rough-running formations. The reasons — and cures — are pretty straightforward, but often overlooked.

Casing while drilling (CWD) has been around in the rotary business for only 20 to 30 years, but cable tool drillers have been using this method since about day one.

I have a lot of friends on social media in the drilling business. We ask each other questions, give answers to questions and generally interact in ways that help build the industry.

A friend called the other night to catch up and chew the fat about things in general. I asked him if he was busy, etc., and he told me that he had lost a well that day.

With costs of materials, labor and fuel going up, it seems that a good look at what we charge might be a smart idea.

True exploration drilling is when a driller goes into an area that nobody has drilled before. I have been involved with some true exploration projects over the years, and thought I’d share some of my experiences.

I usually write about rigs and well-related topics, but this month I’m going to break from the norm a little and tell a story about my friends and I from a few years ago in North Dakota.