WorldWide Drilling Resource

22 JANUARY 2014 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Environmental Monitoring by Thomas Kwader, Ph.D., P.G. Accessing International Technology - Are you using it? A few years ago I would cringe at the thought of sending e-mails or mail overseas. I was worried about the lan- guage barrier and the ability to commu- nicate, especially with technical subjects. Based on my experience, I have found it is much easier than I thought, and there is a wealth of very good technical infor- mation abroad I have been missing. For instance, from Australia, I saw an e-mail on a subject I have an interest in, name- ly the “occurrence of arsenic in water produced from artificial storage and re- covery (ASR) wells”. I actually had an exchange of more than a dozen e-mails in which I learned they had the same issues in Australia I was experiencing, and they were actually able to help me with my problems. Also, I worried about my ability to communicate in a foreign language (I have never been very good at Spanish). My company participated on a project in Argentina which had me concerned about communicating directly regarding technical issues. It turned out, the client spoke better English than I and he was able to write and speak English fluently, which minimized my language handicap. Also, when the client sent me geologi- cal reports in Spanish, I was able to use programs available on the Internet to translate the document into English. Although the translation was not always perfect, I understood the points being made. Another advantage of dealing inter- nationally is marketing products. My wife and I have a small business selling well development tools and our sales outside the U.S. have grown in the last few years. FedEx, UPS, DHL, and others make it easy to ship and receive pack- ages relatively quickly, without extensive customs issues. Not to mention, there are many products made abroad which are not readily available here in the U.S. and are worthwhile looking into. Yes, the Internet, Twitter, and ship- ping packages overseas has made the world a much smaller place. Tom Tom Kwader may be contacted via e-mail at admin@ worldwidedrillingresource.com Focus on MWWA Get set for the 92 nd Annual Minnesota Water Well Association (MWWA) Trade Show and Convention January 26-28, at the Arrowwood Resort and Conference Center in Alexandria, Minnesota. The packed schedule begins on Sunday with registration and Board of Directors meeting, followed by informa- tive seminars and MWWA hospitality. Monday has more opportunities for education and updates, along with a great trade show of all the latest equip- ment and accessories. There is also a ladies program, so be sure to find out the details at registration. The annual banquet, auction, and casino are on Monday night. Once again, the screen lamp and miniature drill rig wi l l be up for auction to benefit the Dave Williams Foundation. Show your support by bidding on these traveling items to display for a year. Tuesday dawns bright with breakfast and annual meeting, then past presidents’ meeting and Board of Directors’ meeting. The WWDR Team hopes to see you there! For more information, visit www.mwwa.org The “Three Amigos” from Hole Products and the “Dynamic Duo” from Armstrong Machine Company, Inc. attended MWWA last year. WWDR photos. -32* &; = 3'.0* 1&.0 /('.768440< <&-33 (31 &00 86 35 9.6.7 86 &7 .57 .,,*5 2*: &2) 86*) '. 76 1&7 5 .; &2) 67**0 '3)< 7 0 & 6 3 4 ( 3 :35/39*5 7337- &2) '87732 '.76 *&5 0&: 855.(&2* &2) -314 1. 0 06 +35 (*1*27 1*7&0 &2) (31436.7* 408,6 5&, '.76 &2) /*00< '.76 !$" ! % # ! ! #