WorldWide Drilling Resource

26 JULY 2014 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Environmental Monitoring by Thomas Kwader, Ph.D., P.G. Drilling a Well - Does it really matter if we move over a few feet? I’m sure we all have our stories of how the geology changed in two wells only a few tens of feet apart, or how one well produces ten times the amount of water as an “identically” constructed well not that far away. Is the subsurface truly different, or is one well “developed” better than the other? Let’s assume the well construction is identical. Can the geology change rapidly over very short distances? The short answer is yes and no. We know in some areas there are very uniform sediments known to be uniform for hundreds of miles; and well yields are very uniform, especially in flat-lying sandstones (example from Tuscaloosa, Alabama; covering the top of Florida; over to include Louisiana) which are relatively uniform, fine, clean sands be- lieved to be wind-blown deposits. These water-bearing zones are said to have “primary porosity” which has not been altered by fracturing or dissolution. Gen- erally, wells drilled into formations of this type are consistent producers no matter where you set up to drill. On the other hand, wells which rely upon transmitting water along second- ary porosity features, such as fractures or porosity formed by percolating water dissolving the rock along bedding planes or fractures, are less consistent. These wells are much more variable in yield, depending upon if the borehole inter- sects the fractures or solution features. A well intersecting a few fractures could produce large volumes of water; how- ever, a few feet away boreholes into solid rock may only yield a trickle of water. If you are not very satisfied with the well yield, you may try drilling deeper which will provide more zones to per- colate into the well. Well development may also increase the efficiency of the well up to double or more depending upon the type of development. A surge block is often worthwhile. Tom admin@ worldwidedrillingresource.com )0&"%1 "6)&4 ,, ,, 2)&0 -%3120*"+ )0&"%1 "-% 312., )0&"%1 "-3'"$230&0 .' -&02*" !&+%&% 0*++ */& 3"+ !"++ 0*++ */& !*0&+*-& 0*++ .% "1*-( .,/.1*2& !*0&+*-& 0*++ .%1 .-*$ 0*++ */& "1*-( *21 &0$311*.- "1*-( *21 0*++ .++"01 *1)*-( ..+1 3#1 2"02&0 .%1 "-% 2"#*+*7&01 0*++ */& -$ )*0% 2 8 !*-12&% ).-& 8 8 "5 2., %0*++/*/&*-$ $., 8 444 %0*++/*/&*-$ $., Overcoming cont’d from page 25. live prospect, they blow it. It’s not the budget’s spent; it’s because the salesper- son doesn’t create the desire to even have a conversation, much less interest in the product or service. This step, when done right, opens doors. Think about this: if you’re having trouble getting prospects on the phone after your initial “presentation”, there’s something in your approach hindering your success. The good news is it’s easy to change your path. Instead of feeling you have to take advantage of the connection to talk about yourself, take advantage of the connection to talk about them . Discover what is in the way of achieving their goals. The information they share could be the key to opening their wallets and finding money to spend on your product or service. A budget, after all, is usually a best- guess plan, rarely are they cast in stone.