Some more well questions and a whatisit

[1930]

Since your drilling into sand you will need to put a screen in. The screens are measured by the width of the slots. Ex: a 40 slot has slots that are 0.040" apart. The screen is installed after the well has been dug and extends below the bottom of the well. The screen is smaller in diameter than the well (a 2" casing will use a 1-1/4" screen) and the bottom of a screen is attached to a point. A screen extension is attached to a screen extension that is a short piece of pipe. The pipe is then attached to a K packer that is a rubber seal that seals the extension pipe to the well casing preventing the ingress of sediment. The picture below shows it well.
https://slideplayer.com/slide/3928996/13/images/31/K+-+PACKER+SCREEN+BLANK+WELL+SCREEN.jpg

I have used Johnson screens and the wires are tapered to reduce the screen from getting clogged. Stainless screens are a must.
Water Well - Aqseptence Group

Below is a K packer.
Tri-Seal / K-Packer - Well Flow Products

The screen is installed after the casing has been placed into the well and prior to grouting the casing in. Depending on the formation you might use multiple screens screwed together to increase the wells production. The casing is not set at the bottom of the bore but stays off the bottom the length of the screen or more. You place the casing in the well, then you clean out the drilling mud using air. Once you have the drilling mud cleaned out you push the screen down the well. Since your using light weight drill rod and your rig does not have pull down your going to have to manually shove the screen down by pushing it. (hope your in good shape they are tight) Once the screen is in place you put a pump in it and see how well it produces. You can also air pump a well so you do not have to put a pump in. If the well does not produce then you will have to pull the screen, pull the casing and drill more. Last well I helped with we tried to finish in drift, however it would only product 10GPM so we pulled everything out and took it to bedrock.

A sand point has the screen attached first then the casing is attached to it and the whole thing is driven into the ground. If if fails to produce, you pound it in more.

What is preventing you from bringing your existing well back into production? Does it have a breached casing? Often if you pull and replace the screen you can get an old well to produce good.

I cant tell you how much I appreciate this input that you have given.

I am going to have to read it a few times and will prob have some more questions, I hope that you are able to come back and answer them for me.

I called around again to a few well drilling companies yesterday and was lucky enough to have 2 different guys try and explain what you have mentioned above but one guy I could barely hear and the other guy I just couldnt picture what he was trying to have me understand.

The well I mentioned isnt my well, it is an abandoned well on unused property that was installed many years ago, I was just measuring the well to get an idea of water table in my particular area and well depth.

I will be starting from scratch with digging my own well on my own property.

This is most likely going to be the drilling rig that I will be using. SH26D 22V hydraulic water drilling machine - YouTube

 

[Sportsman762]

I would look into a sand point well. They sound just like what you need since you cannot do more than a 2" casing. A drilled well is a lot more work than a driven well to develop and put into production. I also am not the most knowledgeable, however I will try to answer all the questions I can.

 

[1930]

I would look into a sand point well. They sound just like what you need since you cannot do more than a 2" casing. A drilled well is a lot more work than a driven well to develop and put into production. I also am not the most knowledgeable, however I will try to answer all the questions I can.

Sand point will no work, there is no water avail shallow enough. Sand point cant be driven more than 4-50 feet from what I have read. I need to go between 60-100 feet.

Im pretty darn sure there is zero rock formation until down much further than Id ever intend to drill so Id be placing the casing in sand.

Can you give me some ideas on what I might experience while drilling with the machine I have linked too. What should I be looking for and what steps I should take to get a good water supply assuming I am even aware that I have found water.

Not sure if I should use bentonite, the 2 holes I dug ( 27 feet down ) with my hand auger had not collapsed in the least even after 2 weeks. No sure why, no clay just damp sand is all I pulled out. I understand that 27 feet and 100 feet are 2 different depths.

Can you give me some ideas on what I might expect when I am in a water bearing area, Not sure what I might be looking for other than possibly larger deposits of sand coming up to the surface?

Not sure how I should develop the well after I have found water.

I have no doubt that if I dug a hole down 100 feet Im gonna have a well and Im pretty sure it wouldnt matter where I dug that hole but Id like to go at it with some thought instead of just mindlessly boring a hole and hoping for the best.

I have professional grade perforated 4 inch casing, Im sure I can get the same in 2 inch.

Can you tell me the steps you would follow to install a 2 inch PVC cased well?

 

[1930]

Ive spent months researching well construction/installation. The last thing I want is to mindlessly bore a hole and just stick a casing/screen in the ground/call it a day.

I want to give it my best effort

 

[Chris616]

<snip>

Can you give me some ideas on what I might expect when I am in a water bearing area, Not sure what I might be looking for other than possibly larger deposits of sand coming up to the surface?

<snip>

Jason, you may not have had time to read all the materials that I recently pointed you towards. The drilling rig that you're planning to use looks similar to the technology used in that 176 page manual from Lifewater. There is a chapter there entitled "Deciding when to stop drilling" with a list of signs to watch for that will indicate that you've hit a good water-bearing layer. It seems that the answers to at least some of your questions are in there.

Chris

 

[1930]

Jason, you may not have had time to read all the materials that I recently pointed you towards. The drilling rig that you're planning to use looks similar to the technology used in that 176 page manual from Lifewater. There is a chapter there entitled "Deciding when to stop drilling" with a list of signs to watch for that will indicate that you've hit a good water-bearing layer. It seems that the answers to at least some of your questions are in there.

Chris

Hi Chris, unless Im wrong I believe the lifewater deal that you mentioned is the blacks in Africa digging wells thru the help of some missionaries.

I did find that information quite a while back and thought I had gone thru it entirely, I will need to find it again and make sure I didnt miss something.

Ill go back and re read your contributions to my threads and Im sure Ill find that information quick enough. Thanks

 

[1930]

Ok Yes, I see it again page 38 of 176.

Im going to print out the pages now.

In the manual it says basically there is no exact science to any of this so basically there is nothing thats gonna pop out and say hey dummy stop drilling, thats hard for me to swallow cause I know that someone with years of well drilling experience would almost certainly know just when to stop because of his experience.

It sounded to me as if Sportsman762 has alot more experience than I, it also seemed like maybe he was local too me cause he knew some of the local rules/regulations ( even provided the Marion County link )

I was trying to pick the brain of a local boy.

I keep meaning to send you a P.M telling you that your help with the well logs was by and large the greatest help I had received online cause it really helped my water table question but Ill just point that out here. Thanks again

 

[Sportsman762]

Generally a well driller will review the logs from local wells in the area. Some drillers make detailed logs, others not so much. Based off of these logs the driller will select a formation they believe will be most appropriate The driller will look at the chips coming up with the mud and determine what formation they are in. Also the production rates depend on if the driller put a test pump in that was maxed out or had capacity left. Ex: 10 gpm in a well log would suggest that the driller used a 10gpm test pump, whereas 11 would suggest they actually measured it. Some drillers will air lift instead of using a test pump, this is harder to measure the flow from. (stick an air hose in well and blow the water out, pumping the well.)

I am on the northern border of the US so a little far from FL. However I know that almost every jurisdiction has significant regulations on well drilling.

 

[Sportsman762]

The SH260 drill appears to have a grab for the drill rod to hold it in place when your fitting the next rod. The bits they show in the video are drag bits. They require a fair bit of torque to turn and are only good in loose formations. Your going to have to go slow and once you get near the bottom of the well your probably going to have to hold some of the weight of the drill string to prevent too much down pressure on the bit. Starting the well will be challenging due to the lack of pressure on the bit, starting it with an auger might be an idea. The drill rig is low to the ground so its going to be a challenge to have a mud tub to pump into unless you elevate the rig. The mud tub is what separates the chips from the drill mud. It has a riser that brings the fluid out of the hole and dumps it on one side of the tub. The mud then flows over a low divider to the other side where it is then sucked out. The side that the water initially flows in will have all the chips deposited then it allowing you to pump cleaner mud back down the hole out of the other side.
Recirculation mud tub for wet drilling, made from aluminum

Your going to want to make sure that the rate your pumping the mud is adequate to bring up the cuttings. Sand requires a pretty low annular velocity and a heavier mud. To high of a velocity and you will erode the bore wall and create potential issues. it is not uncommon to use a polymer additive when drilling in sand to reduce washouts.

Often will drilling in sand a set casing will be installed to prevent undermining the rig. This is a piece of steel casing that is driven in the ground and reduces chances of collapse. The well is drilled through it and once the well is finished it is removed after the casing is in the hole, prior to grouting.

Not using bentonite increases probability of a well bore collapse. This is not good since your rig has limited pull back and limited torque. If you suffer a collapse your probably going to loose your bit and rod. The rods in the photos are not smooth and have larger ends welded on. This makes it even more critical to not have a collapse. Professional drillers use rods that are smooth with flats inset in them so breakout tools can grab the rod. Some drillers will use completely smooth rods to reduce issues with them sticking.

below are rods with flats
Lot 8' 4-1/2'' OD Pin & Box Regular Driltech Style Drill Rod

below is completely smooth rods
Lot 1' 4-1/2'' OD Pin & Box Regular Versa Drill/T2 Style Drill Rod

Your rig will be light on torque so its going to be a challenge to get much production. It also lacks pull down so your limited on what pressure you can apply to the bit. I did not see a stabilizer in the package. A stabilizer is a modified drill rod section that is close to the diameter of the well bore. It keeps the bit running straight. On long drill strings multiple stabilizers are used to prevent the rod from contacting the bore well. At minimum a poorly stabilized string will cause the bore to deflect, in worse case scenario the drill string can twist so bad it binds up.

below is a smooth stabilizer. These can cause washouts as they increase the velocity of the mud. Ribbed or spiral ones are better, however they require more torque.
6'' x 2' Stabilizer 3-1/2'' IF Pin & Box


When drilling a 4" well 120 feet deep we used around 750-1000 gallons. You will need water to drill with and it is critical to have enough to keep the bore filled until you have the casing grouted in. Water is used for multiple purposes.

drilling mud
cleaning well for development
grouting

 

[1930]

Thanks very much for the reply, I understand your busy. You hadnt noticed but the first deal with the sh260 fell thru, Ive since ordered this 219 New Designed Electric Motor Water Well Drilling Rig, View electric water well rig, HT Product Details from Qinhuangdao Lulong HT Engineering Machinery Factory on Alibaba.com

The seller has ...........1. According to the agreement, the supplier has 08days 22hours 45minutes 35seconds left to ship the order...........according to Alibaba website. Im hoping the deal does not fall short again.

The link was appreciated, I would not have guess I had someone so close to me in the drilling industry, I will be in contact with TMG