125 Years of Tradition Meets Split Spoon Innovation

Pennsylvania Drilling Company has focused on geotechnical work for more than a century. With eight crews running a dozen conventional rigs every day, they know what works in the field. In 2022, a split spoon test sparked a big shift. The now retired drilling manager ordered a couple of Geoprobe^® interlocking split spoons to try.

“Geotech drillers all have their preferences — from style of gloves to split spoons — so it’s hard to get a consensus on anything,” Justin Derrico, current drilling manager, said. “For most everyday purposes, the Geoprobe^® interlocking split spoons seem to be preferred by the crews.”

Crews liked the efficiency. Helpers appreciated the ease of assembly. Operations valued the durability.

“You don’t see the swelling in the splits like the traditional split spoons we’ve used, they’re easier to put together and take apart, and they never seem to need filed down like some other spoons that need some work to get them to fit right,” Derrico said. “If it makes every sample easier, then it’s doing something right.”

Now the purchasing team is on board with the interlocking split spoon too.

“We’ve been ordering them regularly since 2022, and they now make up probably 75 percent of the spoons we have in the shop. We have them on all our field rigs,” Derrico said. “I can’t remember the last time I ordered traditional style spoons.”

What began as an experiment has become the new standard for a company built on more than a century of drilling tradition.