Best Equipment for Different Types of Drilling

Submitted by GSE Inc.

GSE Inc. is the firm you can trust with all your drilling, remediation, and environmental compliance needs. Their drilling division specializes in environmental, geotechnical, and aggregate drilling using a diversified fleet of rigs.

“We’re licensed to drill in more than 20 states across the Southeast, Midwest, Northeast, and East Coast,” Chris Ratley, director of operations, said. “For the past 20 years, we've been providing drilling services for soil and groundwater investigation and remediation projects across the US and Puerto Rico using Geoprobe^® and conventional rigs.”

With a commitment to delivering exceptional service on every project, GSE recognizes that their drilling division requires top-tier equipment. This dedication to client satisfaction prompted the purchase of two new 7822DT V4 models.

“We provide the best equipment, so our customers get the best service. We purchased two 7822DTs to replace two of our older models. We want to show up on every project with dependable equipment and qualified drill teams,” Ratley said. “The 7822DT is the most versatile rig we own and the one we use most often. We use them for environmental sampling and geotechnical drilling and can do so many things with them.”

Different Types of Drilling

The versatility and compact size of the 7822DT makes them the preferred choice for particular jobs, including:

• Environmental sampling: “For Phase II environmental drilling and soil sampling, we use the 7822DT because it provides high-quality soil and groundwater sampling capabilities.”
• Geotechnical drilling: “We choose the 7822DT for shallow geotechnical borings where we collect SPT samples because it’s powerful, versatile, and durable.”
• Limited access: “We like to use the 7822DT for environmental or geotechnical projects in areas where a smaller footprint is needed because its compact design makes it easier to maneuver.”

Setting up and traversing between holes quickly also tips the scales toward using their 7822DTs.

“We can set up on a new hole much quicker and more efficiently than with our conventional rigs,” Ratley said. “We can get the rig level using the extend, oscillate, shift, and angle functions.”

Increased demand for drilling services around their northern Alabama location also contributed to upgrading their fleet of 7822DTs.

“There’s so much local construction and growth in the area. This has resulted in an increased number of Phase II and geotechnical projects that are ideal for the 7822DTs,” Ratley said. “Much like a personal vehicle, maintaining and upgrading as required is key to performance."

They're used to the performance and easy operation of their 7822DTs, but their drillers recognize the little touches on the 7822DT V4, which make their jobs easier.

“The 7822DT is easy to run. We train our drillers on it because it’s not as complicated as conventional rigs,” Ratley said. “The drillers like the new updated MD4 touchscreen display on the control panel. They like having extra toolboxes as well.”

When repairing their previous model 7822DTs, they’ve appreciated being able to call expert service technicians. The service support extends to staying informed through the Geoprobe^® Centerpoint Connected customer portal.

“They always answer the phones and try to help us,” Ratley said. “We can access our service records using Centerpoint Connected and track the service items we’ve been talking to them about.”

He also appreciates Geoprobe^® customer service includes project advice.

“There’s also the technical support when we’re considering a sampling method like soil gas sampling or groundwater sampling with SP22,” Ratley said. "The Geoprobe^® technical support staff is a valuable partner when assessing equipment capabilities and performance. We really appreciate having the ability to consult with them to ensure we can meet our project requirements and identify and address potential problems before they happen."