Sonic Drill Rigs and Tooling Stand Up to Alaska Geology

As sonic drilling demand in Alaska increased, Discovery Drilling determined they could no longer discount sonic drilling technology as some passing fad.

“We began to do our own research, reaching out to others in our industry with experience in the realm of sonic drilling — specifically in similar geology to what we have here in Alaska,” DJ Wardwell, drilling manager, said.

Past performance of Geoprobe^® machines, tooling, and exceptional service led them to choosing a Geoprobe^® sonic drill rigs; seeing the 8150LS in action at the 2021 Geoprobe^® Open House sealed the deal.

“Hearing feedback from other industry professionals and knowing the amount of research and development that goes into Geoprobe^® machines made it an easy decision to pick the 8150LS for the first sonic drill to be added to our fleet,” Wardwell said. “It is such an amazing, powerful platform, with everything we need in a single package ­— including the capability for wireline rock coring and ability to collect SPT samples.”

Wardwell praises the easy operation created by the combination of rod handling system, dual breakout clamps, and indexing rack.

“I was absolutely shocked the first time I saw this machine run large diameter 10-inch tooling. No pipe wrenches needed or having to twist anything by hand substantially reduces operator fatigue,” Wardwell said. “The machine does all the work.”

While Wardwell often is office-bound and considers himself a little rusty operating drills these days, the control panel design made returning to the reigns natural.

“I have to say at first glance it is the most intimidating set of controls I have ever seen on a drill rig, but after our training it became clear it was designed as a user-intuitive control panel with operator ease of use in mind,” Wardwell said. “I jumped on the controls and everything just felt right and simple. The design of the control panel is ideal for the operator, and with a little learned muscle memory, I found myself not even having to look at the control panel anymore when operating.”

Joel Christy, machine engineer, provided the training in Anchorage, and together with Jed Davis, tooling engineer, recommended a tooling package to meet the requirements of the Alaskan geographies. 

“After purchasing our 8150LS, the Geoprobe^® team spent many hours on the phone with us coming up with a large sonic tooling order that would meet all our needs, despite how unconventional they sometimes are,” Wardwell said. “The tooling is robust, works as intended, and designed to take whatever punishment we can throw at it. Geoprobe^® also fields so many tooling options, it makes it easy for us to maintain an appropriate amount of down hole tools for the wildly varied applications we are tasked with here in Alaska.”

Having a dedicated, experienced team of sonic experts for sonic drill rigs training and support provides Wardwell additional peace of mind.

“Whenever you are talking to an engineer at Geoprobe^® regarding sonic technology, that engineer is also a well-versed sonic driller,” Wardwell said. “It really bridges the gap between what works on paper and what actually works in the real world.”

Their 8150LS has certainly been working for them, exceeding their expectations in just about every aspect imaginable.

“Ease of use; ability to run large diameter 10-inch tools — hands-free; tooling options for about whatever geology we could encounter here in Alaska; ultimately the overall power of the machine are just a few things that come to mind,” Wardwell said. “We were convinced that it may struggle with some of the typical challenges we face in the subsurface here — like ice-rich permafrost or glacial till — but nothing seems to be able to stop this machine.”

Including the 8150LS in their fleet has added impressive capability and an additional option for clients to choose when selecting the correct tool for their job. The sonic drill rig has also led to some friendly rivalry between Discovery's drillers.

“Whenever they find out the 8150LS is going to the field, they all want to be the one to operate it,” Wardwell said.