Sonic Rig Speeds Sonic Mining Production

When Jensen Drilling was founded in 1967, they specialized in horizontal drainage and landslide stabilization. Through the years they’ve tried their hand at all kinds of other drilling, eventually narrowing their focus to what they know best.

“Competition in the area for other drilling types was driving down prices, so we focused on our own niche areas,” said Kody Jensen, operations manager for the Oregon-based company.

For some of their projects, they’d been using a sonic head on an older, pieced-together rig. When they bid on a job requiring sonic a few years ago, they began researching and chatting with other drillers looking for a better, more user-friendly sonic drill rig.

“We’d worked on a job site alongside one manufacturer’s sonic rigs, and they were nothing but problems. We knew we didn’t want to go that route,” Jensen said. “Another manufacturer’s lead time was too far out for this particular job.”

During their research, they discovered Geoprobe^®, having several conversations with Doug Koehler, Geoprobe^® sonic expert. To meet their timeline, Koehler put them in contact with a company selling a used sonic drill - the Geoprobe^® 8150LS.

“We winged it and purchased the used 8150LS, and it’s all worked out storybook-style,” Jensen said. “I just love the simplicity of the machine, and the customer service is unsurpassed. We’ve got 20 rigs in our fleet, and I’ve never dealt with a manufacturer as responsive as Geoprobe^®.”

According to Jensen, the speed and operational ease of the 8150LS combined with less environmental impact makes it the ideal sonic rig. Ten years ago they would have been drilling in a dirtier, messier manner, using more equipment.

“The 8150LS makes our work much easier. I love the rod loader so you don’t have to load rods by hand. It’s just a sleek system, to use the rod rack and shuffle them into the rod loader without having to touch the rod. It just makes life easier,” Jensen said.

Stellar Sonic Mining Performance

The 8150LS went straight to work on a sonic mining job site in Montana.

“We were able to double our production," Jensen said. “The 8150LS is light enough we put all the materials, rods, and machine on a single truck.”

They find it’s easy to access components for maintenance when needed.

“We’ve had very little downtime and our ability to keep it operational has been huge,” Jensen said. “I can call Troy Bourbon [sonic rig service specialist] and walk him through a problem, and he can get us back on track so fast. His knowledge of the machine is unprecedented.”

Now they’re seeking ways to use sonic in other applications.

“We’re looking at more and different work than we did before we had the 8150LS,” Jensen said. “We’re getting enough volume of work now that we could use another machine.”

As they consider expanding their sonic fleet, they’re once again looking to Geoprobe^®. This time they’re setting their sights on a new 8150LS V3 and the SRC30DT self-propelled sonic rod carrier.

“I enjoy working with Geoprobe^®. They’re just an organized, efficient company. The 8150LS is simple to operate and efficient. It’s a compact drill yet can achieve 10- to 12-inch holes,” Jensen said. “The automation of the sonic rod carrier means less handling of rods and more safety.”