Family-run McMillan Drilling began in 1947, focused on providing irrigation water supply in Canterbury, New Zealand. They’ve experienced strategic and organic growth into other markets –including geotechnical, environmental, water supply, and ground heat loops – now completing drilling across New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. With 85 employees working out of offices in Auckland and Christchurch, they have a diverse fleet of 55 machines.
“We have a rig to fit almost any circumstance,” Iain Haycock, CEO, said. “Being multi-disciplinary means we can offer job security when markets fluctuate.”
They’d been watching rotary sonic drilling technology for probably 20 years. Then, on a visit to the Geoprobe® headquarters in Salina, Kansas, he distinctly remembers walking through the original facility at Broadway with Greg Johnson, former international sale representative, and seeing a very different machine than the typical probes.
“It was a sonic rig in R&D,” Haycock said. “That was probably 10 years before we invested in sonic.”
During 2010 they bought their first rotary sonic drilling rig. They now own three — all Geoprobe®, with the 8150LS added during 2023.
“The main reason we invested in Geoprobe® sonic was because I had seen a lot of different types of sonic in the market, but what felt right to me was knowing Geoprobe® had been doing R&D for a long time,” Haycock said. “I consider Geoprobe® to be conservative by nature and knew they wouldn’t put something in the market if it wasn’t a solid offering.
To Haycock the consideration put into the sonic drilling equipment design shines through the features, including:
“We invested in an 8150LS to have a full-size sonic for the added depths and diameters and capability to take it onto sites we hadn’t been before,” Haycock said.
Before finalizing the purchase of their 8150LS, he visited Geoprobe® for his sixth or seventh time. He affirms the commitment to simplifying fieldwork comes through each version of the rotary sonic drilling rig.
“There’s been nice innovation between versions. Not huge differences, but subtle changes that make a huge difference,” Haycock said.
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1835 Wall Street
Salina, Kansas 67401
Phone: (785) 825-1842
With a new class-leading three-year warranty on the GV5 sonic head, a stronger breakout, and more; the 8150LS sonic drill rig is now more robust and reliable than ever before.
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There are many advantages with the Geoprobe® Sonic Drilling System including training, service, peace of mind, ease, mobility, safety, efficiency, and options.
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Customers can trust in Geoprobe® quality because of the years of research and development that go into each machine before being sold.
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8150LS V3 includes new unmatched 3-year/1,000 hour GV5 head warranty, beefed up breakout to handle range of tooling diameters, and adjustable height control panel.
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In the environmental drilling industry for two decades, Scott Densteadt has seen it come full circle. “When I started, all we did was drill hollow stem auger or mud rotary. Then direct push side of things really took off and became the standard. However,
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Geoprobe® 8150LS - Control Panel
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Geoprobe® 8150LS - Coring Head
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