Fieldwork Simplified with Geoprobe’s 31 Series Rigs Adapted from Information by Geoprobe Systems® Tri-State Drilling LLC operates ten rigs on a daily basis providing environmental, geotechnical, and mineral exploration drilling services for engineering firms across the southeast from their offices in Chattanooga and Nashville, Tennessee. Four of their rigs are Geoprobe® - two 7822DTs and two 3126GTs. “We wanted to replace one of our oldest rigs and had been pleased with the Geoprobe product. Even though the 3126GT was newer to the market, we wanted to take a look at it,” said Robert Bittel, president of Tri-State Drilling. While talking with Lee Shaw, sales representative for Geoprobe, he described the 7822DTs as direct-push rigs which could also do geotechnical drilling, where the 31 series rigs are a geotechnical rig which can also do direct push. “Our operator is very pleased with the rig thus far and he has already put it on some interesting projects, including a barge project over water, 200-foot rock coring at a quarry site, air rotary, and hollow stem auger from 2.25 to 6.25 inches,” Bittel said. “The rig has not backed down from anything we’ve asked it to do.” The rotation speed and overall coring capabilities surprised the drill operator who cores with it almost daily. They also appreciate how well the carrier tracks and the userfriendly setup of the rig. “Stepping up to the 3126GT was a good decision for us. The 7822DT had limitations on depths, auger size, and other factors we had to consider before mobilization,” Bittel said. “You can tell Geoprobe invests a lot of resources on R&D [research and development] and relies on feedback from rig owners to assist them in making the best product they can.” The company has been pleased with the overall performance of the 3126GT. They drilled a 250-foot core hole at a quarry site in East Tennessee, where productivity and recovery were good. More recently, they did some air rotary drilling with it. “We are all in unprecedented times where companies are having to push the limits, if you will, due to workload, increase in cost of doing business, and labor shortage. Our operator of the 3126GT has met most, if not all, of our production goals since we bought the machine and he seems to enjoy coming to work more,” Bittel remarked. Their service department is also happy with the support Geoprobe provides. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked through the shop when our mechanics are working on a rig and FaceTiming with a Geoprobe technician troubleshooting a problem,” Bittel said. “That means a lot to us.” For Bittel, the advantages of Geoprobe rigs, including the 31 series, are numerous from being operator and maintenance friendly to their dependability and maneuverability. “We are a better company than we were before we bought the machine,” Bittel said. “Geoprobe was listening to their customers when they designed that rig. It checked all the boxes for Tri-State Drilling.” A separate hydraulic circuit for the mud pump on the 3126GT creates consistent power for both rotation and the pump. C&G JUNE Issue Deadlines Editorial: April 15th Space Reservation: April 25th Display & Classified Ad Copy: May 1st 8 APRIL 2023 WorldWide Drilling Resource®
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