33 SEPTEMBER 2023 WorldWide Drilling Resource® [Continued from last month.] The next natural move to really impact the growing need was to operate year-round. To accomplish this, we put a training program into place using local men who showed mechanical aptitude. We took notice of those who seemed to have an ability to “think down the hole” and trained them on the cable rigs and then as helpers on the rotary. They have also been trained to maintain the pumps and wells in the villages and make the repairs to the Mayhew and cable rigs that have become increasingly necessary. We now have six full-time trained employees managing and organizing the drilling and installation of multiple pumping systems. We install hand pumps, solar, and electrical pumps where there is grid power. In the last four years, we have drilled 94 wells, 71 with rotary and 23 with cable tools. Almost all of these were drilled by our national crew. We now have more than 210 wells in operation, providing clean safe water for more than 40,000 people each day. As WFL reaches out to new communities further and further from our headquarters, we are finding new challenges with different drilling conditions. To prepare for these changing conditions, we have expanded training of our crews with a training program conducted by HydroLOGICA. They came to our facilities and taught our workers how to better use the equipment. We know it is important to update our equipment to match the needs and new conditions we face. The need is still growing. Northeast Guatemala is not a large population compared to the billions in the world who do not have access to safe water, but it is where we are and where we have the capability to do more. We have the infrastructure. We have a shop, support trucks, and trained crews. But we have reached the point where we need another rig that can do the work. The Mayhew needs more and more serious repair work. It will continue to serve us, but we need to upgrade to another rotary rig. It needs to be hydraulically operated with a tophead drive. We need the ability to drill with air or mud using 10- to 20-foot drill rods. A centrifugal mud pump is okay, but the air compressor needs to be 400cfm/200psi at the minimum. Weight is a huge issue for us, so having both air and mud on the same truck might create too much weight. The vehicle must be 30,000 pounds or less gross vehicle weight to manage the rough roads we must traverse. This is the National Ground Water Association’s 75th year. It is the same for Gary, and most of our volunteers are no longer as tough and durable as they were when we started drilling in Guatemala. We need your help. Perhaps there is some drilling company somewhere who wants to upgrade to a larger more powerful rig who might have a good serviceable young- er rig we could purchase and send to Guatemala to continue the work there. Or perhaps a dealer might have something that would suit our needs. If any of our readers are in this position and would like to help, please contact us through this publication. If you would like to help, contact Gary Bartholomew at 509-939-1941 Tim Tim Rasmussen may be contacted via e-mail to michele@ worldwidedrillingresource.com DON’T TURN THIS PAGE WTR by Tim Rasmussen
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