35 SEPTEMBER 2024 WorldWide Drilling Resource® Geoprobe®’s History in the Making Compiled by Mary Lynn Mixson, Public Relations Professional/Display with Photos by Troy Cunningham, Vice President, WorldWide Drilling Resource® When attendees walked through the doors of the Geoprobe® Open House 2024 in Salina, Kansas, they were all looking for something special. Geoprobe prides itself in manufacturing innovative drill rigs and tooling engineered to simplify fieldwork. Current Geoprobe customers know whether it’s on crowded street corners or far removed locations around the globe, Geoprobes save time and money. During the event, Geoprobe’s President Tom Omli gave a big welcome to guests and a recap of the history was given about how Geoprobe began. In 1987, Geoprobe Systems were manufactured and introduced as the first push machines and tooling to the environmental industry. Mel Kejr, president of the company and Thomas M. Christy, P.E., vice president, introduced and invested heavily in the solutions which would simplify fieldwork across a wide array of drilling industries. Today, offerings include geotechnical, environmental, exploration, geothermal, water well, sonic drill, and cathodic protection industries. While developing products under Geoprobe, a reputation for building lightweight drill rigs with a small footprint, minimally impacting surrounding environments, also became a reality. As the business grew, the product line expanded to include site investigation and production drill rigs. Other benefits most of these rigs offer also include nonCDL-requiring chassis, as with the DM250, also known as the “Big Rig in a Small Package,” according to Geoprobe customers. So, when drilling professionals are overloaded with permits and other certification fees, they will have one less expense to contend with. Geoprobe acquired the DRILLMAX® (DM) line of rotary drill rigs in 2017. The DM series pinpoints the needs of projects involving the restoration or construction of residential or agricultural water sources, retrofits or building energy efficient geothermal loops for residential or commercial use, and dewater sites for extracting high-grade minerals for manufacturing. Referred to as warp speed well drilling, Geoprobe stands firmly by the DM water well drilling rigs. So, if you did not realize rigs are used in the agricultural field, just read what one returning customer said after a sinkhole incident with a previous rig. Greg Bush of Graceville, Florida, said he started looking around for something a little more suitable and found the DM450. “I liked the design changes to make it easier to operate and service.” The DM450 features a totally redesigned mast. By upgrading the head feed system with adjustable rollers, rotary head side shift, and increased pullback, as well as the hydraulic system running cool, it makes this rig an easy choice for those looking for a stable, stout drill rig which can power through tough sites. This rig has also been described as quiet, faster, and easier to operate. The debut for the New C24, DM650 Air was one of the main focuses on the agenda. The DM650 is a powerful, full-size rig. Options provide for air or mud rotary when drilling larger wells on large residential and light commercial water well or geothermal jobs, as well as farm irrigation. Manual hydraulic controls provide power, precision, and reduced maintenance. The intuitive control panel layout makes for simple operation, providing easy access to mud and air valve controls. A 600-horsepower 49X Western Star factory chassis furnishes additional power and comfort when maneuvering the 28.5-foot stroke, 40,000 pounds of pullback, and 8000 foot-pounds torque. Throughout the years and all the innovative changes made by Geoprobe, designs have managed to address concerns drilling professionals may have. From the new 3145GT suited to off-road, deeper geothermal projects to the versatility of the “workhorse” 7822DT, which was featured in the Beyond Oak Island project searching for buried treasure, Geoprobe has the rig to fit your needs. Eric Hutton, vice president of Roddy Qualls Environmental Drilling said they chose the 7822DT not only for its versatility, but added, “At the end of the project, it rained quite a bit in a short time and became very muddy. The 7822DT helped pull out a lot of people’s vehicles who otherwise would have been stuck on top of a hill with a long walk down.” Geoprobe Open House 2024 was an educational event where guest speakers and the Geoprobe Team covered procedures such as coring, membrane interface probe, sonic and water well drilling, switching between drilling applications, as well as tooling and remedial optimization actually out in the field. Guests were also treated to a refreshing luncheon buffet at The Garage, where they were free to browse the museum. To see more photos from this event, go to worldwidedrillingresource.com. ENV
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