More Knock-Off Technology in the South
Returning to a Southern Air Force Base, DTD has completed another long blind well using our Knock-Off Technology. Throughout late summer and into early fall of 2012, DTD completed a large scale project consisting of five blind injection wells (ranging from 985′ to 1,256′ in total length). With our client very pleased with the well’s, and DTD’s, performance thus far, we were contracted to return to the base to begin two additional projects, each part of the larger environmental restoration contract for numerous remediation activities at the site.
CMS 9030 ready to drill.
DTD mobilized our CMS 90,000 lb. rig, one of several of our rigs that have been equipped to use our patent-pending Knock-off Technology, and an American Augers mud recycling system capable of cleaning 400 gpm. Despite a few logistical setup issues near the entry (multiple utilities, limited space and a pine tree growing over our entry point), we adjusted our running line and began drilling. The bore path passed beneath three separate runoff detention ponds which made locating tricky. To locate across the last detention pond, our client provided a boat which allowed us to locate across the 150′ section of water.
View of the setup.
Drilling and installation went as planned and after two days of work, a 750′ injection well was installed as designed. Our client specified this well to be completed with bentonite drilling fluid and an extensive development phase was completed to remove as much of the bentonite as possible. We completed a series of flushing, air lifting and jetting operations over a period of two days, utilizing an additive that separates the water from the bentonite and flocculates the clay particles to remain in suspension. These steps are crucial to break the wall cake created while drilling with bentonite-based drilling fluids and maximize the communication between the well screen and the target formation. Moving into the fall we are scheduled to complete 3 additional wells (2 blind and 1 double ended) in anticipation of achieving the same site cleanup results seen thus far.