Well Drilling Procedure with the LS200 Drill Rig

Part 1 - Getting Set Up

 A lot of people ask us exactly how we go about drilling a well.  We hope that this page sheds a little light on the subject.

The equipment that we use in the LS200 drilling rig that was developed and is manufactured by Harry Westmoreland at Lone Star Bits.  The drill rig is a portable machine that can be used to drill many wells (about 50 before it needs to be reconditioned) and is in use worldwide on water ministry projects with Living Water International and Lifewater International, two water well mission organizations.  The LS200 is a lightweight machine designed to drill up to 200 feet in soil and soft rock, but we have drilled as deep as 300 feet.  It cannot drill through hard rock for more than a few inches.  We carry the drill rig in a specially built  5 ton service truck, but it can be carried in a pick-up truck or on a trailer.

The first step is to determine where we will drill the well.  We are drilling wells to support our Methodist Churches in Paraguay, or other churches in the area, so our options for placement of the wells are usually limited.  Also, the wells are drilled in soil or soft rock, so a geologic study to locate the well is not needed.  However, we do review topographic maps, and nation-wide geologic and hydrogeologic maps prior to drilling.  The most useful information usually is from hand-dug wells at or near the drill site.  Our primary criteria for well placement is to maximize the distance from the well to the nearest septic system.  We also want to place the well up-hill from the septic system.  A distance of at least 50 meters is preferred. 

The LS200 is a "mud rotary" type drilling rig, which means that it uses a drilling fluid, or "mud" to flush the soil cuttings from out of the hole and to cool and lubricate the bit.  The mud also serves the very important functions of holding the hole open and limiting the amount of fluid lost into the soil.  The drilling fluid is stored in "mud pits" and is pumped through the drill rod by the mud pump. The general layout of the equipment is shown in the drawing below.

The following photos show the drill rig itself, and some of the details of a project.

Drill bits are used at the end of the drill rod to cut the soil and advance the hole.  We can drill 5 feet in 5 to 30 minutes with a blade bit in sand, or it may take 15 to 30 minutes to drill 5 feet in sandstone with a roller cone bit.

For Part 2 - Drilling the hole, click here.