Drift Services Group

The team is trying to avoid the rain, the puddles, the floods and the tsunamis to carry out critical pump testing of some old boreholes to analyse the chemical and bacterial make-up of the water in the aquifers. They’re on site on the Norfolk/Suffolk border (Paddy (Mark Smith) says they’re in Norfolk, Richard Lane says they’re in Suffolk!) testing these legacy boreholes for a large commercial client. The scope is to help determine if the wells can be refurbished and brought back in to service, or if new water supplies will be required. The work involves installing a test pump to various depths within the boreholes and pumping a prescribed quantity of water to ensure the water column is replaced before testing is done to capture live aquifer data. The water samples are being taken to a UKAS accredited laboratory and all test results are collated and supplied to our client’s consultant. This will enable the consultant to advise the client about the best plan for this critical on-site infrastructure asset. We’re poised to provide rehabilitation services if the boreholes are viable, or to drill and install a new water supply if needs be. Trust us to solve all your water and geothermal energy challenges – no matter where you are. You might just need to help us find where you are. Seemingly the bosses’ geography ain’t so great! Give us a call: https://lnkd.in/eghWhi3M #WaterWells #WaterBoreholes #BoreholeRehabilitation #WaterSupply

So now we know – it was Dubai. But why? Well, if you think about it, it does make sense. The drilling products we supply and the and services we offer are hot property in what is of course a very active market in terms of water demand. So, Richard Lane and Paddy (aka Mark Smith) went to catch up with a Dubai-based distributor to energise sales across the Middle East. They also had a meeting with someone, (I’m not allowed to know who) at the tippy top of the Burj Khalifa. This anonymous person funds large scale energy and infrastructure projects access the Middle East that all need water supply as part of the construction process. Verrrrrry interesting. Now they are back here in the UK they are back to focussing on our current commercial water well and geothermal heating projects in what is, let’s face it, a slightly more temperate climate.  Richard is in Wales, Paddy is in Berkshire and I’m flying the flag in the office.  With that, you’re up to date. Oh no, wait, I forgot to tell you – they brought me back a present!!!!!! It’s this hideously cheesy picture of them from the top of the world’s tallest structure. #Cheese #Water #Heat #Sand

Just logging off and I receive this... Apparently it depicts Paddy (Mark Smith) contemplating. To me, it looks more like he needs to go to the lavvy. That aside, where are Paddy and Richard? Somewhere warmer than here. Somewhere high up. Somewhere built up. Somewhere with no trees. Somewhere only THEY know. Can you help me Drifters? Meanwhile, I am holding the fort like a super trooper. And we remain open for borehole, pipe and mud related business: https://lnkd.in/eghWhi3M

And so it begins.

I called it. I so did. You know I did. Passports and old school boarding passes. The bosses are going off on their jollies again. (OK, so I don't know *where* they are going - it could just be Scotland - but I called it last week...) I'll keep you Drifters updated. #Drifting #Subterfuge #YouCanRunButYouCannotHide

Catching up after my lurgy enforced absence, (which NONE of you even noticed), and I am very happy to report that the open loop geothermal project we’ve been beavering away on in southern England is nearing completion already. That counts as ‘Boring Efficiently’ I think. (I used the word beavering deliberately – because beavers are top of my news feed today.) Anyway, according to Richard Lane there is a **** load of water down the holes. I should think so too, otherwise what would have been the point?  Anyway, as part of the final phase on this particular job, our engineering team will be conducting Operational Pump Testing (deliberate use of capital letters because apparently it is An Important Thing). Operational Pump Testing involves removing water from one borehole and reinjecting it into another. (This sounded like a proper waste to me, but no, I am assured) the 96-hour re-injection test is essential to establish the maximum saturation properties of the aquifer.  (I consider myself told.) Do you need your aquifer’s maximum saturation properties establishing? Do you want an open loop geothermal – That’s Clean and Sustainable Energy – solution for your commercial premises? Or do you just want someone to talk to? https://lnkd.in/eghWhi3M 01323 335 004 P.s. Richard and Paddy (Mark Smith) are up to something. Whispers, excited eye twinkles and block bookings in their calendars in September. I shall remain vigilant. P.p.s. (Do you think the overuse of brackets and Capital Letters is a side effect of Covid?)

... it's OK - panic over ... I've been off with Covid. 😷 Ergo, you've not had a witty 'Drift is Drilling' update for 12 whole days. 😲 But now I'm back - I thought you Drifters might like to send me best wishes and tell me how much you've missed me and my musings. 😍 No? What do you mean you didn't notice? OK, be like that then. #Meh #Humph #Rude

Geophysical borehole logging is brilliant! And we’ve been up to our armpits engaged in this very activity on not one but two of our sites this week. (When I say ‘we’ obviously no one in their right mind would want me probing their hole…) We’ve been working with actual borehole geophysics EXPERTS and assisting with geophysical data acquisition to provide critical data to our consultants regarding the properties of several boreholes we’ve recently drilled and installed. (When I say ‘assisting’ - I mean, generally getting in the way in my case. Richard and Paddy (Mark Smith) have been slightly more useful.) What is geophysical borehole logging - I hear you ask? It’s an essential ‘thing’ that helps us understand more about the construction, nature and properties of a borehole. In both cases this week, we’ve conducted geophysical logging of our newly drilled boreholes to verify the construction meets the required standards (it does). Additionally, the data collected has enabled our design engineers to gain a comprehensive understanding of each well's characteristics. Through a survey, we can also confirm that a borehole has been drilled according to the correct specifications, including borehole diameter and casing - or that it intersects with what its intended to intersect with, such as an aquifer. You don’t want your drilling to go all skewwhiff and end up penetrating something accidentally. Data gathered can also provide insights into the quality of the water a borehole will yield, giving information on things like salinity, flow, and water table height. If I remember right, we’ve done: Calliper Gamma Impeller flow (with an agitated flow property) Cement bond log And CCTV I asked Richard to try and explain it all a bit more for me, and he said the data will be used by our consultant to fully understand where flow horizons enter the borehole…flow horizons...that somehow romantic to me. And it will enable us to use the data during the design phase of the next boreholes on site - which is also brilliant. It’s all drilling, drilling, drilling, probing, probing, probing these days. Exhausting stuff. Shout out to Julian Hatherall from JH Ground water for his patience! And here's a rig picture for all your plant fanciers. #BoreholeGeophysics #WaterWell #WaterBorehole #GroundSourceHeating #Drilling #Probing #AndSoOn

SO EXCITING! Mainstream media has caught up with 'people like us!' No, I don't mean I've been the subject of a Daily Fail headline for exposing my toned midriff (again)... I mean this: https://lnkd.in/ePnHd7kq "While temperatures above ground fluctuate throughout the year, the ground stays a stable temperature, meaning that it is humming with geothermal energy that engineers can exploit." Yes, yes it does and yes, yes we can...and we do and we in fact ARE...as you can see from the sneaky picture I took when I visited one of our projects yesterday. "If deployed across the country, these geothermal systems could go a long way in helping decarbonise buildings..." We have wise clients who have already realised this and have commissioned us to deliver the boreholes required to power their own sustainable district geothermal heating (and cooling) solutions. If you want to know more, you want to understand what goes into the successful delivery of a single building or community-wide solution...we have the expertise in house. Contact us: https://lnkd.in/eghWhi3M The future is here - it's called Drift Services Group - and it is literally drilling for geothermal projects as I type. P.s., to the person who relieved one of our long-term geothermal projects of a water bowser overnight - It's like Kirsty MacColl said: "you scumbag you maggot..."

Proving he's not just a bearded face, Richard Lane features in the latest edition of GeoDrilling International discussing the pros and cons of differing site investigation methodologies. Surprised he had it in him? I was! But it turns out, he is actually an engineer, qualified at stuff and knows things. (Don't worry, I didn't take his word for it - I checked with Paddy (aka Mark Smith) who confirmed Richard does actually know his stuff.) #Reassuring If you're interested in learning more, GeoDrilling International is the preferred reading material for the debonair drilling professional about town, and here's a link to some wise words: https://lnkd.in/evjjrQrx #SonicDrilling #SiteInvestigation #DrillingMethods #GroundInvestigation #DriftAway