A WELL DRILLING BUSINESS

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The two inventors have also devised several improvements that further increase the efficiency of their scaled-down rig. For instance, they added a wiper paddle, at a point just above the drill bit, that-by packing the sides of the hole as the bit descends-enables a surprisingly modest amount of water to clear the bored opening. They've also incorporated a labor-saving system for placing one section of drill stem right on top of another as the well is bored (most rotary rig operators have to raise alt their buried drill stems every time they want to add a new section!). Not only that, but the two tinkering Southwesterners have created a uniquely effective hydraulic system . . . which enables the 2000 to achieve extra drilling torque with its small engine!

The end result is a machine that appears downright flimsy when compared to big well drilling devices. "In fact," jokes Skip Piper, "when I first started drilling, I had to charge less than the other guys because my machine looked so ridiculous! " But punyappearing or not, the EXPLORER 2000 works so well that, these days, the joke's on the other foot . . . many competing Alamogordo drillers have had to lower their rates to match Piper's more closely. (One such hole cutter recently complained to Skip that the EXPLORER has "made the whole business so simple there's no money in it anymore".)

DRILLING KNOW-HOW

Should you sign up to train at Piper Hydro in Alamogordo (the $100 fee for a two-day session is refunded if you buy a rig), Skip and Roy will, of course, give you plenty of field instruction in using the EXPLORER 2000. They'll also make darn sure that you have a good understanding of such basics as never running the drill unless you've first made sure that water is circulating through the well hole (if it isn't doing so, rock and mud segments can accumulate at the base of the hole and permanently trap your expensive drill bit! ) .

Still, the two New Mexicans will not be able to teach you everything about the trade, because-make no mistake about it-a lot of well drilling expertise has to come from experience. Only a practiced "carrier" (or driller) can recognize the stem vibration that means his or her bit is cutting through gravel . . . and spot the color and texture changes in the recirculating water that indicate whether the drill is boring through rock, sand, or limestone. There's also a lot of know-how associated with such trade arts as using bentonite ("driller's mud") to seal the sides of a collapsing hole, finding the best available water-bearing layer, and installing pumps. But the Piper crew will happily advise you after you've finished training-as well as during the instruction period-and can also help you obtain useful drilling reference manuals.

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