Using 'diamond drill' to penetrate rock to find water

(Baonghean.vn) - In the summer, the work of 45 households with underground water drilling rigs in Nhan Tien hamlet, Tien Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district (Nghe An) is endless. To find water, they have to drill dozens of meters deep, using "diamond drills" to penetrate underground rocks...

Mr. Nguyen Van Binh's well drilling rig is drilling a well for a family in the commune.

In the summer, in Nhan Tien hamlet, Tien Thanh commune, it is rare to see men, only women, children, and the elderly remain in the village. Because the men go to work drilling wells everywhere.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Con, Party Secretary of the hamlet, said: Nhan Tien hamlet has 208 households, mainly engaged in agricultural production, but each person only has 250 square meters of rice fields, while every year there is drought and lack of water for production, so it does not ensure people's lives, forcing people to find a living through many jobs, including well drilling, which has been maintained for nearly 30 years.

During the well drilling process, the worker often adjusts the drill bit accordingly, especially when encountering hard rock.

In the late 80s of the last century, due to the lack of water in the wells, some families in the village hired machines to drill wells. During that time, some people were curious to learn how to do the job, then invested in buying drilling rigs to serve the commune. Nhan Tien well drilling village has existed since that time.

Each drill rod is 2 m long and made of good steel. Because of the high price, each drilling rig usually buys 17 - 20 rods. During the drilling process, if the well is deeper than 40 m, drillers can borrow drill rods from each other, saving money on buying drill rods.

Up to now, Nhan Tien hamlet has 40 households working in the well drilling business, with 45 drilling rigs, including large-tipped rigs, specializing in drilling wells for large projects, the majority of which are small rigs, serving family wells.

This drill bit is made of alloy, used to drill soft soil.

Every year, about 6 months in the dry season, dozens of drilling rigs of Nhan Tien people go everywhere, from Quang Binh to Thanh Hoa, some even go to Laos to work.

Working enthusiastically and with high responsibility, every rig owner has a lot of work, but not every time they drill they get money, because there are places where they drill nearly 100 meters and still have no water, so they have to give up.

This drill bit is used for drilling into rock, but when encountering hard rock, a "diamond drill bit" is more effective.

Mr. Nguyen Van Binh, owner of a drilling rig, said: The fee depends on the location, close is 4 million/well, far is 6-10 million/well. Before placing the drilling rig, the homeowner and the worker commit to drilling until there is water, complete the installation, and receive the fee; but if there is no water, there is no fee, the homeowner only provides food. Therefore, there are places that only need to drill for 2 days, 30m deep to have water, but there are places that take a whole week to drill and have to give up, because they encounter thick, hard rock.

Rocks from underground well drills, at a depth of tens of meters. Photo by Thu Hien

To buy a drilling rig, each family must have at least 100 million VND. Special attention must be paid to the appropriate drill bit set to be able to drill in all terrains.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan, the owner of a well drilling rig in Nhan Tien hamlet, confided: Last month he drilled a well in Anh Son district, but knowing that there was a high demand for well drilling in Hung Thanh, he came here to work closer to home. Most wells here are 50 meters deep and have a lot of water, so it only takes 3-4 days to complete a well. On average, he drills over 10 wells each month, earning more than 50 million VND in wages.

The rig was placed with two heavy sacks of rock to press the drill bit deep into the ground.

Due to the fact that the village lacks water, over 100% of households in Nhan Tien hamlet, Tien Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district use drilled wells. Therefore, during the dry season, people have enough water for daily use. Moreover, people here also use drilling rigs to find water for people in many regions. The thirst for clean water is therefore "solved" when drilling rigs go everywhere...

Xuan Hoang