DRAFT COPY subject to revision

WATER WELL DRILLING AND DESIGN

Eric J. Harmon, P.E.
This outline describes a program of 6 to 8 lectures, each of approximately 2 hours
duration. The lecture series may be adaptable to Powerpoint presentations, although it will take
time to develop appropriate graphics. Also, the intent is to complement the lectures and
discussions with visits to working drilling rigs as, opportunities arise, to observe the methods in
use. The course objective is to introduce EWB professional partners, student members, and other
interested persons to primary methods of water well design, drilling, completion, testing,
rehabilitation, and related topics. Emphasis will be on methods current in the U.S. and other
developed countries, but discussion will be encouraged as to the suitability, adaptability, and
sustainability of these methods in communities with less access to technology, skills, materials,
and development capital.
By presenting certain subjects in greater detail than outlined here, and by interspersing
the lectures with trainee placement on drilling rigs for several weeks to gain hands-on experience,
the course should be adaptable to in-country or Stateside training for persons interested in
learning how to drill water wells. This will, of course, require developing the program as a
cooperative effort with water well contractors who are willing to participate.
Lecture 1:

I.
II.

Overview of water well drilling methods

Drilling method selection

Lecture 2:

III.

Mud-rotary drilling method

Lecture 3:

IV.

Water well design

Lecture 4:

V.

Water well completion

Lecture 5:

VI.

Water well development and testing

Lecture 6:

VII.

Well pumps

Lecture 7:

VIII.

Water well repair and rehabilitation

Lecture 8:

IX.
X.

Ground water resource management and protection

Case histories

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I.

Overview of water well drilling methods: description of equipment and procedures

A. Primary drilling methods
1. Cable tool (mechanical percussion)
2. Normal-circulation mud rotary
3. Reverse-circulation mud rotary
4. Air rotary & air-percussion hammer
B. Secondary drilling methods
1. Dual-wall percussion and variations
2. Auger method: solid stem, hollow stem, caisson
3. Orange peel and clamshell
4. Jetting, driving, bailing
C. Machine drilled, hand drilled, hand dug wells
1. Hand-dug well equipment and methods
2. Hand-drilled well equipment and methods
3. Comparison of hand and machine methods

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II.

Drilling method selection

A. Selection criteria
1. Application
2. Subsurface geology and hydrology
3. Depth and productivity of target aquifer
4. Cost, equipment availability, labor availability
5. Local suitability and sustainability

III.

Mud-rotary drilling method

A. Principles of the mud-rotary method
B. Description of the rig and primary systems
C. The drilling fluid circulation system
1. Function of circulation fluids
2. Types of mud pumps
3. Principles of operation
4. Pump horsepower requirements
5. Chemical and physical characteristics of drilling fluid
6. Relationship of fluid to its intended function

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D.

E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
K.

7. Composition of circulation fluids

8. Types of drilling fluids in common use
9. Basic drilling fluid measurements: specific gravity, funnel viscosity
Solids removal and control system
1. Measuring solids content
2. Mechanical means: shale shakers, desanders, desilters
3. Passive means: settlement, filtration
Borehole control
Control of fluid loss and gain in the borehole
Control of lost circulation
Control of high-pressure formations
Use of drilling mud additives
Recognition and control of sticking due to differential pressure
The formation cutting system
1. Drill bits
a) Selection for formation type
b) Bit wear and maintenance
2. Drill stem
a) Materials, handling, maintenance
3. Tool joints
4. Types, maintenance, rebuilding

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L. Rotating drive systems

1. Rotary-table drive
2. Top-head drive
M. Drawworks, hoisting, and pipe-handling systems
1. System components
2. Capacity limitations
3. Load calculations
N. Reverse circulation rotary drilling method
1. Differences from the normal-circulation rotary method
2. Drilling procedures
3. Applicability- comparison to normal mud circulation
IV.

Water well design

A. Confined aquifer wells
1. Characteristics
2. Design requirements
B. Unconfined aquifer wells
1. Characteristics
2. Design requirements
C. Types of well completion

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D.

E.
F.

G.

1. Naturally-developed wells
2. Filter-packed wells
Well cuttings observation, description, and documentation
1. Formation sampling methods and pitfalls
2. Sample sieve analysis
3. Lithologic descriptions
Drilling indicators of formation and aquifer materials
1. Aquifer potentiometric head
2. Indicators of hardness and material type
Geophysical logging for water well design
1. Basis and overview
2. Types and purpose of geophysical logs
a) Open hole logs
b) Cased hole logs
Selection of borehole and casing/screen size and materials
1. Constraints by drilling method
2. Formation and aquifer constraints
3. Expected production
4. Borehole storage

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V.

Water well completion

A. Materials of completion
1. Well casing materials, types, dimensions
2. Well screen materials, types, dimensions
a) Sieve analysis for screen selection
b) Slot sizes and configurations
c) Well screen availability, cost, alternatives
3. Casing and screen strength criteria
4. Selection for downhole chemical environment
a) Water quality testing for materials selection
5. Estimating materials requirements
B. Completion string makeup and installation
1. Casing and screen joints
2. Completion inspection and materials tally
3. Testing wells for straightness and verticality (plumbness)
C. Filter pack
1. Purpose and characteristics
2. Filter pack and formation stabilizer
3. Selection and preparation of filter pack
4. Filter pack installation
D. Well grouting and sealing

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1. Purpose of annular seal and surface seal

a) Ground water sanitary protection
b) Prevention of contamination
c) Prevention of interaquifer leakage
d) Stabilization of completion string
2. Grout types and composition
3. Grouting procedures
a) Problems and pitfalls
VI.

Water well development and testing

A. Necessity and principles
B. Methods and procedures
1. Water circulation methods
2. Air circulation methods
3. Mechanical methods
4. Other methods
C. Well testing procedures
1. Drawdown and yield
a) Estimation of pump HP requirements
b) Estimation of long-term drawdown
c) Sand-production constraints
2. Methods and instrumentation
a) Test data documentation
b) Basic test analysis
3. Water sampling
a) Sampling for suspended sediment
b) Sampling for water quality
4. Basic ground water quality criteria for potability
a) Bacterial and viral contamination
b) Turbidity and suspended sediment
c) TDS / conductance
d) Other constituents

VII.

Well pumps
A. Well pump selection
1. Types of well pumps
a) Submersible, jet, turbine, hand, other
b) Pump drive systems
(1) Hand/animal, wind/solar, electric, IC

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2. Selection by production criteria

3. Selection by other criteria
a) Well diameter and depth
b) Equipment and materials availability
c) Intended use
d) Pumping lift
4. Pump installation procedures
a) Disinfection
5. Pump testing for efficiency and proper operation
6. Pump maintenance and rehabilitation
7. Estimation of well pumping cost
VIII.

Water well repair and rehabilitation

A. Diagnosis of well problems and inefficiency
1. Electrochemical corrosion and encrustation
2. Bacterial damage
3. Age and wear of water well materials
4. Examples and case histories
B. Chemical and mechanical methods of rehabilitation
C. Well disinfection and sanitary protection
1. Disinfection materials and procedures
2. Wellhead protection

IX.

Ground water resource management and protection

A. Aquifer resource management
1. The water balance concept
2. The concept of safe yield
3. Well to well interference
B. Source area aquifer protection

X.

Case histories
A. Examples presented by instructor
B. Discussion of student/trainee cases

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