Well Construction Seminar Allows Students to See a Well as They Never Have Before

A well drilling seminar held at the University of Nebraska on October 14-15, 1999 broke new ground in more ways than one. For the first time students were able to actually see what was happening underground during the construction of a water well. This was done through the use of a downhole video camera and a clear plastic PVC casing. Downhole video cameras have been in use for years, but never in combination with the clear casing. The clear casing allowed students to see things such as where to place the gravel pack and the placement of the bentonite seal.

The seminar was a joint effort between Nebraska Health and Human Services (NHHS), the Nebraska Well Drillers Association (NWDA) and the University of Nebraska Conservation and Survey Division. The seminar was open to the public and was attended by approximately 50 people. The class was geared towards people in the water well industry. The state of Nebraska requires water well drilling contractors to be licensed, this seminar offered the continuing education credit licensed contractors need to retain that license.

The seminar began in the classroom with a lecture on the way the well was designed and why. They learned the basics on screen selection, well design and gravel pack gradation. The instructors for this course were Duane Eversol of the University of Nebraska Conservation and Survey Division, and Dave Hansen of Design Water Technologies. In the afternoon the class moved outside and the drilling began. The drilling contractors were Ben Earnest of Earnest Well Drilling and Alan Pieper of Pieper Well Drilling. Their time and equipment was donated by the NWDA.

A top head drive quick drill was used to drill the 55 feet deep borehole. The students observed the drilling and listened to lectures during the drilling as well. A clear plastic well screen and the clear casing was provided by Bariod, Inc. as well as the gravel pack and grout material. A Geovision downhole color video camera was inserted after the casing was set. Tom Christopherson of Nebraska Health and Human Services designed the process and ran the camera equipment.

The borehole was completed on the first day. The second day grouting and development was taught in the classroom and the casing was set and gravel pack and grout placed at the well in the afternoon along with follow-up video. The clear casing and video allowed students to see where to put the gravel pack and observe the reactions of the bentonite and grout and how they acted differently.

The class was a big success according to Tom Christopherson and they plan on conducting future seminars using this unique teaching method in the summer. The learning experience this one of a kind water well offers will continue even though the class is over. In the spring, they will use the video to view the effects of normal usage on the well. They will observe any changes to the gravel pack and bentonite seal as well as other aspects of the well. Instructors and students alike found this project to be a great learning tool and it truly allowed them to see a well as they never have before.