Geothermal Drill Rigs
The way to make big money is to be ahead of everybody else. The trick is to be not too far ahead, just enough to be a leader not a visionary. The world has seen those that were way ahead of their time, only to be recognized for their genius after their death. Fat lot of good that did them. So looking ahead what do I think is going to be the next big thing in drilling? Well several products have the potential of going big this year. One has to be geothermal rigs.
Drilling is an equipment intensive and expensive market, just look at the Multitec 25. A great water well rig but over kill for most geothermal work. Wise buying is essential. Geothermal can be split into 
two main categories commercial and residential. The commercial side is the largest at the moment with bores being drilled by existing water well rigs.
If you want a slice of the commercial market, a cheap way to get a rig is to read the classified ads atthe back of World Wide Drilling Resource or The National Driller magazine. Find a suitable second hand water well rig and convert it to your geothermal requirements. Now these requirements will change from region to region due to the geological formations that have to be drilled through. The water well drillers have a head start here with their local knowledge. If you are new to drilling there is a lot to learn. Talk to the water well contractors around your area, when you have a rough idea of the formations you will have to drill through, talk to the drill string equipment suppliers; find out what’s available in the way of new and existing technology. Great new products are arriving every year and some could be just what you are looking for. Once you know what needs to go in the ground you can then look for the ideal rig to drill with.
The commercial side can be covered by the water well drillers but what about the domestic market? This is potentially even larger. I say potential because as yet it has not been cracked. Generally no housewife wants a 50,000 lbs drilling in her back yard. But what if we could bring in a small powerful rig that was quiet would not rip up the lawn. Now we are getting some where. But how can a small rig drill a 6” hole 1000’ deep, its just not possible. Ohh yes it is. It has been done it with a TD410. This rig drilled a 7” water well over 1000’ deep inside a steel mill. The rig was 48” wide weighed less than 10,000 lbs and amazed everybody.
The rig is built in Texas by Techno Drill LLC www.technodrillusa.com It is 48” wide has 20,000 lbs ofextraction force with masts for 5’ or 10; rod changes. 
It is around $170,000 for the basic unit. What makes this rig special, other than the price? Well, it is capable of drilling through any formation. So it can cope with your difficult drilling conditions. Drilling through rock is easy for most rigs, but when it comes to unstable ground like gravels, running sands loose rock, some form of casing is needed. So this rig can handle all the casing systems you will ever need. To get the price right systems that are not needed are not included. For example rod carousels are not capable of holding enough rods for a 300’ bore, drifters can not drill deep enough, so we don’t put them on the rigs. Full casing clamps and good winches are essentials, so these come as standard. Flushing pumps, inline air lubricators and dust extraction equipment are all options that can be fitted on to a changeable service tray. Swap them round to get the options needed for your drilling conditions without increasing the weight (and transportation costs) of your rig!
The next question would be the drill string. Most geothermal bores do not need to be 1,000’ deep, so only buy enough rods for the depth you will be drilling to. What is that depth? This is where you need the local knowledge. Who has designed vertical closed loop systems in your area? Talk to them. You may find you only require a set of 300’ rods and 100’ of casing. Talk to the suppliers what do they know about local conditions? The more information you can get the more efficient you will be.