Environmental Drilling Services

Los Alamos, NM
Los Alamos, New Mexico When Stewart Brothers Drilling Company became involved in environmental drilling in 1980, we'd already been providing drilling services to our clients for 35 years. We brought that experience to environmental drilling, and have continued to learn about this very specialized industry.
Because of our size, we offer personalized and professional service that our competitors are unable to match. Client satisfaction is of utmost importance.

Experienced, knowledgeable leadership is vital to a successful project. At Stewart Brothers we provide a drilling supervisor at every jobsite, someone who has experience and expertise in his field. When unforeseen circumstances occur, the supervisor can assist the crew in responding to the problem immediately.

Jobsite cleanliness is especially important in environmental work. We always maintain clean worksites and thoroughly decontaminate all equipment and tools as required for each job. Upon completion of a job, we do our best to restore the site to its original condition.

Prewitt, NM
Prewitt, New Mexico (Failing F-10 WT) We specialize in performing large-scale environmental projects. We've done large jobs at places like George Air Force Base, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, Hawthorne Army Depot, and DOE's Pantex Plant. These 'high profile' jobs offer many challenges and difficult situations. Using experience, knowledge, and hard work, Stewart Brothers has developed a winning reputation on these sites and throughout the environmental business.
Hollow Stem Auger

Stewart Brothers offers diverse capabilities using hollow stem augers. Our auger rigs consist of Failing F-10's, a CME 750, and a CME 450. We understand the importance of recovery when it comes to sampling and we can take drive samples or continuous sample using a wireline sampling system. In difficult sampling conditions, we adjust our methods to maximize recovery.

Some standout experiences include:

Los Alamos, NM
Los Alamos, New Mexico

Drilling and sampling a 10" hole with 6 5/8" hollow stem augers to a depth of 340' at a 30° angle with a Failing F-10. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico
Drilling and sampling an 8" hole with 4 1/4" hollow stem augers to a depth of 317' with a CME 750. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico
Drilling and sampling a 10" hole with 6 5/8" hollow stem augers to a depth of over 350' with a Failing F-10. Pantex Plant, Amarillo, Texas
Drilling several 10" holes for the installation of 4" monitor wells with 6 5/8" augers to a depth of 300' using a Failing F-10. George Air Force Base, Victorville, California

Phoenix, Arizona
Air Rotary Casing Hammer

The air rotary casing hammer method (ARCH) combines modern air drilling techniques and modern pile driving equipment to do the jobs fast and efficiently that historically have been done with a cable tool rig. A hole can be drilled through completely unstable ground with this method in only a fraction of the time required with a cable tool rig.

ARCH is basically a tool designed to drive casing through alluvial deposits that won't support a hole. These deposits are formations that cave in behind the drilling tools, like loose sands, gravels, and cobbles. ARCH can also be useful for shutting off water behind the casing. For example:

While working on a job in Phoenix, Arizona, we drilled and drove casing below 200 feet and encountered over 500 gpm of water and flowing sands. As we drilled ahead the sand continued to flow into our drive casing. The drilling assembly had to be pulled back up inside the casing to keep it from becoming hitched by the influx of water and sand. A sounding device was lowered down the inside of the drill pipe and out through the center of the bit. The sounder tagged sand inside the drive casing 30 feet above the drive shoe. We decided to add another joint of drive casing and drove it another 20 feet. At this point it became more difficult to drive. Next, the inside of the casing was cleaned out with the drill bit and we discovered the sand and water had stopped flowing. We had apparently driven the casing through a perched aquifer into its lower confining layer and shut off the water and sand. We were able to proceed to a total depth of 500 feet where the well was successfully cased with 4 1/2" stainless steel casing and screen. The screen was sand packed as the drive casing was pulled back which prevented the well bore from collapsing against the casing.

Irvine, California (Failing F-10 WT)

This process was also used on a United States Fish and Game Department (USFG) job near Mora, New Mexico to drill and drive perforated casing into an artesian alluvial aquifer to a depth of 150 feet. Each of the wells flowed around 300 gpm. The wells were installed to supply water to a new USFG fish hatchery. The 10 3/4 inch surface casing was driven to a depth of 25 feet and cemented in place. The 8 3/4 inch perforated well casing was driven through the surface casing to a final depth of 150 feet.

Conventional Rotary Drilling

Stewart Brothers also has the ability to use conventional rotary drilling methods. Mud rotary or air rotary techniques are often used in situations where augers or air rotary casing hammer are unable to penetrate the formation.

Las Cruces, New Mexico We have drilled using the mud rotary method on many environmental jobs. Using our truck-mounted portable mud pits we are able to drill at most locations without the use of earthen pits. The truck-mounted pits provide for a clean and flexible operation.
Stewart Brothers can provide HX wireline coring, 94mm punch-coring, or conventional coring depending on the specific needs of your project.

Some standout mud rotary experiences include:

The drilling and installation of 20 monitor wells to an average depth of 600 feet at George Air Force Base in California. The holes were continuously sampled using the 94mm punch-core system.
The drilling and installation of more than 50 monitor wells to an average depth of 400 feet at Motorola facilities in Phoenix, Arizona. Many of the holes were continuously cored, providing the client with a true cross-section of the hard rock formation where the wells were being installed. In some of the holes Westbay™ (multiple completion) wells were installed.

Development

Stewart Brothers also performs well development services. We generally develop every well that we drill. Pumping, jetting, bailing, surging, airlifting, and air pumping are methods that we have used in the past to make a monitor well become a good producer. Using a Smeal 10T, Stewart Brothers can perform most well development tasks quickly and efficiently.

Stewart Brothers Drilling Co. -- (505) 287-2986 -- info@stewartbrothers.com

Los Alamos, New Mexico	When Stewart Brothers Drilling Company became involved in environmental drilling in 1980, we'd already been providing drilling services to our clients for 35 years. We brought that experience to environmental drilling, and have continued to learn about this very specialized industry. Because of our size, we offer personalized and professional service that our competitors are unable to match. Client satisfaction is of utmost importance. Experienced, knowledgeable leadership is vital to a successful project. At Stewart Brothers we provide a drilling supervisor at every jobsite, someone who has experience and expertise in his field. When unforeseen circumstances occur, the supervisor can assist the crew in responding to the problem immediately. Jobsite cleanliness is especially important in environmental work. We always maintain clean worksites and thoroughly decontaminate all equipment and tools as required for each job. Upon completion of a job, we do our best to restore the site to its original condition.
Prewitt, New Mexico (Failing F-10 WT)	We specialize in performing large-scale environmental projects. We've done large jobs at places like George Air Force Base, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, Hawthorne Army Depot, and DOE's Pantex Plant. These 'high profile' jobs offer many challenges and difficult situations. Using experience, knowledge, and hard work, Stewart Brothers has developed a winning reputation on these sites and throughout the environmental business. Hollow Stem Auger Stewart Brothers offers diverse capabilities using hollow stem augers. Our auger rigs consist of Failing F-10's, a CME 750, and a CME 450. We understand the importance of recovery when it comes to sampling and we can take drive samples or continuous sample using a wireline sampling system. In difficult sampling conditions, we adjust our methods to maximize recovery. Some standout experiences include:
Los Alamos, New Mexico	Drilling and sampling a 10" hole with 6 5/8" hollow stem augers to a depth of 340' at a 30° angle with a Failing F-10. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico Drilling and sampling an 8" hole with 4 1/4" hollow stem augers to a depth of 317' with a CME 750. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico Drilling and sampling a 10" hole with 6 5/8" hollow stem augers to a depth of over 350' with a Failing F-10. Pantex Plant, Amarillo, Texas Drilling several 10" holes for the installation of 4" monitor wells with 6 5/8" augers to a depth of 300' using a Failing F-10. George Air Force Base, Victorville, California
Phoenix, Arizona	Air Rotary Casing Hammer The air rotary casing hammer method (ARCH) combines modern air drilling techniques and modern pile driving equipment to do the jobs fast and efficiently that historically have been done with a cable tool rig. A hole can be drilled through completely unstable ground with this method in only a fraction of the time required with a cable tool rig. ARCH is basically a tool designed to drive casing through alluvial deposits that won't support a hole. These deposits are formations that cave in behind the drilling tools, like loose sands, gravels, and cobbles. ARCH can also be useful for shutting off water behind the casing. For example: While working on a job in Phoenix, Arizona, we drilled and drove casing below 200 feet and encountered over 500 gpm of water and flowing sands. As we drilled ahead the sand continued to flow into our drive casing. The drilling assembly had to be pulled back up inside the casing to keep it from becoming hitched by the influx of water and sand. A sounding device was lowered down the inside of the drill pipe and out through the center of the bit. The sounder tagged sand inside the drive casing 30 feet above the drive shoe. We decided to add another joint of drive casing and drove it another 20 feet. At this point it became more difficult to drive. Next, the inside of the casing was cleaned out with the drill bit and we discovered the sand and water had stopped flowing. We had apparently driven the casing through a perched aquifer into its lower confining layer and shut off the water and sand. We were able to proceed to a total depth of 500 feet where the well was successfully cased with 4 1/2" stainless steel casing and screen. The screen was sand packed as the drive casing was pulled back which prevented the well bore from collapsing against the casing.
Irvine, California (Failing F-10 WT)	This process was also used on a United States Fish and Game Department (USFG) job near Mora, New Mexico to drill and drive perforated casing into an artesian alluvial aquifer to a depth of 150 feet. Each of the wells flowed around 300 gpm. The wells were installed to supply water to a new USFG fish hatchery. The 10 3/4 inch surface casing was driven to a depth of 25 feet and cemented in place. The 8 3/4 inch perforated well casing was driven through the surface casing to a final depth of 150 feet. Conventional Rotary Drilling Stewart Brothers also has the ability to use conventional rotary drilling methods. Mud rotary or air rotary techniques are often used in situations where augers or air rotary casing hammer are unable to penetrate the formation.
Las Cruces, New Mexico	We have drilled using the mud rotary method on many environmental jobs. Using our truck-mounted portable mud pits we are able to drill at most locations without the use of earthen pits. The truck-mounted pits provide for a clean and flexible operation. Stewart Brothers can provide HX wireline coring, 94mm punch-coring, or conventional coring depending on the specific needs of your project. Some standout mud rotary experiences include: The drilling and installation of 20 monitor wells to an average depth of 600 feet at George Air Force Base in California. The holes were continuously sampled using the 94mm punch-core system. The drilling and installation of more than 50 monitor wells to an average depth of 400 feet at Motorola facilities in Phoenix, Arizona. Many of the holes were continuously cored, providing the client with a true cross-section of the hard rock formation where the wells were being installed. In some of the holes Westbay™ (multiple completion) wells were installed. Development Stewart Brothers also performs well development services. We generally develop every well that we drill. Pumping, jetting, bailing, surging, airlifting, and air pumping are methods that we have used in the past to make a monitor well become a good producer. Using a Smeal 10T, Stewart Brothers can perform most well development tasks quickly and efficiently.