3 ms·

...Do we think that opium farmers in Afghanistan have the same equipment as your parents' exurb? I would be surprised

• cosmodisk 6y ago
  Just googled to see what's out there. Simple and pretty small rigs can do 150ft, so I don't think it'd a huge challenge to get a slightly bigger one. They also seem to be relatively cheap. I think a lot of people underestimate the level of access to products/services if the right money is involved. If I was buying opium from those farmers I'd give it for free as long as I'd know I'd get lots of products for years to come.
  • evjim 6y ago
    I bought an Alibaba well drilling rig for $3k plus shipping and tariffs. I drilled 130ft deep with it. It took months to fix problems the machine came with and get proper drill bits adapted to it. Then at 130 ft I hit a void. All the drilling mud that you intend to recirculate drained into the ground. This can be a great sign. Aquifers also can absorb liquid. But I couldn't drill further. I did some testing with an airlift pump out the drill stem. It seemed I hit an aquifer. I had to reem the hole larger and used bentonite at the bottom of the hole to restore circulation. During the whole process the manufacturer offered little guidance. The user manual is just a few pages of poor translation. Their YouTube channel is disjointed 10sec clips of them drilling. The best advice I got was from a local retired driller that came by. In the end, I still can't get water out of the hole. I drilled some geothermal wells next to my house so I can theoretically use those and not feel like it's a waste. I'm selling the machine and hiring a pro haha. That was a fun hobby for a year. I had better success on friends property's with shallower water tables where we could hand auger 30ft down to water for $100 worth of tools.