Geothermal Drilling

Businesses and homeowners are increasingly honing in on the benefits geothermal energy systems offer beyond being a green, reliable energy source. Often, savings on monthly utility bills pay for financing a system. Many see a return on their investment in a geothermal retrofit. In recent years, the federal government — and even some states — implemented tax credits and incentives for the renewable energy option.

The developing demand for geothermal energy systems has generated growth in the geothermal drilling industry. Some drillers have been enticed to explore expanding into geothermal drilling. For existing geothermal drillers business is booming, while others weather fluctuations by diversifying their service lines with a single drilling rig.

Engineered to handle the speed of geothermal drilling - drilling multiple borings per day as compared to a single hole during a multiple-day process -  DRILLMAX^® geothermal drilling rig exceeds expectations in tough conditions. While geothermal drilling tends to prioritize overall rig size and weight, drilling speed, and cost per foot, options such as sandline winch or pipe spinner systems can be added to minimize equipment on the geothermal drilling job site.

Drill Rigs for Sale

• DM250: drill rigs for sale suited for residential geothermal drilling or small commercial jobs.
• DM450: drill rigs for sale designed for large residential geothermal drilling or commercial jobs.
• DM650: drill rigs with options to be outfitted as down the hole drill or mud drill for large residential or commercial geothermal drilling jobs.

DM250 Takes Geothermal Drilling Business to Next Level

Launching Island Geo Drillers in New York seven years ago, Joe Dalba and partner Ryan Maletta were ready to take their closed-loop geothermal drilling business to the next level. Their projects were progressing from residences with up to 50-ton fields to schools requiring 300-ton fields with 90 bores to 350 feet. Yet, they desired to go after more municipal geothermal drilling projects. What they needed to take the next step was a new drill rig. They looked at several different drill rigs for sale, wanting to keep everything non-CDL they decided on the DM250.

“To get a more capable rig and take our business to the next step, the DRILLMAX^® DM250 was the only one non-CDL,” Dalba said. “It has everything really. It’s faster and lots easier,” Dalba said. “Speed of tophead rotation combined with 20-foot stroke on tight package, ramps up production, and it being non-CDL also saves on insurance.”

Read how they succeeded on one geothermal drilling job where COVID-19 restrictions limited them to just the two owners on site thanks to the features on the DM250, including:

• pressure consistency produced by the piston pump
• physical comfort created by the wide driller’s platform
• production capability provided by the rod loader 

Geothermal Drilling at ‘Geo-Pace’ with DM450

The speed and ability of the single rod loader to keep adding pipe make the DM450 well suited for geothermal drilling jobs.

“On average, the DM450 is 1.5 times faster than our other rig,” Skyler Wilson, Pan Terra Energy operations manager, said. “Just the top head movement on the other rig takes twice as much time as swinging the rod handler. Once you’re out of rod in the other rig carousel, adding pipe takes 10 times as long.”

The driller was impressed the DM450 kept up with the “geo-pace of drilling four to five holes a day.” He boasts the DM450 accomplished more than the combined footage of three other rigs on a geothermal drilling job in the Rockies.

Having a central U.S. service center nearby provides peace of mind. For Owner Mike Ryan, having engineers receptive to driller feedback for product improvement distinguishes DRILLMAX^® from other manufacturers.

“It’s not always the case that engineers have an open mind to suggestions from drillers,” he said. “DRILLMAX^® engineers seem to really be interested in feedback from the field. When it comes down to it, it’s about people. The DRILLMAX^® commitment to make things right is important.”

Read how they compare the features of their legacy and 2020 DM450, including:

• rollers on carriage
• sleekly laid out hydraulic lines
• power and precision from manual hydraulic controls
• rigid drill mast for straighter holes

Don't see a feature you're looking for on your geothermal drilling rig?  

Give us a call.

Our team of engineers thrives on collaborating with drillers while they continually innovate new designs for our geothermal drilling rig line. Our goal is to help maximize your success by making your job faster, safer, and easier. Partner with us and we'll work to decrease your rig downtime while increasing your family time.

“The DRILLMAX^® geothermal drilling rig took a beating but got right through it. We doubled our production speed with the stroke and pump.The way she forces plastic clay out of the hole was pretty unbelievable. The 20-foot stroke and speed of the tophead means it goes faster for a longer distance, good for plunging clay out of the hole." - Joe Dalba, partner, Island Geo Drillers, New York