Epiroc Releases Valoria VA20 Water Well Drilling Rig

Equipment manufacturer Epiroc has unveiled a new water well drill rig, the VA20 (Valoria). In a release, the company says the new rig is designed to meet the changing demands in the market.

“Epiroc took this initiative to develop a new sturdy, reliable and cost-effective solution,” says Mukesh Chaturvedi, head, product management. “We have a rich history in water well drill segment with DB- and TH– water well rigs series. The new VA20 drill inherits the well-known Epiroc’s quality. With its robustness, ease of operation and lower operating cost, VA20 will be a true win-win solution for our water well customers.”

The VA20 rig is available in select regions, including the markets of Africa, Asia, the Middle East, South America and Latin America. Epiroc says the sturdy construction and rugged components give the VA20 drill rig reliability across the water well range.

VA20 rig customers can select their preferred carrier configuration for their drilling operation. Customers can purchase the VA20 along with a truck assembled at the factory, or as a module to mount easily on their local truck of choice.

Equipped with a rugged rotary head featuring a single hydraulic motor drive for rotary and DTH drilling, the VA20 can reach depths up to 900 feet with a 6½-inch final diameter. The drill rig offers 23,800 pounds of pullback force and 11,600 pounds of pulldown force, as well as a table opening of 10.6 inches. A highly efficient cable feed system can trip out of the hole at speeds around 275 feet per minute.

The VA20 also features:
• A manual single-rod loader that facilitates rod operations directly from the rod box, increasing safety.
• An Atlas Copco C146 air compressor configured with a two-stage rotary screw airend producing 28.3 m3/min at 20.6 bar pressure (1,000 cfm flow at 300 psi) for DTH drilling needs. This can be disengaged (manual de-clutch system) to increase fuel economy up to 30 percent.  

“The VA20 drill rig is rigorously field tested and proven for water well drilling application,” says Hrishikesh Labdhe, product manager, water well drills. “It has field proven fuel efficiency (liters/meter or feet), higher drilling speeds and safety over conventional drills. We have carefully built in many efficiencies in this machine for our customers that will help them keep the investment at the lowest while getting faster returns.”

Epiroc serves customers in the mining, infrastructure and natural resources industries in more than 150 countries. It develops and produces drill rigs, rock excavation and construction equipment, and also offers services and consumables. For more information, visit www.epirocgroup.com.

Solinst Introduces Field Readout Unit for Real-Time Water Levels

The SRU also serves as a data download and storage device. It has a robust flash memory to save multiple internal log files from a number of different dataloggers. Transer saved files to a PC by connecting the SRU using a USB cable. Users download the files, then open them using Levelogger Software.

The SRU provides access to information about the connected datalogger’s battery level, memory, serial number, firmware version and logging mode. This is useful for quickly checking the status of a field-located datalogger without removing it from deployment.

Solinst Canada Ltd. has served clients in the groundwater and surface monitoring sectors for more than 35 years. The company offers a range of loggers, peristaltic pumps, samplers and other equipment for hydrogeologists, hydrologists and other water professionals. For more information, visit www.solinst.com.

Solinst Canada Ltd. has introduced the Model 4001 Solinst Readout Unit (SRU), a new rugged field data transfer device that also provides instant water level readings from a connected Solinst datalogger.

In a release, the company says the Model 4001 SRU provides multiple convenient, in-field functions.

The SRU connects to a Levelogger’s Direct Read Cable, a LevelVent Wellhead, or AquaVent Wellhead connector cable. The company says it features a compact, ergonomic and water-resistant design. Using push-buttons, it is easy to power-on and navigate through all SRU menu options. The LCD screen contrast is adjustable to ensure easy viewing in any field condition. The SRU uses a 9V replaceable battery to operate, and has user-upgradeable firmware.

With the SRU connected, Solinst says operators can select a real-time sampling rate and start a real-time monitoring session independent of the datalogger’s internal logging mode. Real-time logs can be saved in the SRU memory. The SRU has a built-in barometer, which provides the option of showing and saving real-time water level readings corrected for barometric pressure. Real-time logging is convenient when performing aquifer tests, such as pumping tests.

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