Flynn Drilling Co. of Troy, Missouri constructed a 400 ft domestic well to provide dust suppression in a mine 300 ft below ground level — not far from Mark Twain’s Cave.
This one had constraints most water wells never see. Once the rig was in the mine it was pitch black, and the only light was man-made, produced from generators. No gas powered equipment was allowed anywhere in the construction of the well — diesel only. And every cubic foot of drill cuttings had to be contained and hauled back out of the mine rather than simply piled at the collar.
The completed well — 400 ft deep and 6″ in diameter — came in artesian, producing approximately 20 gpm at 30 psi. It flows under its own pressure, so no pump was needed for the project at all. A solenoid valve was installed to control demand for the water supply feeding the dust suppression equipment in the mine.
No signs of Tom Sawyer or Injun Joe were spotted during construction.
400 ft deep, 6″ diameter, artesian at 20 gpm and 30 psi — and no pump required.
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