Ten weeks of drilling a new well at Diamond, East Bank Demerara has resulted in the successful production of water.
The well, which is the first of three to be drilled by Dutch Firm, De Ruiter Groundwatertechneik in Guyana, was drilled at a depth 201 meters. With this depth, the well is producing 200 meter cubes of water per hour (200m3/hr), which is equivalent to approximately 100, 450-gallon black tanks of water per hour.
Dr. Richard Van West- Charles, the the Guyana Water Inc., indicated that, “We are happy about the success of the well, its production is above what we expected and you can see for yourselves that we’ve got clear water and good quality and as soon as they are finished with this final developmental process, our engineers would prepare to run the transmission lines to connect to the Diamond community.”
The drilling rig being used by De Ruiter Groundwatertechneik
This is expected to take place by the end of November, 2017. He explained that GWI is pleased with the results, given that the Diamond project is the Dutch company’s first attempt on Guyana’s soil.
De Ruiter Groundwatertechneik is utilizing a new method of drilling known as reverse circulation. This method is carried out by using compressed air, which also acts as the medium bringing the drill cuttings (Soil Formation), up to the surface. Additionally, Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) casings are being used, as opposed to steel casings, giving the well an estimated lifespan of 30 years.
GWI has allowed its engineers and local contractors to be exposed to the new methodology, as part of the company’s quest to create well fields for the sustainability of water for the citizenry of Guyana. Plans are also afoot for the purchase of the company’s own drilling rig.
The purpose of the Diamond well is to add redundancy and to supplement the water supply along the East Bank of Demerara, specifically the growing Diamond/Grove population.
The Dutch drilling company will be moving to Sparendaam next, then Sophia, for the drilling of wells there. Earlier this year, a contract was signed between GWI and De Ruiter Groundwatertechneik, to the tune of five hundred and fifty-two thousand, eight hundred and fifty-five Euros (€ 552,855) for the drilling of three new wells at Diamond, Sophia and Sparendaam, Region 4.
The total cost of the Diamond well alone is approximately GYD$40 million. The construction of a water treatment plant is also in the pipelines for the Diamond community.