The Globe Drill GT3000 mobile drill rig takes about two semis to haul, but can drill holes as deep as some oil and gas rigs that take 40 or 50 semis to move. It has the potential to revolutionize the small scale geothermal energy market. Apparently the Chilean government was also in discussions with the rig’s creators to use it drill a hole to rescue the trapped miners if the three smaller rigs they used didn’t work. The rig’s creators are currently drilling a 17-in diameter, 3-km deep test hole in hard rock near the creator’s Merredin, Australia work shed. [Source: Merredin Wheatbelt Mercury via AGC SmartBrief. Image: Merredin-Wheatbelt Mercury]
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German town sinking after drilling operations
The historic town of Staufen in southwestern Germany on the western edge of the Black Forest is experiencing some rather unexpected downward movement these days. Several buildings, some of them historic, are experiencing cracking and distress and are still sinking at a rate of approximately 1mm per week. Investigations are underway, but everything seems to point towards drilling operations for geothermal energy which were conducted last fall. [Editor] More after the break…[/Editor]