The Driller

09/21/2025

Dig into the latest 🛠️Sign up for drilling news that helps drive your business forward!

https://brnw.ch/21wVXAZ

09/19/2025

💧🔦 Fun Fact Friday: Did you know the oldest known water well is over 7,000 years old? found it on the island of Cyprus, hand-dug with stone tools long before steel bits and rotary rigs came along.

Fast-forward to today: Drillers are still sinking wells every day, but now with rigs that can punch through hundreds of feet of rock in a fraction of the time. Same goal—safe, reliable water right where people live.

From stone tools to top drives, wells are proof that drilling is one of the world’s oldest (and most important) .

More drilling history: https://www.thedriller.com/articles/93542-the-art-of-drilling-mastering-the-unknown-below

We hope you have a great !

Drilling holes in the ground brings some unique challenges and a quirky attraction that are not common with other types of heavy equipment operation. When we drill into the ground, we drill into the unknown formation that lies beneath our feet.

09/18/2025

: the of U.S. energy. 🧟‍♂️💨 Just when you think it’s gone, federal approvals breathe a little more life into mines in WY, AL, UT and MT—unlocking 220M+ tons. Supporters call it “ .”

Critics? More like “Weekend at Bernie’s: Coal Edition.”

👉 Read the full feature here: https://www.thedriller.com/articles/93593-propping-up-a-dying-industry-how-federal-policy-keeps-coal-on-life-support

Image credit: The Everett Collection

09/18/2025

🚨 The plans to remove the Well Superfund site from its list of the most toxic places, saying cleanup is complete. But locals and experts are worried — the source of the contamination was never found.

👉 Is it really safe to declare when the cause is still unknown?

Read more here: https://www.thedriller.com/articles/93595-epa-proposes-removal-of-corozal-well-superfund-site-from-national-priorities-list

Image via Nancy Pauwels from Getty Images

The concerns over unknown contamination sources, potential exposure pathways beyond just drinking water, and historical exposures remain on many minds.

09/18/2025

🚨 The Dept. plans to scrap the 2024 Public Lands Rule — a move that could shift of acres from conservation back to , grazing, and logging. Supporters call it “balance.”

Critics say it's a giveaway to industry. 👉 Should we really be opening more lands to extraction as ecosystems collapse?

Read the update here:

The debate centers on how best to balance historic uses of public lands—grazing, mining, timber, energy production, recreation—with conservation imperatives.

09/16/2025

🚨 A federal appeals court sided with the EPA in halting $20B in climate grants—despite no clear evidence of fraud. Nonprofits say the freeze has stalled major solar projects and left contractors unpaid. A Supreme Court appeal may be next.

Read the full story here:

A federal appeals court has ruled in favor of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in a high-stakes legal dispute over the cancellation of more than $20 billion in climate-related grants awarded under the Inflation Reduction Act

09/15/2025

📉 National Construction Week Spotlight: Rising Costs, Shrinking Workforce

While overall U.S. producer prices dipped in August, construction isn’t catching a break. Input costs rose 0.2%, with iron and steel up 9.2% YoY and copper wire spiking 13.8%. Meanwhile, the industry lost 7,000 last month—mostly in residential specialty trades.

With materials getting pricier and labor under pressure, builders are facing a volatile close to 2025.

Read more:

Producer prices fell in August, but construction input costs climbed as metals and diesel rose. With jobs revised lower, contractors face uneven pressures closing out 2025.

09/15/2025

Happy Monday! In the construction/drilling world, “hands-on” means drill rigs, rebar, concrete, power tools, and zero slides. Let’s hear it for the crews doing the actual . 🛠️

(Typing this with soft hands from a in air-conditioned comfort)

Happy 😉

09/12/2025

🚧 Remember, the work doesn't stop today.

Here are some valuable resources to continue learning from Construction Su***de Prevention Week:

Resource Library Use our library of resources to plan your activity for Construction Su***de Prevention Week. Don’t forget to register your company’s participation to receive an OSHA-recognized, industry-endorsed certificate and electronic badge. To order Construction Su***de Prevention Week mat...

09/12/2025

🏗️ Build More Than Structures — Build Community 🧠

This week is Construction Su***de Prevention Week 2025, and the message is clear: connection saves lives.

🛠️ Check in with a coworker
📱 Text someone you haven’t heard from
💬 Be there. Be real. Be kind.

We build more than roads and bridges — we build belonging. Let’s create a culture where no one struggles in silence.

Take the pledge. Build community.
https://www.thedriller.com/articles/93583-building-more-than-structures-building-community

By supporting mental health and building connections on job sites and beyond, we create safer, healthier workplaces where no one feels invisible or alone.

09/11/2025

The opioid crisis isn't just a personal issue — it's a workplace challenge. During Su***de Prevention Week, industry leaders are calling on construction employers to lead with care, not crisis response.

It's time to move beyond stigma and silence. From embedding mental health into safety training to empowering supervisors to lead with empathy, resilience starts on the job site.

Let’s stop waiting for breakdowns — and start building people up. 💪

🔗 Learn more during Construction Su***de Prevention Week.

It’s time to stop waiting for workers to break. Instead, let’s build them up — with support, connection, and compassion woven into the foundation of our industry.

09/09/2025

Mark your calendars for Groundwater Week 2025, taking place December 9-11 in New Orleans, Louisiana! Join thousands of fellow groundwater professionals for three days packed with opportunities to learn, network, and get a closer look at the latest technology driving the industry forward.

Register before November 7 to save:
https://groundwaterweek.com/registration