Drift Services Group

They think it's all over - well, for me it is! Because that's my working year over. It's also all over for this tired and useless ground source fit out, which the bosses and friends are gleefully ripping out as I type. So destructive, aren't they. Collectively we, as you favourite sarcastic drilling company, wish you all glad tidings of comfort and joy. And God rest ye to the merry gentlemen Richard Lane and Mark Smith, thanks for letting me loose on your LinkedIn accounts. #HappyHoles #HappyHols

It's true what they say - 'there is NO rest for the wicked' - it's why I've gone all #FeetUpFriday while Richard Lane and Paddy (Mark Smith) are flat our prepping for a job that starts on Tuesday. We (I say we - I mean they - defiantly and definitely not me) are going to be decommissioning a ground source heating system, removing redundant plant and setting the place up for a brand new renewable energy project in 2025. Me? Thanks for asking. I'm eating my way through the Lindt advent calendars I bought for them both. They're not in the office, and as everyone knows, chocolate at Christmas goes off if not eaten. Apparently the decommissioning job was a stretch too far for most - but they're nothing if not innovative and adaptable those bosses. There's no hurdle they can't hurdle. Happy Friday Drifters.

"Use these images for this week's social post" said Richard Lane. . . . "What are they of?" Said me... . . . He did then tell me - something about auger, welding, top of hole, fat man? But I wasn't listening by that point. Sorry. So, here you are Drifters - some nice pics of a man in an orange boiler suit welding. (I've zoomed in and he is properly attired in safety gear so none of you need to get too excited.) In other news, Rich was wearing a very fetching moss green jumper yesterday and Mark Smith took an extended lunch break. Do you think I'll get a bonus this year? #Welding #Drilling #Holes

Yes, you read that right - the BBC has featured us! Work hard and rewards will come, said someone wise, once, probably? And this here is the evidence: our own Richard Lane quoted by the BBC in a feature about Drift Services Group's work for Reading Borough Council! We drilled the boreholes for their groundbreaking (👀 see what I did there) geothermal heating scheme at the Hexagon Theatre - and the BBC is impressed: https://lnkd.in/eGhnXMgq #GSHP #Boreholes #FameAtLast

Following on from our summary of this project last week, here's an interesting update from Reading Borough Council, who we were fortunate to work with on this innovative scheme. It enabled us to bring some new ideas to the GSHP table and prove that with adaptive thinking, obstacles can become opportunities to deliver new ideas. We're keeping a close eye on The Hexagon project as it marches towards realisation. Meanwhile ... we're knee deep in mud on not one, not two, but THREE water borehole projects. Good news is, it's keeping Richard Lane, Mark Smith and the latest pain in my neck, Christian Cox too busy to annoy me. #GSHP #WaterWell #SustainableHeat #OpenLoop #ClosedLoop #Boreholes #FarFromBeingBoring

Delighted that ElectricHomes has featured the work we undertook to enable the successful development and installation of a ground source heating solution at Reading Borough Council's Hexagon Theatre, in its latest feature. Discover how the forward thinking council commissioned us to deliver a system which will ensure the Hexagon is both an environmental and cultural landmark in the heart of Reading ⬇ ⬇ ⬇ #GroundSourceHeat #SustainableHeat #GSHP

Well fancy that. Richard Lane's not just a pretty face. He's only gone and written a feature for readers of GeoDrilling International about borehole maintenance for the restoration of efficiency and water quality. (I didn't know he had it in him.) Here it is: https://lnkd.in/ejFYZX9e And I've added some images below in case you can't really be bothered to read what he has to say... #BoreholeMaintenance #WaterWells #GeoDrillingInternational

Richard Lane of Drift Services Group talks about identifying and mitigating the factors that contribute to a borehole’s declining performance - https://lnkd.in/eT9biRaS #Aspermont Drift Services Group #WaterWell #Boreholes #Remediation #Cleaning #Surveying

We kept this under our hat, didn’t we? But now, we’re tickled to be able to shout about it! We played a central role in delivering an innovative renewable energy solution for Reading Borough Council at The Hexagon Theatre, one of the UK’s first to utilise open-loop ground source heating for both heating and cooling. Our team drilled and tested boreholes into the chalk aquifer, confirming high-quality water with the required flow rates and efficient return — critical for system performance and sustainability. However, the project wasn’t without challenges.  and we want to highlight them in case the information is useful to others. We’re quite geekily excited about the clean, green power of geothermal heat and want to get more people on board – so if this information helps convince you to give it a go – GOOD! Restrictions on water discharge during test pumping required a clever solution: a 250,000L temporary pillow tank.  This innovative approach, a UK first for this application, enabled us to meet Environment Agency flow rate requirements while adhering to local discharge limits.  It’s a testament to our ability to think outside the box (ooo!) Despite high flint levels in the chalk, we used mud flush drilling and installed a plastic liner to protect the pump, ensuring long-term reliability. The boreholes are now capped, ready for the next phase. This project highlights the benefits of open-loop ground source heating and our 'pioneering' (!) expertise in delivering such systems. Appointed through competitive tender, we acted as Principal Contractor, delivering the project on time and within budget. So there!   For lazy people who can’t be bothered to read what I’ve written, here are the project highlights: 💦 Techniques: cable percussion and rotary drilling with mud flush 💦 Innovation: 250,000L temporary pillow tank 💦 Environmental commitment: discharge system within strict limits 💦 Depths: boreholes to 120m, with a 10m monitoring hole And now, we’re gearing up for the next one – case study to follow! We jest, and are the best…call us: 01323 335 004 #Geothermal #GroundSourceHeat #TheATeam

There's nothing feel good about this Friday. 😡 No sooner had he landed than Christian Cox (aka Amanda Demanda) started shouting about needing tanks and mud and Heras fencing. Who does he think he is? Seriously. My life was relatively peaceful before he arrived - you see, Richard and Paddy (Mark Smith) are now well trained and have realised that if you want a job doing you're better off doing it yourself than asking me. I'm ornamental not functional. Can someone let Chris know? He's working down south somewhere on a big, deep hole to supply LOADS of water to someone for some commercial reason - irrigation, or washing things, or maybe just drinking? I wasn't really listening. #WaterWells #BigHoles #Bossy