GWI acquires $120M well drilling rig for Hinterland regions

Nov 16, 2020 News

Kaieteur News – The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) has acquired a $120M well drilling rig for the hinterland regions through funding from Government. In a release issued to the media yesterday, GWI said that the rig, which was procured from Fox Trading out of Brazil, has the capacity to drill beyond 150 meters in depth, within a period of less than two weeks.

Minister of Housing and Water, Hon. Collin Croal, and a team of GWI and Regional Officials at the well drilling site in Shulinab.

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, on Saturday, November 14, 2020, commissioned the rig in the South Central Rupununi village of Shulinab in Region Nine where drilling is underway.
“This additional well being drilled will result in the extending of the service to residents in the community that do not have access to safe water,” the release outlined. It was also noted that GWI will be working along with the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) for the installation of a new distribution network, elevated storage tanks, and upgraded Photovoltaic systems which will provide 24 hours of service to 95 percent of the community.
Minister Croal stressed that the purchasing of the rig is a worthwhile investment, adding that the drilling of wells in the hinterland will now cost a maximum of one third of the previous cost.
“It also helps us to map out the entire Region and we can do it in a structured and systemic way of having our needs assessment to see where wells are required and send the rig in, have it done quickly, under two weeks, to do the actual drilling then move on to another community while we do the pipe laying exercise,” he added.
The subject Minister said that he is very confident that the drilling done with the new rig will be successful, while alluding to failed drilling attempts in the past. He attributed this confidence to GWI’s improvements in the areas of technical capacity and equipment.
“We have a commitment that right across our country, whether in the coastland or in the hinterland, we have a duty to ensure that we bring safe water delivery to your communities and if you’re in clusters, to your homes,” he told Shulinab residents.
He added that in addition to delivering water to communities, it is also important to ensure that the water is of good quality.
Prior to the drilling in Shulinab, the new rig was used to drill a new well in Culvert City, Region Nine. This will provide more than 1200 residents within the community of Culvert City and the surrounding areas within the township of Lethem with improved water service.
A GWI team will also be providing the communities of Shea and Annai in Region Nine with new wells before the end of 2020 so as to improve the water supply system in these communities.
After completion of the new wells in Region Nine, GWI is expected to move to mobilize the drilling equipment in Region One to undertake the drilling of wells within the communities of Mabaruma, Wauna, White Water and Khans Hill which are scheduled to be undertaken in 2021.