SHIPO Tube Well Drilling

Target Countries

Angola, Burkina Faso, Congo (Brazzaville), Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Target SDGs

Market Suggested Retail Price

$1,500.00

Target Users (Target Impact Group)

Community

Distributors / Implementing Organizations

This product is being implemented by the Southern Highlands Participatory Organisation (SHIPO), a Tanzanian Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) based in Njombe, Tanzania.

Competitive Landscape

Direct competitors include The Village Drill.

Manufacturing/Building Method

This product is built on-site with locally sourced construction materials. The drills are assembled by SHIPO trained technicians. For building a pump or drilling a borehole, SHIPO employs coaches who are normally selected from the community.

Intellectural Property Type

Trade Secret

User Provision Model

Village communities and families can get SHIPO drill installed via trained and certified local SHIPO dealers.

Distributions to Date Status

As of 2020, 800 tube wells (depths 20-48 m) have been drilled in Tanzania, Malawi, and Mozambique.

Design Specifications

The SHIPO drill is based on the Baptist Drilling method developed by Terry Waller of Water for All in Bolivia in 1993. The drilling process is continuous and the drill bit is normally not removed from the borehole until it is finished. Any broken material is pumped to the surface in the drilling liquid (mud). The borehole diameter is kept as small as possible in order to remove a minimum of material. Percussion action is performed by lifting the drill stem with a rope over a pulley, attached to a simple derrick, made with whatever available that is usually either wood or bamboo poles. The main drill tool consists of a length of metal pipe with an open drill bit combined with sludging. Extensions are standard PVC potable water pipes. No temporary casing is used. Drilling speed is variable with different soil conditions and crews, but over 15 m per day have been obtained in favorable conditions. Specifications: Casing diameter range is 2 to 6 inches Equipment length: 3 m Estimated weight of Rota sludge: < 200 kg SHIPO method (Baptist drill) is estimated to have max weight: 100 kg

Product Schematics

Technical Support

SHIPO trained technicians provide support.

Replacement Components

Drill components are locally sourced and thereby readily available.

Lifecycle

Unknown

Manufacturer Specified Performance Parameters

Manufacturers specify a maximum drill depth of 60 meters deep.

Vetted Performance Status

Unknown

Safety

Some of the safety measures users must consider while using such hand drilling methods include: Roping off the job site to notify bystanders from wandering around the drilling site. Avoiding rusty pipes and drill bits that can cause infection to preexisting cuts. Replacing the thread protector caps before storing pipe in a trailer.

Complementary Technical Systems

Rope pumps for extracting water.

Academic Research and References

Compliance with regulations

SHIPO does not reference any regulations related to manual drilling.

Evaluation methods

Unknown

Other Information

SHIPO ensures the long-term sustainability of its projects by combining infrastructure with thorough training and education, and also by working in close cooperation with local authorities and leaders.