The Daily Drop

August 5, 2026

This week’s photo is courtesy of P.W. Gillibrand Co.- CA and TX, USA

Safety Focus

Part 3 of 4: Snake Safety- Apply

Lets focus on what to do immediately after a bite happens, when the wrong move is worse than doing nothing.

First, get clear. Move the person beyond the snake's striking range and keep them calm and as still as you can, because a racing heart moves venom faster. Take off rings, watches, and anything tight before swelling starts. If you can do it safely, snap a photo of the snake from a distance to help the ER, but do not chase it or try to catch it.

Then get to a hospital fast. Seek care right away to start antivenom if needed and stop irreversible damage. Do not wait for symptoms to appear. Do not let the bitten person drive, since a bite can cause dizziness or fainting. Call 911 or have someone else call, and tell your supervisor.

And leave the old field remedies alone. Do not cut the wound, do not try to suck out venom, do not pack it in ice, and do not tie on a tourniquet. These remedies can worsen the injury and do not replace immediate medical care.

Key Takeaways

• The first move is create distance and keep the person calm, then act quickly to provide antivenom, when appropriate.

• Someone else drives; a bite can make the victim dizzy or pass out.

• Skip every folk remedy. They can worsen the injury and delay proper carre.

Sources:

NIOSH: Venomous Snakes at Work
NIOSH: Venomous Snakes: A Neglected Hazard for Outdoor Workers

Industry Update

On the New Mexico Southern Border, Crews Have Been Drilling Wells the State Never Permitted

A federal-state permitting fight on the southern border changed course this week, but it remains worth watching for contractors on federal projects.

Customs and Border Protection has ordered border-wall contractors in New Mexico to stop drilling new water wells. The agency did not say whether completed wells can continue pumping. New Mexico’s Office of the State Engineer says it counted at least six wells under development without state permits. State staff inspected two wells in July and measured each pumping about 200 gallons per minute.

The state maintains that all nontribal wells require permits whether they sit on state, private, or federal land. Its general counsel said CBP applied for and received permits during the first Trump administration. This time, CBP asserted that the federal government was immune from the state requirement because the wells were on federal property.

CBP says the water is needed for road construction, concrete production, and dust control. It also says it is working with New Mexico and the U.S. Department of Agriculture on a groundwater-management strategy.

Why it matters: the drilling pause does not settle the jurisdiction question, and the rules may depend on the authority behind a particular federal project. Contractors should confirm permitting responsibility before drilling rather than assuming federal land creates an exemption.

Sources:

WBUR Here & Now: Amid Blistering Drought, Feds Tap New Mexico Aquifers to Build Border Wall Without Permits
Associated Press: Border Wall Contractors Ordered to Stop Drilling Wells in Drought-Stricken New Mexico
U.S. Customs and Border Protection: Project Update: Secondary Barrier System Construction in New Mexico

Knowledge Share

Part 3 of 4: Geophysical Logging for Water Wells- Apply

A single log rarely gives you the answer. The payoff comes from laying several logs side by side, checking where they agree, and understanding why they differ. The goal is practical: identify the intervals worth completing, then use formation samples to finish the screen and pack design.

Start with natural gamma to map changes in the section. In many sedimentary formations, clay-rich beds produce higher gamma readings while cleaner quartz sands read lower. But that is a pattern, not a rule. Arkosic sand, granite, and other radioactive minerals can also produce high readings. Gamma helps identify likely lithology, but it does not prove that an interval will make water.

Lay the electric logs beside it. Resistivity responds to both the formation and the water in its pores. More dissolved solids generally lower resistivity, but porosity, lithology, borehole fluid, temperature, and hole conditions also affect the response. A lower reading can flag more mineralized water, but resistivity alone does not tell you whether the water is usable or whether the zone will produce.

Read the logs together to identify candidate water-bearing intervals. Then check those intervals against the driller’s samples, local geology, and any available flow, temperature, or water-quality data before placing screen.

Once the interval is selected, the samples drive the completion details. For an artificially packed well, sieve analysis of the formation helps determine the filter-pack gradation. The pack gradation then determines the screen slot needed to retain the pack. That sequence helps limit sediment movement without choking flow.

Use the caliper log as the geometry check. It records borehole diameter, identifies washouts and irregular sections, and gives you the diameter needed to estimate pack volume. Enlarged or rough intervals can complicate pack placement, so plan around what the hole actually measures, not the bit size written on the report.

What this means for your next design: Let the logs narrow the target, let the samples finish the design, and use the caliper to calculate what the hole will actually take.

Sources: