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Atlas Copco portable compressor hastens urgent Thai well-drilling programme
Chachoengsao province has
embarked upon the construction of a large number of water wells to help
alleviate the drought that constantly threatens this key industrial and
agricultural region.
Ken Barrett
Chachoengsao province, located on the kingdom’s Eastern Seaboard, has
embarked upon the construction of a large number of water wells to help
alleviate the drought that constantly threatens this key industrial and
agricultural region. An Atlas Copco mobile compressor is a vital part of the
equipment being utilised by the contractor to ensure that the wells are
bored promptly and that the tight schedule is met.
The wells are being drilled at strategic locations throughout the province
and then connected to farm, domestic or industrial and commercial
installations either through directly laid above-ground PVC piping, or via
an existing distribution network. Water is stored in elevated tanks above
the wells, thus ensuring an even pressure for distribution throughout the
largely flat terrain.
Main contractor for the Provincial Waterworks Authority project is Niam
Padit Construction, who have organized a mobile team under sub-contractor
Noppree Deep Well Water Co to travel around sites surveyed by the province’s
engineers and to bore the wells.
Noppree utilises its own drill rig working in conjunction with an Atlas
Copco XAHS 365 oil injected rotary screw compressor, delivered by Atlas
Copco (Thailand) Ltd.
Chachoengsao province lies in the river plain of the Bang Pa Kong River,
with most of the land being rich alluvial deposits of sand and mud, and
rocks of granite and limestone.
The trailer-mounted hydraulic drill is equipped with a tungsten bit and is
digging vertical boreholes working at between 40 and 70 rpm, grinding the
granite and limestone it encounters and with the compressed air blowing the
fragments and spoil up to the surface. As the ground is essentially soft and
the rocky obstructions generally small in scale, there is no need for a
down-the-hole hammer or a pounder, and the drill team is able to progress
quickly.
Atlas Copco’s portable air product manager, Chanwit Choon, says that the
compressor is working at a pressure of 12 bar and delivering a maximum
capacity of 21 m3 /min. The machine is powered by a Deutz diesel engine.
The drill rig itself has been manufactured by Noppree to their own design,
and is flexible enough in use to employ a range of drills for different
sized well diameters, most usually 6 inches, 8 inches, 10 inches and 12
inches, depending on the potential water flow and the size of the community
to be served.
Mr Choon says that the Atlas Copco machine fits ideally into this broad
range of hole diameters because it functions in all of Noppree’s well types
and there is no need to consider using another compressor, even for the
largest diameters.
“The well drilling team is traveling throughout the province and working
very quickly to dig the wells, as the water shortages throughout this region
have become acute,” he says.
“The water table lies at around 200 m. Moving onto the site the team drills
down to the water, using the compressor to speed the drilling process. On
average it takes just two days to dig the well. The prefabricated water
tower is then erected and a pump placed in the well to suck up the water.
“As the well progresses it is lined with PVC, and PVC pipes are used to
connect the well to nearby villages or agricultural installations. The team
then moves on to the next site.”
Atlas Copco, which is itself located on the Wellgrow Industrial State in
Chachoengsao province, one of the Eastern region’s largest industrial
estates, is Thailand’s premier supplier of air supply systems for both
mobile and static installations.
Japanese company plans major investment in Thailand
Hitachi group, one of Japan’s largest manufacturers of
electronic products, has announced its intention to expand its investments into
neighboring Asian countries, including China and Thailand, over the next 2-3
years, according to Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Somkid
Jatusripitak.
Speaking after meeting with Hitachi company executives last week, Dr. Somkid
revealed that the electronics giant is preparing to expand its computer hard
disk drive production in the region by investing around US$750-1,000 million, or
around 40 billion baht, over the next couple of years. He confirmed that a large
part of this production expansion program will take place in Thailand and could
lead to as much as US$1 billion filtering into the Thai economy over the next
few years.
Apart from the Hitachi group, the deputy premier said the Board of Investment of
Thailand (BOI) has also planned future meetings with executives of giant
industrial groups such as US-based energy firm Chevron, and Seagate, one of the
world’s largest computer parts manufacturers to discuss possible investment
opportunities in the country. These meetings are scheduled to take place
shortly. (TNA)
ASEAN to implement single regulatory scheme for cosmetics in 2008
Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week
briefed cosmetic manufacturers regarding a new ASEAN single regulatory
scheme on the region’s cosmetics industry, which will be implemented from
the beginning of 2008, according to a senior FDA official.
FDA Deputy Secretary-General Werawan Tangkeo said that the Agreement on
ASEAN Harmonized Cosmetic Regulatory Scheme, signed in the Cambodian capital
of Phnom Penh in September 2003, would establish common standards for the
cosmetic industry of the 10 ASEAN member countries, and would hopefully lead
to lower manufacturing costs and increased trade within the regional bloc.
Werawan said cosmetics manufacturers must prepare for the implementation of
the agreement, which would require them to label their products with
essential details on production standards and goods codes.
Manufacturers will also need to seek FDA approval before advertising their
goods.
‘’The ultimate target is to offer consumers quality products and correct
information about the goods,’’ Werawan said.
ASEAN is moving toward establishing a regional free trade zone to compete
with China and India for foreign investment. (TNA)
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