Deep in the sandhills of northwestern Nebraska you’ll find a SIMCO 2800 water well drilling rig churning away, producing upwards of 120 wells a year. That rig, along with a SIMCO 7000, belongs to Lanny Forster and his son, Austin, of Forster Well Drilling, Inc. out of Gordon, Nebraska.
For over three decades, the Forster family has been using SIMCO rigs and equipment to serve their customers across western Nebraska and southwest South Dakota. From 85’ to 95’ deep water wells to wells reaching 400’ and more, the Forsters depend on their SIMCO rigs day in and day out. And with ownership being passed to Austin, the next Forster generation, it looks like SIMCO drilling rigs will be a long-standing fixture in that area.
Lanny Forster started his drilling business in 1977 and quickly realized that the service and support he received with his first SIMCO 2800 would be a consistent and rewarding feature of all of their SIMCO rigs.
“Their service, knowledge, and expertise has been unbelievable,” said Lanny. “If you call with questions, somebody there has the answer.”
Consistently booking out their latest of three SIMCO 2800s, the team added a 7000 to the fleet in 2016. With that, the Forsters can count on not only the service and support the SIMCO rigs come with, but the power, performance and versatility that comes with the 2800, the 7000 and the entire water well drilling line.
“We’ve been able to add various pumps to the 2800 and the 7-1/2 x 10 Centerline can get the flow we need to go 350 to 400 feet or more,” said Forster.
The materials the Forsters are challenged with range from the loose sand and shallow water tables found in western Nebraska to coarse limestone, hardened clays, and rock in the Dakota foothills. So the addition of the SIMCO 7000 gave the team the added power needed to drill water wells deep and fast.
“The 2800s we’ve had are perfect sandhill rigs because they’re so light,” said Forster. “We can set up and poke a 60 or 70 foot well, case it and gravel it in about 2 hours. And that 7000 reaches depths of 400 plus feet quicker than any we’ve seen on the market.”
The team at SIMCO Drilling Equipment, Inc. couldn’t be more proud of the long-lasting relationships they’ve built with their customers. Companies like Lanny and Austin’s are the heart of SIMCO’s business. With quality equipment and support that goes the extra mile, they look forward to a strong future with them and many others.
