Ballymoney’s Ivor’s Lifetime Achievement

Ivor Reilly from The Meadows in the town was recognised at the recent British Drilling Association (BDA) Awards 2021.

He is Manager of Wells Division at Causeway Geotech Limited.

Ivor left school and began his working career in a bacteriological laboratory, before in 1964 joining Glover Site Investigations, a new company based in Northern Ireland as a laboratory technician testing soil.

1966 saw Ivor promoted to Laboratory Manager, before becoming Drilling Manager in charge of shell/auger, rotary and bored piling rigs, some eight years later. As the company grew, though Ivor became a director in 1984 pricing contracts, he remained Drilling Manager until 2012 when he joined Causeway Geotech in logistics before becoming manager of its Waterwells Division in 2014, working also on geothermal wells and mini piling.

Ivor cites his site investigation work on the Belfast Urban Motorway as one of his most interesting projects with over 100 boreholes sunk all into bedrock and then rotary cored. Some holes were over 50m in depth with the project requiring two floating barges in the river to survey the best location for the bridge crossings. Some 2500 sand drains were carried out too to allow dissipation of the spoil on the approach roads.

Ivor has seen much change over his career, but he considers Rotary Drilling with wireline, GeoboreS and latterly Sonic Drilling as some of the most significant. Ivor feels the industry is going OK with no changes necessary on the drilling side, but that there is always room for more time to be spent on health and safety.

“Drilling is an interesting career,” commented Ivor, adding: “I have found in my time no matter how much experience you have gained there are always new challenges ahead.” The sector has much to offer but Ivor warns that new recruits should be prepared to work hard, be completely honest with their drilling/testing, and be capable of working long hours and all-weather conditions.

Looking ahead, Ivor can see himself carrying on as manager of well drilling as it is interesting and rewarding to get clients a sufficient supply of clean water. He is humbled on receiving the BDA award and is confident the drilling industry will go forward with the BDA continuing to provide the guidance it has been giving to sector over the years past.

Jointly receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award was Paul Mellon, Geotechnical Manager, Transport Scotland. Paul gained a degree in pure geology at Queen’s University Belfast, before moving into engineering.