Purchasing QUIK-GEL, I need to find a retailer.

[ACWxRADR]

I really would appreciate your assistance in this matter. I have been searching for a supplier of Baroid QUIK-GEL viscosifier (drilling mud) and I cannot seem to find a reasonable source. The suppliers either sell it only by the pallet or truck load or they don't list any ordering information at all. I only need two to four 50 lb bags which sell for less than $12, but I hate to spend $175 for shipping fees. Shipping is more expensive by far than the product itself. I need to find a retailer close to me who will maybe absorb that shipping cost somehow.

If they have it on hand, that would be best. If they are close enough to me, I can drive there to their shop and pick up the bags.

Is there any retailer from the Nebraska / Iowa / Missouri / Kansas area who can supply QUIK-GEL that you are familiar with? Google search engine has not been helpful to me in this endeavor. Thought I would ask here.

RADAR

 

[VAWellDriller]

Find your closest well driller in the yellow pages.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Smooky]

http://www.comstarsupply.com/quik-gel-50-lb-bag.html

It cost about 1/2 as much to ship from NC.

 

[ACWxRADR]

http://www.comstarsupply.com/quik-gel-50-lb-bag.html

It cost about 1/2 as much to ship from NC.

Hey Smooky,

I had looked Comstar supply up previously, this was the best option that I had found so far. I don't know if I will need four 50 lb bags of QUIK-GEL, but their on-line shipping calculation was $175 for that much. I think this sounds a bit high, even though it is for shipping 200 lbs all the way from NC to NE. I have ordered several items recently, product weights from 50 to 100 to 150 lbs and although these were shipping from closer, they were very much lower on the shipping fees. Maybe they use a specific carrier (other than UPS or FedEx) such as a truck line, because of the weight of the typical orders. I kinda freaked out when I saw the shipping fees on this order, so that is why I am shopping around.

As VAWellDriller stated, I should investigate all the local well drillers, but I wanted to research the retailer avenue first, so that I will know what prices I am up against prior to asking a local well driller to forfeit a bag or two my way. I need to know what prices I am really up against before bargaining with the locals who may not wish to part with the materials of their trade in this way. They are in the business to sell their well drilling expertise and make money drilling wells to pay for their equipment purchases, not sell their consumables to someone who is going to drill their own well. Such sales would be cutting into their own business ventures.

I have a neighbor who owns and operates a well drilling company. His cabin is just 200 feet south of my cabin. I am sure that he would accommodate me with what I need, as a favor, but I think that it may "put him out" in a way. I am sure that he would rather drill my well for me, professionally. But I would like to do this as a DIY project just for the learning experience and fun and if it works out well, I might do a few other wells for family members or friends. He might not appreciate it or be willing or able to become a "retailer" of materials in this way. He would have to charge a fair market value for these products, so I want to know what that market price is so that I can make it worth his time and effort to help me out. He is busy with all sorts of well business and I don't want to annoy him in any way. Maybe I am thinking too much about this, but to my way of thinking it is just the appropriate way to handle the whole deal.

Once the Thanksgiving Holiday is past, I will just ask him. If he is OK with this, I will make it worth his time and effort so that his company can turn a profit on the venture and I can play around with my DIY project.

RADAR

 

[Smooky]

Here is another local company called Drillers Service Inc. that has locations not to far from your area. The shipping charges should be less if they will ship such a small order.

http://www.dsidsi.com/locations.aspx

 

[ACWxRADR]

Thank you Smooky,

I will look into this source. I appreciate you helping by providing these leads.

RADAR

 

[ACWxRADR]

I was finally able to contact my neighbor who operates a well drilling and plumbing company. I asked him about selling me some Baroid Quik-Gel. He's got it and will sell it for about $15 a bag. This will be just perfect and resolves my search dilemma.

RADAR