Hdd directional drilling install#

The first step is to use a drill head to drill a one- to five-inch pilot hole at an angle, using the ground as reference. Installation is typically a two-step process.

Hdd directional drilling install#

Materials used for pipes include PVC, polyethylene, polypropylene, ductile iron, and steel.ĭirectional drilling machines install both small and large diameter lines (3 to 48 inches). Horizontal drilling machines are typically heavy-duty vehicles fitted with track drives, operator controls, and drilling machinery. They are commonly used for installations below waterways and roadways to avoid disturbing the ground above. As one of the most trusted horizontal directional drilling contractors, our crew approached the 2.5-mile project by using the pilot-hole intersection method, which requires two rigs to drill simultaneously toward one another from both sides of the project and eventually meet near the middle.Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) machines are steerable, trenchless drilling rigs for the installation of pipes, conduits, and cables underground in a shallow arc. The 13,247-foot (4,037-metre) drill allowed installation of a 20-inch pipe under the Missouri River. Michels crews worked 24 hours/day to complete six tie-in welds and the HDD pipe installation once the ramps were closed and had the ramps reopened within 10 days. Michels was contracted to install two new sections of a 10-inch pipeline beneath the Anchor River as critical links to complete an expansion project. Michels redesigned and used horizontal directional drilling to complete a 2,384-foot crossing of 12-inch STW pipe under the Missouri River. Michels installed a 4,000-foot land-to-land and a 1,600-foot water-to-land installation of 16-inch pipe. Ĝustom fabricated large, specialized equipment, available for worldwide mobilization.Ĝompleted HDD crossings in all 50 states, all Canadian provinces, many overseas locations.Ĝapable of boring virtually any ground condition.Ĝapable of 1.8 million pounds of drilling thrust & pulling power.More than 80 drilling rigs - medium and heavy.Land-to-water & water-to-water crossings.Land & marine horizontal directional drilling.Ělternative delivery, project design and engineering.Our Horizontal Directional Drilling Contractor Capabilities Horizontal directional drilling is suitable for installing all types of product pipe including gas, oil, water and electric utilities. In addition to our land-borne HDD experience, we have also completed many marine crossings - both land-to-water and water-to-water. Since the early 2000s, we've been at the forefront of pilot hole intersects, an HDD method that allows us to essentially double the length of a borehole by drilling from each side of a project and meeting at a pre-designated point near the middle.Īs an HDD contractor, Michels has successfully completed crossings in all 50 states, Canada, along the U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico borders, and internationally. In the hands of our skilled operators, these machines are capable of placing pipe up to 60 inches in diameter to distances of more than 15,000 feet. Our fleet includes many sizes of rigs, including our largest with drilling thrust/pulling power up to 1.8 million pounds. We've become a world leader in directional drilling companies by design, building and mastering the use of powerful rigs to place utility lines substantially deeper than conventional trench construction, providing significant cover for crossings under waterways, existing utilities, and underground structures. Horizontal directional drilling, or HDD, is a versatile trenchless pipe installation technique we have been mastering since we first performed it in 1988. Maximum distance and precision, minimal disruptions