Thus, when accidents do occur, the paperwork trail can be substantial. Specific regulatory requirements, responsibilities, and protocols for subsurface drilling and markout activities may vary state by state and identification of such requirements, and whether or not they were adhered to, may also be necessary. The contractor must rely on the accuracy of the plans they have been provided with and the results of subsurface utility markouts ( calling 811) and ground penetrating radar surveys that may have been performed. A challenge with horizontal drilling is that if there is a problem, it usually occurs underground. When assessing the cause and who is at fault, finding a forensic engineer or consultant familiar with directional drilling is advisable.įirst, it must be determined if the directional drilling contractor followed all the correct methods and proper procedures, that their equipment was adequately maintained, and that the requisite safety protocols were in use. Insurance claims and legal actions often ensue in such cases and, given the increasing use of directional drilling, these are occurring more frequently. Analysts handling such insurance claims may find a need for technical assistance in reviewing the information submitted and understanding the cause and origin of the loss. Power lines can be severed, resulting in widespread electrical outages.Environmental damage can occur (including groundwater impacts by “fugitive” drilling fluids).When Things go Wrong – Drilling Claims and Accidentsĭirectional drilling is a technically complex process when things go wrong or mishaps occur, many parties can be impacted, and the damage can be catastrophic.
Because most of the ground surface remains undisturbed during directional drilling, the impact to the surrounding environment, both natural and manmade, is drastically reduced. The technique is routinely used when conventional trenching or excavating is not practical due to the presence of obstacles such as buildings, roadways or streams, or when minimal surface disturbance is required. Traditional Cut and Coverĭirectional drilling offers significant advantages over traditional cut and cover pipeline/utility installations. Directional drilling is currently employed in over 50% of all underground utility installation work.
HORIZONTAL DIRECTIONAL DRILLING DIAGRAM INSTALL
Several major advances occurred in the 1970s (such as the mud motor) and use of directional drilling greatly expanded in the 1990s, driven largely by fiber optic installations and the need to install horizontal wells or piping for environmental monitoring or remediation purposes.ĭirectional drilling today can be used to install piping of up to 60-inches in diameter for distances of over 10,000 feet. Brief History of Directional Drillingĭirectional drilling was initially developed in the 1930s by the petroleum industry to aid in accessing oil and gas reservoirs. The actual path of the borehole is monitored during the drilling process by taking periodic readings using wire, a magnetic field, and/or radio waves to determine the inclination (degrees from horizontal) and azimuth (degrees from magnetic north) of the leading edge or advancing drill bit. Diagram by Mohmd Sarireh, CC by 4.0, modifiedĪdditionally, directional drilling is a trenchless and steerable method of installing underground utilities such as pipe, conduit, or cables in a relatively shallow arc or radius along a prescribed underground path using a surface-launched drilling rig. It requires the use of specialized (directional) drilling equipment and the mud rotary drilling technique is often employed for larger scale directional drilling projects.
Directional drilling, sometimes also referred to as horizontal directional drilling (HDD), is the practice of drilling non-vertical bores along a prescribed underground path.
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