Getting up to date results, even with a vintage drill rig!

For a drill job in Toledo, Ohio in August 2021, we took a step back in time! In cooperation with contractor South East Directional, we completed a 2,466 ft. crossing of Maumee River at Toledo’s port area, using an old Cherrington cable rig from back in the pioneering days of HDD.

The Toledo port area is a bustling industrial zone that houses several refineries and storage terminals for refined products. In order to connect the source with these storage facilities, a large network of transportation pipelines is in constant operation. For the expansion of this network, Brownline was called upon to survey an intersect drill job crossing the Maumee River at one of its busiest points. The purpose of the drill is the installation of 3x12” inch petroleum transportation pipelines. This 2,466 ft. intersect job was set out at a depth of 91 feet, whilst crossing the river parallel to the railway bridge that runs over it. The location of this job brought various challenges; from loose formations along both entry points and multiple patches of cobblestone throughout the bore to congestion along the drill path due to multiple existing pipelines. The limited space due to buildings and a parking lot on one end and railway tracks and roads on the other end provided yet another challenge for the job. The railway tracks and the railway bridge also caused considerably high levels of external interference.

This drill job was surveyed with Brownline’s Drillguide Gyro Steering Tool combined with the Radar tool for Intersects, which was the right answer to all of the challenges along the way. Alongside our surveys, we constantly monitored the annular pressure as well, because the loose soil formation presented a higher risk of inadvertent returns or frack-outs.

By choosing our tools and the use of mud motors, this drill job was completed in a cost effective and timely manner, leading to satisfaction with all parties involved.

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