Horizontal directional drilling

Horizontal directional drilling, also called HDD, is a method that is used for trenchless drilling. Horizontal drilling is used for the placement of underground infrastructure. Such as:

• water pipelines

• telecommunication cables

• electrical cables

• gas pipelines

• oil pipelines

Horizontal directional drilling takes place in three stages:

1. Pilot drilling: During the first phase, a drilling head that is hollow inside is pushed through the ground via a rig. Bentonite is poured into the hole from the surface. This is done to keep the borehole open. In addition, it immediately becomes possible to remove excess soil.

2. Expanding the drilling hole: After the pilot drilling, the drill gets removed and replaced with a reamer. This reamer gets pulled back to widen the drilling hole. During this process, the reamer pulls a pipeline behind it that is provided with drilling fluid to prevent it from collapsing.

3. Pulling the production pipe: In the final phase, the production pipe gets pulled. When the reamer has done its job, it then gets connected and replaced by the production pipe and a final reamer. Sometimes the pipeline is provided with a ballast pipe to absorb high pressure.

A simple principle is used to control our directional drill process. An asymmetrical drill head is used in this process. This ensures that when the pipe rotates, the bore goes in a straight line. If the drill needs to change direction, we use our self-developed steering tool.

This innovative system is based on Gyro technology. Our Drillguide Gyro Steering Tool makes it possible to determine the exact position of the drill. Furthermore, our system has more advantages to make horizontal directional drilling as efficient as possible:

Within an hour of arrival at the drilling rig, we are ready to start the directional drilling process. Our system has been developed in such a way that there is no need for magnetic fields or beacons to determine the position. This saves preparation time.

As we just indicated, our tool is very accurate. The accuracy of the tool is 0.01° in pitch and 0.04° in azimuth. At the same time, the tool is not affected by magnetic fields from for example railways and cables.

Because of our modular and state-of-the art design, it is possible to add specific add-ons to the drill, like GPS track and Radar Intersect. The modules offer a solution for every situation, that make drilling projects possible that were previously unthinkable.

See the video below for an example of a drilling project with our Drillguide Gyro Steering Tool.

Since 1994, Brownline has been developing measurement and navigation technologies that stand out for their accuracy, reliability and ease of use. With our Drillguide Gyro Steering Tool, we provide a solution that makes navigating through increasingly complex underground infrastructure significantly safer and more efficient. The tool is part of our complete steering service. With our advanced technology and years of experience, we ensure that every drilling project can be executed with precision.

More than 25,000 projects around the world have already been successfully completed using our tools and add-on modules. Want to know how our steering service can enhance your drilling project? We’re happy to help.