Efficient, Productive, & Profitable HDD Compiled by the Editorial Staff of WorldWide Drilling Resource® Due to the demand for horizontal directional drilling (HDD) to develop, repair, and improve underground infrastructure, the industry is expected to hit the $17.6 billion mark by 2025. HDD operations must be equipped and skilled enough to handle jobs of various sizes and complexities. Knowing and following some best practices will ensure efficiency and productivity, helping to achieve company growth goals. Don’t try to save money by using “one-size-fits-all” HDD tools for all jobs. Some larger jobs require specific equipment or set-up, and this might result in missed opportunities. You don’t have to buy every new tool on the market, but be sure to invest in the ones designed to work in the ground conditions in your service area. Having reamers, drill bits and blades, transmitter housings, and location systems which can weather these ground conditions will make your company adaptable to most of your regional jobs. Make sure your crew complements each other and works well together. They should have a substantial amount of combined experience in the field. Finding drill rig operators and locators who have worked together previously is an advantage since they know how the other works and how to communicate with each other. Familiarize yourself with the jobsite before your crew shows up. Don’t limit your research on ground conditions, changes in elevation, or potential barriers. Advance planning will ensure your crew is fully equipped with the right tools for drilling or installing pipe. Organize equipment, trucks, and operations so these make sense to your crew. Things run more smootly when everyone knows where everything is and how to proceed. Use guidelines for operational procedures and set-ups so everyone is on the same page. Reinforce standard procedures but also reevaluate your procedures and use feedback from the crew to improve operations. Look for information which can help you learn which practices and training are right for you and your crew. Eliminate downtime and the factors causing it with proper preparation. Make sure you are using the right tools, the right size, in the way they were intended to be used, to avoid failures and breakage. Routine preventive maintenance of tools and equipment will allow you to spot potential problems and avoid breakdowns. Check all fluids regularly and use them as recommended by the manufacturer. Change drilling fluid as necessary for ground condition changes. Replace tooling at correct intervals and have replacement parts available as much as possible. To ensure a drill rig is functioning at a high level, daily inspection and maintenance are vital. Start with a visual walkaround check daily to monitor all components of the drill rig. Refer to a checklist from your service manual which provides the necessary information to keep equipment serviced regularly. Maintain proper lubrication and rotation of the drill pipe to lengthen the life of equipment. Make sure your automated greaser machines are maintained for proper hydraulic pressure to achieve torque, reducing the chances of the pipe unthreading and breaking downhole. Adhere to equipment guidelines by using properly specked equipment for the correct size rig to avoid a pipe breaking downhole. A daily inspection of the saver sub, one of the most essential pieces of a rotary system responsible for driving pipe downhole, is important. If the thread profile becomes damaged inside, this can cause the entire drill to become inoperable until you get a replacement part. At the end of the job, each machine should be cleaned to eliminate any blocked jets or pumps. Many manufacturers design machines with a high-pressure pump which can be plugged into the circuit system within the machine. This is an efficient way to perform an end-of-day wash down. During this procedure, the crew can look for any connections or hydraulics which might be leaking, or flag any broken lines. By following best practices, the HDD company can avoid risky jobs, troubleshoot problems effectively, and plan the best approach to projects in advance, all while staying safe on the job. Taking a little time for establishing procedures, doing daily checks, following aftercare routines, and keeping up with proper pipe and tooling standards will yield more efficient, productive, and profitable operations. DIR 7 DECEMBER 2021 WorldWide Drilling Resource® RENEW - SUBSCRIBE NOW! Dealmakers Mobile Drill International of Indianapolis, Indiana, was pleased to work with the US Aggregates Team, also from Indianapolis, on the purchase of a B53-305 rig. Mobile Drill Intl Send your deals to: michele@ worldwidedrillingresource.com THIS JAMPACKED ISSUE includes Buyers Meet Sellers 2021 - 2022 beginning on page 39!
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