20 MAY 2022 WorldWide Drilling Resource® HDD Crossing Completed for Crucial North Dakota Transport Adapted from Information by Michels Corporation The limits of trenchless construction are continuously being extended. Michels Corporation has once again proven this fact by completing a 15,426-foot horizontal directional drill of a 24-inch pipe crossing of Lake Sakakawea in the Missouri River basin in North Dakota. The crossing is part of a new pipeline being constructed between Tioga and Watford City. It is a critical element in the pipeline’s ability to deliver higher levels of natural gas associated with oil production from the Bakken and Three Forks Formations in Williston Basin, and reduces the amount of natural gas which would otherwise need to be flared. The HDD crossing of almost three miles is one of the longest of its kind, surpassing a 20-inch HDD crossing Michels previously completed in the Bakken region by 3174 feet. The earlier crossing was covered by WWDR in the December 2020 issue, and was a world record at the time. Although the crossings were similar in location, length, and technique, each project included its own unique and noteworthy accomplishments. Prior to pullback, the 15,426-foot pipeline was assembled into two sections. One section was 426 feet and the other was 15,000 feet. When laydown space allows, long sections of pipe can be advantageous because they require fewer pull stoppages to weld pipe strings together. While stopping can generally be accomplished, resuming movement of pipe can be challenging, even with a specific and well-planned drilling fluid and lubrication program. Like the previous project, the recently completed HDD project used the pilot hole intersect method and two custom-made drill rigs, each with more than one million pounds of push/pull capacity. HDD minimized disturbances to the area and provided a delivery outlet for previously untapped energy sources. DIR BORZAN® D, from Wyo-Ben, Inc., is a biopolymer designed for use in vertical or horizontal drilling applications. It may be used as a stand-alone drilling fluid or as an additive to enhance properties of conventional bentonite-based drilling fluids. As a stand-alone fluid, BORZAN® D is a highly concentrated xanthan gum allowing for lower addition rates than most biopolymers. BORZAN® D fluids are particularly effective in vapor extraction and other environmental wells where it can be flushed out of the bore with minimum residual wall cake once the drilling operation is completed. BORZAN® D may also be added to conventional bentonitebased drilling fluids to enhance gel strengths, control filtrate, and inhibit clays. It is highly effective in horizontal applications where higher gel strengths and low downhole pressures are desirable. Wyo-Ben, Inc. is a Valued WWDR Advertiser.
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