In September 2023, Brownline Canada made a major contribution to a pipeline project in British Columbia. In a wetlands area near Surrey, BC, a successful HDD intersect was achieved with a length of nearly 1500 m / 5000 ft.
The pipeline was designed to run parallel to the South Fraser Perimeter Road. In order to leave the vulnerable nature in this area untouched, this section of the pipeline was to be installed using a horizontal directional drill (HDD). This meant crossing nearly 1500 m / 5000 ft through challenging and varied ground formations.
Brownline Canada used the Drillguide Gyro Steering Tool to survey the crossing and keep the drill on the planned trajectory. When both drill heads reached each other at the intersect zone, our Radar add-on was activated, which measured the relative distance between the two. Knowing the exact separation allowed for a smooth intersection of the boreholes, which greatly reduced pipe stress when the 36” steel pipeline would be pulled in.
Protecting the wetlands with pressure monitoring
With a crossing of this length, the buildup of annular pressure is an important risk factor. Drilling this crossing as an intersect already greatly reduced the pressure buildup. In addition, Brownline’s Pressure-While-Drilling (PWD) service was utilized to monitor the borehole pressure. This kept the project safe from inadvertent mud returns into the sensitive environment.
Brownline is proud to have contributed to the completion of a very challenging section of this pipeline project.