In June and July 2024, Brownline Canada contributed to a horizontal directional drilling project in Gatineau, Quebec. In a congested urban environment and through hard rock layers, Autoroute 50 was crossed to install power transmission cables. This marks the first time we took the Drillguide Gyro Steering Tool to the province of Quebec!
Underground transmission lines
In the city of Gatineau, a new thermal power plant will be built. This is part of the government’s Energy Services Acquisition Program to meet its goal of reaching carbon-neutral operations by 2030. New transmission lines needed to be installed under Autoroute 50 to connect this future power plant to a power station.
For this project, HDD contractor Foraction required absolute accuracy to successfully complete this 380 m / 1247 ft pilot bore under the highway. This is why they called in Brownline Canada to guide the drill using the Drillguide Gyro Steering Tool. As it was their first time using our GST, the Brownline team provided extra services in the preparation phase of the job, making sure that the drilling process was as efficient as possible.
Hard rock conditions
The Drillguide Gyro Steering tool is the most accurate guidance system under all circumstances, and this project was a testament to that. The job took place in the middle of the city with busy infrastructure both above and below ground. The hard rock conditions posed another challenge, but the GST fared very well. The highly accurate measurements allowed for safe and efficient drilling.
Near exit, GPS track was used to track the downhole position from the surface. With this independent verification, any deviations can be corrected and the drill can punch out perfectly as planned.
The quality of our tools and service resulted in a highly accurate pilot drill and a satisfied client. We are very proud of making our first step into Quebec, here’s to many more!