The Baymark pipeline is an addition to the growing ethylene pipeline and logistics system in South Texas. For the construction of this 90-mile pipeline, Brownline was commissioned by Harding Directional Drilling to survey a 4100-feet intersect drill in May 2021.
Ethylene is one of the most used components in the production process of all kinds of plastics, fabrics and synthetic rubber. It is by tonnage the most important organic chemical that is manufactured worldwide. The US ethane production is still growing and it is projected to increase to 2 million barrels a day by this year, coming from 1.26 million barrels in 2016. This growth requires an increase of the pipeline systems as well, to be able to transport the increased production. The Baymark Pipeline will provide access to a high-capacity ethylene storage well, as well as connectivity to an ethylene export terminal currently under construction. The storage well will have a capacity of 600 million pounds and the terminal will have the capacity to export approximately 2.2 billion pounds of ethylene per year. The total construction will be part of the so-called Texas Intrastate System, which gathers and transports natural gas from supply basins in Texas and offshore in the Gulf of Mexico for delivery to local gas distribution companies and electric generation and industrial customers.
The drill job was set out under delicate ground where the risks of inadvertent returns were quite big. The trajectory crosses a highway and an old cemetery and starts right by a memorial park, which created a major concern for monitoring the pressure and returns. On top of this, an already present abandoned pipeline and a mixture of soil formations called for extreme accuracy and total control while drilling. These factors and the total drill length of 4118 feet, made the Drillguide Gyro Steering Tool combined with the Radar for intersects the only logical choice for this drill job.
With the Drillguide GST and Radar combo, this drill job was executed successfully, without any risks for the delicate area. The construction of the Baymark Pipeline can continue without any delays and help the US ethylene production increase even further!