In May 2022, Brownline contributed to a drilling project near Lemmer, in the province of Friesland. Drilling company Klever is installing cables for the purpose of connecting future solar park Lemsterhoek, built by GroenLeven. Here, 58,000 solar panels will generate green energy for three-quarters of Lemmer.
In order to achieve a connection between Lemmer and the polder to the northwest of town, a pond called De Grote Brekken had to be crossed. This is a protected natural environment, often visited by bird watchers. In addition, the connection ran parallel to a waterway, including an S-curve.
For this project, two drillings were completed. The first drilling ran 799 m / 2621 ft under the pond and made a 37° horizontal curve. The second drilling (890 m / 2920 ft) ran along the water near a marina, and made an S-curve of 19° both ways. Drillings in these circumstances require the most accurate steering tool available, which is why Brownline’s Gyro Steering Tool was employed.
To ensure that the drill was kept on course, our GPS track add-on was used as well. This allowed for a determination of the drill head’s position underground. If necessary, steering corrections could be made when nearing the exit point, to guarantee the accuracy of the punch-out.
With the reliability and accuracy of Brownline’s tools, these drillings could take place safely and responsibly, minimizing the disturbance for the birds in the pond and the local residents.