Long parallel drillings below locks in the port of Antwerp
In July 2025, Brownline surveyed two long parallel drillings in Antwerp. The drillings took place at a lock complex in the port of Antwerp and were executed as an intersect. Deep below the shipping channel, the boreholes were connected thanks to Brownline’s Radar module.
Long and deep drillings accurately measured
On this route, which was drilled by Van Vulpen commissioned by Denys, a PE pipeline and a 24” steel pipeline were installed parallel next to each other. Partly due to the significant length of the bore line (1253 & 1239 m / 4065 & 4111 ft), the intersect method was applied in these drillings. This allowed for better control of the pressure in the borehole. With Brownline’s Pressure-While-Drilling service, this pressure was monitored to prevent blow-outs under the port area.
Thanks to the precise measurements of the Drillguide Gyro Steering Tool, the drilling could be carried out with confidence. The Drillguide GST does not rely on surface equipment and can therefore measure accurately regardless of depth. The drillings in this project were both more than 70 m / 230 ft deep below the surface and thus the Drillguide GST was the right choice for surveying the drillings.
Intersect deep below the shipping channel
Deep below the shipping channel of the Van Cauwelaert lock, the intersect was made using Radar. Radar measures the distance between the two boreholes, making it possible to calculate how to drill from one hole into the other without doglegs. A smooth intersect contributes to an efficient pullback, which is especially important when there is a steel pipeline, such as in this project.
Thanks in part to Brownline’s service, the pipelines could be installed with the highest accuracy under the port area.
