【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Engineering Equipment】The first use of the international minimum-angle mountain crossing technique for oil and gas pipelines in China from 1974 to 2022
Thread Content
Witnessing the decade-long rapid development of chemical processing equipment, we praise the prosperity and strength of modern China. Greater participation makes things more lively; with you here, Haichuan becomes even better. This is just a modest contribution to spark further discussion – we welcome everyone to engage more actively in forum exchanges and discussions; replies will be rewarded, and discussions are encouraged. ------------------------------------------------- At 3 p.m. on January 9, 2022, the critical phase of the Guizhou Suiyang-Zheng’an natural gas pipeline construction project, namely the backhole drilling and tunneling operation at Laoyingyan, was successfully completed, with the pipeline laid through the rocky terrain. This is the first time in Guizhou that the reverse well drilling trenchless crossing technology has been successfully applied in the oil and gas pipeline industry. Its inclination angle of around 42° also sets a record for the lowest crossing angle achieved by reverse well drilling technology in the global oil and gas pipeline sector. The Eagle Rock reverse well drilling penetration project is located in Lejian Town, Zheng’an County, Zunyi City, Guizhou Province. The project consists of two parts: an inclined shaft penetration and a horizontal tunnel penetration. In order to address the challenges associated with construction in the steep cliffs of the Eagle Rock mountain area, Guizhou Natural Gas Pipeline Network Co., Ltd., given the high costs involved in large-scale excavation and tunneling, conducted evaluations of various solutions before ultimately opting for reverse shaft drilling to penetrate through the rocky terrain. The horizontal length of the reverse well drill inclined shaft at Eagle Rock is 147.7 meters, its inclined length is 208 meters, and the longitudinal slope adopts a straight slope with an angle of approximately 42°. The horizontal length of the adit tunnel crossing is 24.3 meters, with a slope of approximately 1.15°.
Since reverse well drilling at Eagle Rock was used for the first time in China’s oil and gas pipeline industry, there was no existing experience to draw on. High precision was required during drilling, and sharp turns had to be avoided during the process of correcting the trajectory. The specifications for reverse well drilling machines stipulate that the length deviation should not exceed 2 meters; moreover, there were risks such as the inability to find a suitable drill bit for guiding the drilling process. After numerous discussions and calculations, the technology of using directional drilling combined with reverse well drilling was identified.
It is reported that the successful completion of the Eagle Rock reverse well drilling control project resolved the challenges associated with construction in steep cliffs in mountainous areas for gas pipeline projects, and it contributed to significant advancements in the technology used for building long-distance oil and gas pipelines. Its application will help improve the standards of inclined shaft construction and accelerate the improvement of construction skills for such pipelines in China, thereby keeping up with the rapid development of the natural gas industry. Compared with the tunneling methods traditionally used in the oil and gas industry, it is safer and more environmentally friendly; it reduces the construction time by over 50% and cuts costs by over 40%. At the same time, it represents a solid step forward toward completing the Suiyang-Zheng’an natural gas pipeline project.
【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Engineering Equipment】The First Domestic Sea-to-Sea Directional Drilling for Oil and Gas Pipelines from 1973 to 2022 https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3587766-1-1.html (Source: Haichuan Network – Chemical Industry News)
【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Engineering Equipment】The longest record of 5.2 kilometers in the field of directional drilling projects worldwide from 1974 to 2018 https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3587769-1-1.html (Source: Haichuan Network – Chemical Industry News)