Hillabee Creek — Jasper, AL

Equipment: Vermeer® 50X100; StraightLine® 5″ RockEye® Air Hammer System; Ingersoll Rand 1150 cfm x 350 psi portable air compressor.

The Challenge: Hillabee Creek, a contractor from Millerville, AL, encountered a bore in Jasper, Alabama that was 800 feet in length. The ground condition presented a challenge due to the length of the bore and critical steering under the I-22 corridor. The bore presented several challenges; the depth had to be maintained at 15 feet below the interstate and, due to the required depth, the bore required a 45 foot elevation change in the last 150 feet. To ensure the success of the bore, Ron Becker, StraightLine’s lead air hammer field technician, was deployed to assist Hillabee Creek with the 5” RockEye® Air Hammer System.

The StraightLine® 5″ RockEye Air Hammer System was purchased by Hillabee Creek to complete a pilot bore that would then be backreamed to accept the 12″ steel casing. The casing was being installed to handle a natural gas line that would support a new commercial development. The majority of the bore was a medium to hard shale with the hard shale being encountered at approximately 10-feet of depth. The hammer delivered an impressive performance averaging just over one and a half minutes per drill rod through the duration of the bore.

Outcome: The StraightLine® RockEye Air Hammer System easily handled all formations. The bores running line was maintained effortlessly and, in just 26 hours, the hammer successfully exited the ground on target. Tommy Sellers, owner of Hillabee Creek, stated, “This bore would have been near impossible with any other method in the time and the ease that it was completed.”