ICS, Inc.
John V. Dale
Moore, OK
Location:
Calumet, OK
Equipment:
Ditchwitch® JT100 equipped with a 30″ mill-tooth StraightLine® Hole-Opener.
The Challenge:
ICS, Inc. was awarded several tough bores, supporting the installation of a 20″ steel pipe, natural gas pipeline, West of Oklahoma City- along Interstate 40, near the township of Calumet. Three crews were dedicated to the project, with one 960′ shot proving to be more difficult than the others. After a successful initial pilot and multiple back-reams, the crew was unable to install the product and the bore was abandoned. The local clay coupled with cobble and two layered limestone rock beds, running under and along opposite sides of a creek bed, put the crew under the gun as construction crews looked to make the tie-in and move on down the line.
If the crew, led by veteran driller Don Martinez, felt the heat of the moment, they certainly did not show it. They simply plotted their move and went back to work, approximately 10′ from the original hole. As the crew went back to work, John V. Dale, President of the Moore, OK based company, called on StraightLine® HDD, Inc. for multiple reamers, including two 30″ rock-reamers.
The Outcome:
Spacing between the cones proved to be vital to the tools success, as the StraightLine® hole-opener shed the sticky clay allowing the tool to advance, first through layers of cobble, then through separate rock shelves, clearing consistent nickel to dime sized cuttings, with consistent mud flow mixed at a rate of 90 gallons per minute. Production rates varied greatly, as did the terrain of the bore path. At one point, in the hardest of rock, production slowed to nearly 8 minutes per foot, causing the operator to push the tool back out of the hole, for inspection. “We just want to make sure we are doing the right things, look things over.” explained ICS Driller, Don Martinez.
StraightLine’s onsite representative also took the opportunity to inspect the tool and communicate the field data to the factory in real time. The tool was found to be in excellent working condition and strategies regarding the tough bore were communicated from the StriaghtLine® Home Office to the driller in the field. “Having boots on the ground, standing on a jobsite, is extremely valuable and truly demonstrates the partnership between StraightLine® and our customers,” stated StraightLine Senior Vice President, Joe Phillips.
The tough bore was completed and the 20″ steel pipe was pulled through without incident. “The tool did the job. It came through the bore in good shape,” stated ICS Driller, Don Martinez. “We will be using it again, without question.”