Directional Drilling: A Greener Way to Install Utilities

Environmental safety is everyone’s responsibility. As we carve out an existence in the world around us, we have realized the need to be more mindful of the effect we have on our environment. At Es7 Comm-2U, Inc., we believe our imprint on the environment should be as minimal as possible, and as a directional drilling service in Roseville, CA, we feel that installing utility lines should be no exception.

Traditional excavation or trenching methods for utility installation have proven to be very disruptive to the environment in several ways. First, there is the disruption to the environment that comes with excavating tons of soil and the possibility of having to remove trees and other plant life. Second, any time you are excavating large amounts of soil, there is always the possibility of runoff and soil contamination and pollution.

Directional drilling was implemented as an alternative to other trenching methods, not only because of its obvious merits, such as lower costs and shorter completion times, but also because it has significantly less impact on the environment. Very little soil is displaced compared to excavation methods for installing utilities, and the equipment used is minimally invasive, so there is less disruption to the surrounding environment.

The boring machines used in directional drilling use a rotating bore head to tunnel through the soil, but the bore head can’t do all the digging on its own. A high-pressure jet of fluid is needed to help break down the soil in the path of the bore head. The good news is that this fluid is completely biodegradable. The drill fluid is actually a mud mixture made of bentonite clay and water. This high-pressure jet of abrasive mud mixture, when used in combination with the rotating bore head, is very effective in helping to loosen and break through the soil.

The drill fluid is also used to help carry away the displaced soil. The cuttings are suspended in the fluid and pumped down the hole where they are then carried back to the surface. The cuttings are then allowed to naturally settle out inside a pit, or are mechanically removed from the mud mixture using a special cleaning system.

The great thing about the drill fluid used in the directional drilling process is that it is considered non-toxic and is completely biodegradable. No strong chemicals or foreign abrasives are needed. Directional drilling is using mud to remove mud. There is really no other way to be less disruptive to the environment than that!

As your local directional drilling service in Roseville, CA, we’re proud to provide our clients with a more environmentally friendly option for installing their utilities. Plus, with directional drilling, there are other benefits as well, including lower costs and shorter completion times. Directional drilling is a win for our clients and the environment! If you want to know more about the processes used in directional drilling or have any other questions about what we can do for you, give Es7 Comm-2U, Inc. a call today!

Categorised in: Directional Drilling

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