Horizontal
Directional
Drilling

UEA’s horizontal directional drilling skillsets have been developed on the back of the delivery of significant and complex projects over the last 25 years.

Both lessons learned and experiences gained enable UEA to provide its client base with simple solutions to what are sometimes deemed difficult or even impossible projects.

Our drilling project team can provide all of the relevant information and advice to our clients to ensure every project is a success; machine suitability and selection, tooling requirements, project timelines and budgets are just a part of the service UEA provides our most trusted clients. This is what makes UEA an honest and reliable option when considering horizontal directional drilling as a solution.

UEA can provide HDD installations to meet a variety of needs. Diameters up to 1200mm (48 inches) have been installed, and distances of 2,000 metres are achievable. At the same time, standard HDD street works for the smaller utility services are a part of our daily workload.

We assess each project on its individual merits and develop strategies to suit the technologies and equipment available.

uea-herrenhkecht-night-drilling

WHAT IS HORIZONTAL DIRECTIONAL DRILLING?

Horizontal directional drilling techniques are used for the steerable installation of new pipelines, ducts and cables. The term applies to a crossing in which a pilot bore is drilled, and then enlarged to the size required to accommodate the product pipe.

The drill path may be straight or gradually curved, and the direction of the drilling head can be adjusted at any stage during the initial pilot bore.

A pilot hole is drilled along the required path and the bore is then reamed in either a single or multi-stage operation to a larger diameter to accommodate the product pipe.

Maxi Rig Capabilities

UEA currently owns and operates several HDD maxi rig spreads as part of its fleet of equipment. Supported by superior drill mud cleaning technology and with various powerful mud pumps on hand, UEA is more than capable of delivering long, large complex HDD crossings through varying ground conditions. UEA’s drill crews have significant experience of delivering successful projects and are highly trained. From concept through to delivery you can rely on UEA’s professional team to live up to expectations – which we set very high.

Midi/Mini Rig Capabilities

UEA has installed thousands of kilometres of conduits since the business commenced in 1995. The majority of these works have been delivered by smaller HDD rigs as part of significant street works projects. Whether it be a power upgrade for a residential area, a telecommunications provider requiring new assets to be installed due to demand for faster services or replacing leaking water mains as part of a key infrastructure project, UEA has the right machine and team to deliver. The scope provided can be as big or small as the client requires – let our team know, and we will provide you with the right solution.