This is where you’ll find current updates as to what’s going on in our business and information on the horizontal directional drilling industry at large.  If you have a topic of interest you’d like to see covered here, give us a shout.  We’d love to hear from you.

The benefits of horizontal directional drilling have been clearly shown in the rebuilding of North America’s underground infrastructure. Cost experts agree that horizontal directional drilling is now the preferred method of resource recovery. HD drilling, whether intended for mining, oil extraction or infrastructure projects, offers new efficiencies that can result in previously unattainable profits. Overall end numbers for these HDD projects are much higher than those of the older vertical-well technology.

Vertical drilling is positioned to capture product through an initial entry point. With horizontal directional drilling equipment, however, it is no longer necessary to drill at a ninety-degree angle; instead, flexible and variable extraction points are made possible. The new HDD systems improve drilling efficiency and productivity by increasing the area of contact with productive layers. Enhanced recovery results in high product yield and increased profit.

Horizontal directional drilling is more versatile than conventional drilling methods, which are limited in many situations and impossible to apply in others. Drilling involves complex factors, including the unseen hazards common to directional drilling. Various boring-tool malfunctions, along with certain procedures, ultimately result in tool failure. horizontal directional drilling helps avoid such malfunctions, updates procedures, and prevents age-old drawdown-related problems such as water and gas coning. By avoiding such obstacles, wells can be extended via multiple drain holes, as well as by capturing previously unattainable thin oil-rim reservoirs.

The potential for tax advantages are significant for domestic oil and gas projects

Another important factor making domestic horizontal directional drilling attractive is the potential tax benefit within the first year. This is what’s referred to as the Intangible Drilling and Completion Costs (“IDCs”). They can produce significant deductions within the first year of operation and participation. These IDC costs make up a large part of expenses connected with the development of the well, like site preparation and rig costs, which are expensive. Other costly expenditures include the high-pressure fracturing of rock formations in the process of drilling that are inevitable. It is not unheard of for domestic ventures to accrue over 50% or more in these types of expenses which may be deductable under the IDC section of the tax code according to industry experts.

Initial costs are offset by long-term profits

A project’s financial success is determined by three general principles:  cost, efficiency and volume. Old-school drilling equipment – paid for or not – no longer ensures profits.

The principal argument against horizontal drilling concerns initial cost factors. Although the older vertical equipment is two or three times lower in cost, horizontal drills make up for their price by increasing production 15 times or more, depending on location, terrain and drilling set-up. Government statistics show efficiencies as high as 1% or more in expanding the yield from reserves.

In both return on investment and improved efficiency, Horizontal Directional Drilling is clearly one of the most valuable improvements in mining to date.

Finding the best sales equipment can be tricky. Buying price is not always the prime indicator  for keeping budgets on track. It is often the case with farm equipment that used equipment can offer the small-to-medium operator a competitive advantage in getting business and in keeping it profitable.

Used equipment can be a budget-saver or a budget-buster, depending on how it’s purchased.  For cutting-edge pricing on directional boring equipment, the opportunity to get affordable pricing can mean the difference between profit and loss. Used directional boring equipment is an important cost-saver in mining, oil and infrastructure-retrofitting projects.

In checking out pre-owned heavy equipment, it is important to know the types of controls it uses and how they work. Controls can make your job easier and more efficient, so knowing which ones give the highest performance is crucial. If drilling wells is your business, then understanding which controls deliver the best results is Job One.

First, determine the basics of what you need; next, what you can afford; and then, what’s on the market. When considering a piece of equipment, know the year it was made, how long it has been in service, and how many hours of operation is has on it. What will its resale value be? And most important:  Can it do the work you need it to?

Checking out at least three or four models of the specific equipment needed is the first step. Next, look for the best pricing, servicing, and whether training, if needed, is available. This information will make clear which equipment is best suited to your needs.

Feel free to give us a ring when you’re ready to get into some quality directional drilling equipment.

Since companies use all the tools at their disposal when working drilling projects, they refine their efforts with experience to increase effectiveness and profitability. In doing so, the use of various stuffing boxes, pumping solutions, surface transfer pumps, artificial lift solutions, and accessories including vessel closure and mini-excavators all come into play depending on the site and on the contract requirements for cost-containment. Other tools used in horizontal directional drilling include various bits that rotate or hammer.

The other tools used in horizontal directional drilling include rock bits with teeth, rock housings, side load sonde housings and flat blade bits, all of which are expendable.

Most uses for directional drilling are land-based oil or natural-gas rigs that drill through tons of rock to access the lake-bed resource without being constructed on platforms over water. This way, the drilling takes place miles offshore, while reducing the risk of spills. As a result of lower overall spillage risk and decreased operational costs, insurance rates also decline.

Mini-excavators are small, compact, versatile digging machines. They can replace heavy machines on certain jobs, fit into tight spaces, and use smooth rubber tracks that can run on steel or other hard surfaces. Mini-excavators are transportable on small trailers and trucks. One of their most valuable features is a 360-degree swing arc which allows movement in all directions.

A variation on the mini-excavator is the mini-excavator “thumb,” which can be used alone to complete many tasks. The thumb can dig as well as pick up objects. Thumbs are available in many shapes and sizes depending upon how they are to be used in the drilling process.

Hydraulic fracturing, once a significant technical breakthrough, is now a standard process. In applying this technique, newly developed tools such as coated bauxite, proppant and other types of processed sand are used to achieve the desired result — holding open the reservoir to allow enhanced extraction. Many types of treatment fluids are available to meet the needs of project sites and geology.

With the use of the newer horizontal or directional drilling, periodic surveys are  taken. This type of survey is essentially an overall snapshot of the inner workings of the drilling process, of the conditions in a given project, or of a segment for analysis. Various camera instruments are used to complete the surveys, which provide data about the inclination and azimuth of a given well bore.

When you’re ready to discuss your horizontal drilling equipment needs, please give us a ring and we’ll be happy to discuss what we can do to help you get on your way.

There are three basic rules to remember when seeking the best possible value in the purchase of horizontal directional drilling-related equipment and services. The first is to work only with an established dealer. An experienced and well-respected dealer can do much of the preliminary evaluation of a potential piece of equipment, and can also make any necessary repairs before your purchase. No one wants unwelcome surprises when buying equipment in the low-to-medium price range. The unexpected circumstances that inevitably arise on any project are enough for any contractor or operator to handle, without adding preventable problems with his equipment.

The contractor or operator should not try act as a dealer himself. It makes more sense to work with an established supplier with a top reputation that consistently delivers good results for their customers. By establishing a relationship with a dealer who is knowledgeable in the new and evolving field of horizontal directional drilling, you can usually avoid seeking additional advice from a separate expert or consultant. Choosing the right dealer solves two problems you want to bypass: 1) acting as your own dealer; and 2) trying to serve as your own equipment specialist. Thirdly, to avoid paying more that you should for HDD equipment, you must shop where it’s possible to secure the best value in price, product knowledge and service in the used horizontal directional drilling market.

By not trying to act as one’s own dealer and product expert, one is able to rely on the expertise of a dealer with proven experience and knowledge. Since the HDD market is less than twenty years old, it is particularly important to rely on only the most experienced dealers in the rapidly growing and changing horizontal directional drilling market. To find a knowledgeable dealer, look for those with the best-established reputations, or follow recommendations from partners’ industry associations and also from operators.

Perhaps the most important warning to bear in mind is to avoid the poorly set up dealer who cannot handle refurbishment and repairs, or who lacks the ability to perform test bores. Finding a dealer with both a service department and an area dedicated exclusively to conducting test bores is critical to your ability to evaluate a piece of equipment. Furthermore, these capabilities are indications that you’ve found an honest and ethical dealer.

Locate a supplier who can provide quality and fair price, and who doesn’t present you with the twin pitfalls of purchasing without testing or purchasing equipment that must be mechanically and/or cosmetically restored. It is also wise to find a dealer who offers all the pre-sale services at a competitive price and one who can guarantee the customer that his machine is “drill-ready” upon sale and delivery. A dealer who operates at this level of professionalism makes it possible for the customer’s purchase to be as streamlined and trouble-free as possible. This, in turn, ensures that the customer can concentrate on his projects aggressively and with confidence. The HDD market is ever-changing, with new advances appearing regularly, and the equipment-purchasing process is best approached with an understanding of the importance of first finding the right supplier.

If you need more detailed information on the process of purchasing high quality, used horizontal direction drilling equipment give us a ring.