ParaTrack guides the way

The ParaTrack HDD Guidance System is designed to navigate the toughest conditions and deliver results – and that’s exactly what it’s been doing in Australia and across the globe.

ParaTrack is a complete horizontal directional drilling (HDD) guidance system for steering, surveying, tracking and logging pilot bores, rapidly scaling up or down in capabilities according to the needs of each project.

For nearly 25 years ParaTrack has been the guidance system of choice for owners of midi-to-maxi sized drill rigs looking to maximise the capabilities of their fleet. No other large-scale horizontal drilling guidance system offers more flexibility or drills more meterage than ParaTrack.

Technological advancements

There has been an explosion of technological advancements in HDD guidance technology in recent years. However, ParaTrack stands out among the crowd with a unique selection of technologies allowing engineers flexibility in their bore designs, and contractors the confidence to execute them.

ParaTrack Guidance performs four crucial roles in the drilling of a pilot bore:

• Steering – The Steering Tool provides real-time toolface to the driller, allowing the pilot to be drilled directionally.
• Surveying – The progress of the pilot is surveyed magnetically with the Steering Tool, or with the optional Gyro Module.
• Tracking – The surveyed position of the pilot can be verified with a P2 AC Magnetic guide wire or a portable Beacon Tracker, ensuring the calculated survey location is accurate.
• Logging – The Pressure Module is an optional accessory for monitoring annular and pipe pressure. Pressure data is transmitted in real time and stored as a continuous log. As with all ParaTrack guidance data, pressure data may be exported for further analysis and record keeping.

At just 1.3m long and 4.45cm in diameter, the Steering Tool is compatible with a wide range of drill collar diameters, making it a suitable choice for rigs from compact models to one-million-pound maxis, and every size in-between.

The Steering Tool provides real-time information for steering the pilot bore and is an affordable entry point to the wider ParaTrack family.

Meanwhile, the ParaTrack Gyro allows contractors to extend the interval that can be comfortably drilled without the use of secondary tracking.

The Gyro is suitable for drilling on job sites where surface access is impractical or not allowed, or in locations where surrounding infrastructure interferes with the Steering Tool’s magnetic azimuth measurement.

The ParaTrack Gyro is accurate to +/- 0.04°in azimuth and +/- 0.02° inclination, and not affected by magnetic interference – this allows many pilot bores to be drilled with limited or no surface tracking.

If surface access isn’t a problem, and especially if project tolerances are tight, P2 AC Guidance should be considered an essential part of your pilot bore plan.

The P2 AC Guide Wire is an economical guidance method that is fast, reliable, and designed to work in conjunction with a Steering Tool and/or Gyro to provide the most accurate pilot bore placement possible.

By generating a powerful, low-frequency magnetic field from a known location, the calculated surveyed location of the pilot bore can be verified, maximising the accuracy of the installation.

The At-Bit Inclination Assembly (ABIA) is the industry’s only solution for monitoring inclination at the bit.

By providing inclination in near real-time measured at the bit, rather than 10m or more behind, the pilot bore’s elevation and radius can be precisely controlled.

Every ParaTrack Guidance System is fully compatible with the Pressure Module, which provides continuous recording of pipe and annular pressures.

Pressure records are stored permanently and easily exported in standard formats.

The Pressure Module is affordable and designed to be completely rebuildable for a long service life.

In Australia, the ParaTrack Guidance system has been used on some major projects, including the Snowy 2.0 project, currently being undertaken by Michels Trenchless, a branch of Michels Corporation.

The project included a 2248m drill with a 563m vertical elevation change.

Rather than perform a conventional one-rig pilot hole, Michels Trenchless determined the pilot hole intersect method would be a better way to achieve the customer’s project goals.

The pilot hole intersect method deploys two drill rigs, one drilling from the entry side and one from the exit side, to meet at a predetermined location along the alignment.

The team used two Michels Trenchless-designed and fabricated rigs, each with 880,000 pounds of push/pull force. Guidance was provided by ParaTrack using a combination of the Steering Tool, Gyro Module, At-Bit Inclination Assembly, and Magnetic Intersect technologies.

The pilot hole intersect method allowed the team to manage fluid pressure in the drilling column and from returns; contend with a high-water table, minimise push forces; and facilitate steerability through hard and fractured rock.

The HDD project supports Snowy 2.0, one of the largest renewable energy projects under construction in Australia.

For more information, visit vectormagnetics.com.

This article featured in the December edition of Trenchless Australasia.