Intersect Drilling Pioneered by Prime Horizontal
November 8, 2011 by admin
Filed under Prime Blog
Since 2003 Prime has pioneered underground intersect drilling, in which pilot holes are drilled from both the entry side of a crossing and the exit side of a crossing usually simultaneously with two drill rigs and meet underground in the middle of the track. To date Prime’s track record is a 100% success rate having completed more than 50 intersect projects, setting several world records along the way. Prime has completed intersect projects with heavy gravels on both sides of a crossing, to lower annular pressures in alluvial formations and to complete long reach HDD projects (more than 1,000 meter lengths).
Prime Horizontal Milestones
July 20, 2011 by admin
Filed under Prime Blog
Since its inception, Prime Horizontal has been the driver, co-developer with Vector pilot Magnetics and the prime user of the ParaTrack system for the steering of HDD holes. Prime Horizontal continues to be a prime driver for new developments of ParaTrack and for new uses for ParaTrack in the HDD market. As a result, Prime Horizontal is considered an authority on the use of the ParaTrack system in all horizontal directional drilling applications, and has set several world records for HDD projects.
Following are several milestones in the history of Prime Horizontal since 1998:
| 1998 | Prime Horizontal (Prime) and Vector Magnetics (Vector) enter a co-development agreement to commercialize new steering methodology for the HDD market originally developed by Vector for the downhole oilfield market. |
| April 1999 | Prime successfully completes first ParaTrack HDD feasibility project in France. |
| 1999 | Prime adds product line of DDI Rock Reamer Hole Openers and maintained inventory in UK from 4” through 62” |
| August 1999 | Prime successfully completes first 3 commercial ParaTrack-1 projects of three 1,100 meter crossings using a guidewire installed inside a 36” steel product pipe within a 3 meter corridor. |
| September 2000 | Prime introduces ParaTrack-2 system by guiding a crossing in Falmouth Harbor. |
| November 2000 | Prime successfully completes a ParaTrack-2 project in Holland where a number of redrills by competition were caused by heavy magnetic Interference. |
| Mid 2001 | Prime successfully guides the first planned underground intersect in Holland, proving the value of the technique. |
| 2001 | Prime adds the Lo-Torque Hole Opener to its products and maintains inventory in Holland from 6” through 64” |
| April 2001 | Prime successfully guides the first hard rock underground intersect in France by introducing Vector’s Rotating Magnetic Source to the market. |
| November 2002 | Prime Introduces Vector’s Pressure While Drilling (PWD) tool to the horizontal directional drilling (HDD) market to avoid mud overpressures downhole. |
| June 2003 | Prime successfully guides the fourth planned underground intersect, the first in the U.S.A. |
| August 2003 | Prime replaces competition in Alaska where ParaTrack-2 is used to steer with the guidewire offset more than 200 feet Away. |
| November 2003 | Prime Introduces to the HDD market in Europe the AC Beacon—the first surface wireless magnetic source. |
| 2004 | Prime begins production and sale of large diameter Split Bit Hole Openers from 36” through 64” |
