How do you achieve successful Horizontal Remediation Wells?
Environmental remediation professionals around the country (and internationally) are rapidly learning that Horizontal Remediation Systems are an important “tool in their remediation toolbox”. When designed and executed by experienced horizontal environmental drilling experts, Horizontal Remediation Systems can be extremely effective at achieving rapid site closure compared to vertical remediation systems.
So, what elements are critical to successful Horizontal Remediation Well Systems?
- Proper Bore Path Design
- Engineered Wells Screens
- Directional Driller’s Environmental Experience
- Support with Operations and Maintenance
Let’s discuss these elements more closely.
Proper Bore Path Design
Horizontal Remediation Wells typically have a significantly greater zone of influence than vertical remediation wells. It is, therefore, critical to have thorough site assessment and characterization data to design the bore path and maximize this zone-of-influence advantage. The potential rewards? Fewer wells, lower system installation costs and lower life cycle costs owing to more rapid site closure.
Engineered Well Screens
Installing a horizontal remediation well involves a lot more than advancing a horizontal bore and inserting a length of off-the-shelf slotted PVC pipe. It is critical that each well screen be designed according to site-specific conditions and well functional requirements. Perhaps the most important screen design element is to ensure that uniform flow is achieved over the well screen length, which can easily be hundreds of feet long in many cases. Directional Technologies has developed and successfully uses a proprietary well screen design methodology.
Directional Driller’s Environmental Experience
It is critical to engage a directional drilling contractor with significant environmental drilling experience. Horizontal directional drilling is a mud rotary drilling technique. It is extremely important to design a site-specific drilling mud program that minimizes formation damage. Directional drilling contractors who specialize in utility bores (to pull fiber optic cables, for example) are not concerned about formation damage – they advance the bore, pull the cable and then go home. Horizontal Remediation Wells need to effectively communicate with the formation, and that requires selecting (and sometimes modifying) the mud program. Well development processes are also essential to remove drilling mud residuals and restore permeability to the wellbore.
Directional Technologies has extensive experience designing mud programs, working closely with mud engineers and mud vendor product technical experts. In addition, we typically use a multi-step well development process that ensures maximum well performance.
Support with Operations & Maintenance
Horizontal Remediation Systems, when designed and installed properly, can be very powerful tools. Remedial goals and the operational equipment are the leading considerations when designing horizontal remediation well screens and selecting their placement. Preparing for future well maintenance is another important aspect of a properly installed Horizontal Well System. Instead of drilling and moving on, we design the wells to be accessible and manageable for future operational maintenance activities. If necessary, we also have the ability to rehabilitate and a redevelop horizontal wells with specialized tools and chemical. Directional Technologies, Inc. has 25 years of experience in installing over 1,000 Horizontal Wells. We can provide this expertise to ensure your remediation project is a success, from start to closure.