Project Summaries Part 1
Directional Technologies has completed 100's of horizontal remediation well installations. The following are brief abstracts of representative work performed by DTI. Full project summaries and references are available on request.
Air Sparging or Bio Sparging
Horizontal Air Sparge Well at an Air National Guard Base
Two 180 foot Air Sparge wells were installed a depth of 24 feet. This system was operated for 11 months. Directional Technologies, Inc. was called to abandon the wells but we convinced the consultants to lower the well vaults below the ground surface and leave them in place due to the fact that the site is still an active refueling area.
Horizontal Barrier Wells at a Tank Farm
An EPA mandate required the immediate halt to a migrating plume from a tank farm. The company drilled, installed and developed horizontal air sparge wells in a highly compressed sand and cobble formation. The driller had to overcome formation challenges to maintain elevation and remain on course. The company's experience with cobble and directional drilling fluids provided the client with horizontal air sparge wells that were installed in extremely difficult ground conditions.
Project Results: The wells ran for approximately 5 years in a bio-sparge mode. The system was used for biodegradation of gasoline in and around the tank farm and along the pipeline right of way. As the areas were cleaned the wells in those locations were shut down, with the last of the wells being in and around the tank farm.
 Horizontal Barrier Wells beneath a Chemical Plant
The design engineer contacted us to assist in designing horizontal wells that would push directional drilling capabilities to the limit of its capabilities in order to keep the remediation wells within property lines. The design resulted in two horizontal wells with a 70º radius and quick exit. Interference from adjacent buildings during well installation resulted in having to manually calculate depth and direction from pitch readings. These wells were installed with the restrictive specifications between a water line and gas line 8' apart. This project drew on the crew's collective experience in directional drilling, difficult northeastern soil conditions and environmental requirements.
Horizontal Wells beneath a tank farm
A major oil company needed a horizontal well remediation system that would quickly and effectively clean up a property that was about to be sold. The team assembled at the site, designed the wells and immediately installed them. The project goal was to drill, install and develop as many horizontal wells as possible in a short time frame to effectively remediate the site in as little as possible time. The challenge was met. The team became so efficient that a 300' foot well was designed, drilled, installed and developed in a day. The property was sold as planned.
Project Results: Site was cleaned in 2 years and turned into a large retail mall.
Horizontal Wells for the United State Postal Services Vehicle Maintenance Facility
Directional Technologies, Inc. drilled, installed and developed 2 air sparge wells at a depth of 22' beneath a vehicle maintenance facility. Regular operations at the facility were not disrupted during the installation. The crews' previous experience in installing horizontal remediation wells made the installation very smooth.
Project Results: This system endured some problems during start-up, due to the change in soil conditions. The system was designed around a homogeneous soil environment, but during the drilling operations large amounts of fill material were drilled through. This caused uneven air distribution along the well screen, so the screen was the redesigned and a new one was installed. The sparge wells were run in conjunction with a vertical SVE system. As the concentrations diminished from the SVE portion of the system it was turned off and the sparge wells were operated as to bio-sparge wells.
Air Sparge and SVE
Horizontal Wells under a manufacturing and research facility
The drill rig was set up in a discreet corner of the rear parking lot to minimize
any disruption to the facility.
The company assembled a design and pilot test team for a horizontal remediation system under an active manufacturing and research facility. The original horizontal well design proposed by the client was amended by the design team and the suggested design changes reduce the installation costs by decreasing the number of horizontal wells. The revised well placement achieved greater remediation efficiency. The design team coordinated and implemented reverse engineering for existing equipment to further enhance maximum well production.
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The wells are pulled in from the front of the building to the back rear corner by the directional drilling rig.
Project Results: After the wells were operated successfully for a total of 11 months, the system was turned off. The wells were scheduled to be abandoned when the site experienced another release. The system was then restarted and the additional release was remediated.
Engineering Design: Pilot testing and subsurface characterization provided data to design two horizontal air sparge wells and one horizontal vapor extraction well. The system was designed to sparge and extract 250 cubic feet per minute. Sparged air is captured by the extraction well and routed to a catalytic oxidizer for treatment.
Remedial Action: The system was installed as designed on time and within budget. The system is removing several hundred pounds of contamination per week.
Blind Horizontal Wells
Directional Technologies, Inc. assisted environmental consultants with developing a remediation plan for the site of a new medical facility. The plan included a remediation system capable of meeting the cleanup objectives. Three air sparge wells and three SVE wells at were installed in a short time frame. The site conditions were challenging, the required steep 45 degree entry angles in order to accommodate site restrictions. The wells had to be placed in such a way as not to interfere with the construction of the building while allowing the hook-up to remediation equipment. New construction activities continued while horizontal wells were being installed and Directional Technologies, Inc. ensured that other subcontractors and the prime contractor on the job site were not affected or delayed by the directional drilling activities.
Project Results: The system ran for one year to non-detectable levels
Long Horizontal Blind Wells
The drill rig was set up outside a parking lot area due to security related site restrictions. The crew successfully installed all wells from a discreet distance.
Security-related restrictions to site access at a Department of Defense site in GA required blind installation of 1,000 foot long air sparge and soil vapor extraction wells. Experience in drilling under a wide range of subsurface conditions was brought to bear as the wells passed through exotic manufacturing and construction debris plus alternating zones of weathered and unweathered bedrock at depths of up to 90 feet. Directional Technologies, Inc. received a Health & Safety award from the client for the safe and efficient execution of the installation under difficult conditions.
This could be considered a typical drill rig set up with a mud recycler.
A concrete pad was cut and then the drill bit was surface launched to drill to a depth of 30' under the buildings for a 1,000' SVE well. The same pit was used also to install a 750' Air Sparge well at a depth of 70'.
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