The first horizontal wells were installed using a mid-sized directional drill rig in 1993 by Directional Technologies, Inc. The three (3) horizontal Soil Vapor Extraction wells installed at John F. Kennedy International Airport was the beginning of a new industry. Directional Technologies, Inc. founders transferred their experience from the oil fields to the environmental industry. This has resulted in the installation of over 1,000 horizontal wells for site remediation worldwide. Horizontal Remediation Wells are a time-tested and proven technology that can provide solutions for problems previously considered unfeasible.
Proven and Effective Remedial Technology
Horizontal wells are a proven and
effective remedial technology for site cleanup. For environmental applications,
horizontal wells offer several advantages in comparison to traditional vertical
wells.
Horizontal wells improve the
effectiveness of soil and groundwater cleanups by allowing access to areas that
are inaccessible to vertical wells.
Horizontal wells are by directional
environmental drilling and its ability to steer the drill bit to precise
locations allows installations beneath buildings, underneath utilities or
around other subsurface obstructions.
The orientation of horizontal
environmental wells require fewer wells to achieve remedial goals due to longer
lengths of well screen (e.g., hundreds of feet of well screen for horizontal
wells) running parallel vs. perpendicular. They can range from 10’ of well
screen and as long as 2,000’ of well screen, or longer if needed. Whereas,
vertical wells typical consist of smaller 10 foot sections of screen.
This longer horizontal well screen
provides a greater surface area in contact with impacted soil or groundwater.
This results in higher transfer rates to expedite cleanup.
Key elements of designing successful
horizontal wells:
Bore Path Design to Maximize Zone of Influence
Engineered Well Screens
Experience of the Directional Environmental Drilling Company
HA custom Drilling Fluid Program for each Horizontal Well
Installation
Horizontal Environmental Wells must
be installed by an experienced Environmental Directional Driller. Installation
requires a phased approach and includes Horizontal Directional Environmental
Drilling. Installation includes:
Site Visit – Create Layout Design
Equipment Staging
Mud Pit Installation
Assembly by Bit, Locator, and Other Drilling Tools
Reaming and Installation
Performance
Horizontal Wells not only
out-perform vertical wells by increasing the well’s Zone of Influence, but can
dramatically reduce the time to site closure. Ultimately, leading to
significant Operations and Maintenance (O&M) cost savings over vertical
well systems.
There is an art and science to both design and installation of successful
horizontal wells. Years of experience are required for an Environmental
Directional Driller to hone the skills needed to directional drill and install
successful wells. Directional Technologies, Inc. is the experienced and skilled
company you are looking for. Directional Technologies, Inc. has been designing
and installing successful horizontal wells in the United States and abroad for
more than 26 years.
Read our Case
studies to learn more about our Horizontal Remediation Well
successes.