As consultants continue to explore the benefits of horizontal remediation wells, they are often pleasantly surprised to learn about the unique advantages of blind installations of horizontal remediation wells. They are pleasantly surprised because it is often assumed that the installation process of horizontal remediation wells requires both an entry point and an exit point; an entry point for the insertion of the drill pipe and an exit point where the well material is pulled into its proper place through the well bore. The process of blind installation, however, is a highly functional process that solely requires an entry point, eliminating the need for the pipe to exit on the other end of the bore. This option can significantly benefit project design, including increasing the remedial effectiveness, decreasing the remedial timeline, and providing health and safety advantages. The Directional Technologies team incorporates experienced remedial horizontal drill rig operators and subsurface locators to ensure the optimal placement of the well during blind installation processes.
Elimination of Exit Point
The process of blind installation eliminates the need for a piping exit point, significantly enhancing the project’s remedial goals from the design phase to the implementation phase. The setup area for the blind well installation process is reduced from two locations, entry, and exit, to one. By removing the necessity for an exit point, the borehole length and additional well construction materials required are reduced. Reductions in bore length assist in managing budgetary goals while providing unequaled access to the contaminant plume for the remedial application of the horizontal well installed.
Unlike traditional remediation methods, such as vertical well installation, there is flexibility with the setup area associated with the entry point for a horizontal well. Rather than requiring the drill rig to be set up directly above the target location of the plume, the entry point for the horizontal drill rig can be established in a more functional location with respect to concurrent project tasks. As a result, the installation process often eliminates interferences with any on-site activities relating to businesses or residences while still providing unparalleled access to the core of the contaminant plume.
Enhanced Access
The process of installing a horizontal remediation well by the blind installation method provides enhanced access in both commercial and residential settings when compared to vertical well installations. Property owners in both commercial and residential settings can be wary of installing remedial wells on their property. Roadblocks for property access in a commercial setting often involve the fear of project-related activities causing interference with business events. City and county regulators constantly deny drilling-related access due to the interference of overhead and sub-surface utilities. Similarly, many remedial sites are based primarily in residential settings, where the groundwater contaminant plume has migrated beneath adjacent residential properties. Well pads are viewed as eyesores, and the property owners are not inclined to commit to the decades-long lifespan of the vertical wells proposed for installation on their land. Access setbacks force alterations to the remedial design, such as requiring the planned locations of vertical wells to be moved to less influential positions, which lengthens the remedial timeline and decreases effectiveness.
Blind installation of horizontal remediation wells eliminates the pains property owners associate with the installation of vertical wells while simultaneously providing enhanced access to the contaminant plume. The staging area of horizontal directional drilling can be operated from locations that do not interrupt activities on-site properties while simultaneously reducing the hesitations residential property owners associate with vertical wells. Since an exit point is not required in the blind installation process, the well screen is installed with maximum radial contact with the plume and terminated without any surface-level turmoil.
Health and Safety Advantages
Access limitations to the proposed location of a vertical well can adversely affect the health and safety of the drilling crew during installation and maintenance personnel in the years to follow. In highly residential sites or locations with extensive subsurface utilities, vertical remediation wells are often relocated to the middle of busy roadways where fewer conflicts exist. Working conditions in roadways require approved traffic control plans for each day the vertical drilling rig operates and provides increased health and safety hazards as motor vehicles operate around the workspace. Health and safety hazards persist after the installation process as sampling, operations, and maintenance in subsequent years require field staff to access the wellheads. Blind installation of horizontal remediation wells establishes the wellhead in locations that are safer to install and perform routine maintenance while providing enhanced access to the plume compared to traditional vertical remedial methods.
Conclusions
The process of blind installation eliminates the misconception that horizontal remediation wells require an exit point during the installation process. In practice, blind installation provides enhanced access to the contamination plume, reducing interferences with on-site activities, eliminating residential and commercial property intrusions, and significantly increasing health and safety precautions.
How can the advantages offered by decades of technological advancement in the field of horizontal wells benefit your project? Call our horizontal remediation well experts at 1-877-788-4479 to discuss your current project needs, or email us at drilling@directionaltech.com with questions, review case studies, and learn more.
Written by: Elliott Andelman, Technical Environmental Scientist