What Is Directional Drilling And Why Is It Used?

Directional drilling is the practice of drilling non-vertical wells.  This was invented in the 1920s when it was originally used in the oil fields to increase oil production.  In the earlier 1990's the technology was adapted for utility installations. Directional bores have been installed for pipelines carrying things such as oil, natural gas, petrochemicals, water, sewerage and other products.  Besides crossing under highways, railroads, airport runways and areas with a lot of building congestion, installations have been made under rivers and waterways and protected wetlands.

There are three stages to go through when installing directional borings.  The first stage is called Pilot Hole.  A pilot hole is horizontal drilling that continues under and across an obstacle.  An electronic transmitter sends a signal to the surface which is read by the receiver.  This then transmits the information back to the drill rig operator.  The driller can then steer the bore path in any direction needed.

The second stage is called Pre-ream.  Once the pilot hole is complete, the hole must be enlarged to a suitable diameter to safely install the product lines.  This is accomplished by "pre-reaming" the hole to a larger diameter.  A reamer is pulled back and rotated while drilling fluid is pumped to cut and remove solids in the hole.  Usually, the reamer is attached to the drill string on the opposite end of the borehole and pulled back into the pilot hole.

Lastly, the third stage is called Pullback.  Once the drilled hole is enlarged, the conduit can be pulled through it.  A reamer is attached to the drill string and then connected to the product by a swivel.  The swivel allows the reamer to turn without turning the product with it.  The drilling rig then begins the pullback operation, rotating and pulling on the drill string as well as circulating the drilling fluids.

The use of directional drilling is growing rapidly and is expected to continue to grow in popularity in the future.

(ArticlesBase SC #3318825)

Ceramic Lined Pipe

Background
Thousands of feet of pipeline thread coal processing plants. Keeping material flowing through those lines can be a headache; sharp, abrasive material wear pipelines until they sometimes blow. When they do, production ceases and magnetite is lost.

Coal Production
Such was the problem facing the Fording River operation of Elkford, British Columbia, owned by Fording Coal Ltd. of Calgary, Alberta. In 1992, Fording River produced 22,440 tons of clean coal per day. Clean coal productivity increased from 30.8 tons per manshift in 1991 to 34.7 tons per manshift in 1993.

Located at an elevation of 5,400 feet (ft), the Fording River mine is one of the highest surface mines in North America. It also is said to be the only mine in the world to use a dragline for major extraction of mountainous coal.

The mine produces mainly hard coking coal for export to customers world-wide. Recent sales figures show that 33.6% of total sales is standard coal, 33.9% medium-volatile, 27.1% high volatile coal and 5.4% other. More than 600 112- to 120-car trains are shipped from the preparation plant annually.

Coal Processing Plant
H.E. Kennedy, superintendent of processing, said that Fording River has the highest productivity per manshift in western Canada. "And, we are proud of our record." An integral component to maintaining productivity is the processing plant. In operation since 1973, the The Fording Coal operation has the highest productivity in western Canada. Four-circuit heavy-media plants run around the clock, producing just under 23,100 tons of clean coal daily, or between 990 and 1,210 tons per hour, depending on the blend. The recovery rate is usually 67% to 68%.

Preparation Plant Downtime
The preparation plant has a maintenance crew of approximately 40 people. In the early 1980s, the frequent downtime that occurred when replacing the pipe in the plant began to affect productivity and increase maintenance costs, Kennedy said. "When a line or an elbow blew, we had to shut the plant down, and that impacts productivity negatively." The abrasive coking coal was destroying the mild steel straight pipe and elbows at a startling rate, requiring elbow replacements every six to eight months. Mild steel straights had to be replaced annually.

Ceramic Lined Abrasion Resistant Pipe, Elbows and Fittings
To solve the problem, in 1986, Fording River began to replace existing pipe and elbows with ceramic lined abrasion-resistant pipe, elbows and fittings.To test the ceramic lined abrasion resistant pipe, Fording River installed sections in the most problematic area of the plant, according to Jim Shoemaker, processing maintenance foreman. "We put the pipe in our worst area first, in the horizontal lines on the heavy-media circuit. It worked. All of the pipe that went in at the start is still here. Using it has curtailed maintenance costs and reduced downtime. We can now plan maintenance."

Durability and Life Cycle
Kim Spence, process maintenance supervisor, said that the ceramic lined straight pipe has lasted seven years and the ceramic lined elbows have lasted five years, and they are still there. "That's quite a difference," he said. Since 1986, Fording River has installed approximately 3,400 ft of ceramic lined pipe and more than 390 fittings, as well as ceramic lined high-density alumina ceramic fittings.

As a manufacturer and supplier of abrasion resistant materials, the abrasion resistant pipes and bends develop

-ed and manufactured by Cangzhou Boyang Pipeline Equipment Manufacture  Co.,Ltd are widely  used  in

coal preparation plants, metal mines, coal-fired power plants and other industries. Depending on different 

working conditions, our company has developed abrasion resistant materials with different  specifications. 

It offers solutions with optimal wear protection and reliable slide promotion of plant components and pipes on

 the basis of experience gathered over many years.

Website: http://bypipefittings.com/    Email:sales@bypipefittings.com   (ArticlesBase SC #2769970)