Now that you’re up to speed on big drill support equipment, the process and drilling techniques, it’s time to look at everyone’s responsibilities on the jobsite. We’ll focus most of our attention on the roles and responsibilities involved with horizontal directional drilling (HDD), but usually, HDD is only one aspect of the overall large-diameter installations project. In fact, according to the Association of Oil Pipelines, a single major pipeline construction project can employ an estimated 7,000 construction workers, with an average workforce of 500 people for every 100-mile (160.9-kilometer) section. Heavy equipment operators, laborers, welders, Teamsters, foremen, engineers and quality control personnel are all needed to construct a pipeline.
Whether the pipeline will carry oil and gas, water, or carbon, or it is a large electrical transmission line, the work involved to build it is similar. So, the people you will encounter on the jobsite may have similar responsibilities. We’ll start by looking at the people directly involved with HDD installation work, other crews that support those efforts, and the people responsible for overseeing the overall project details.
Big drill crew responsibilities
To start, let’s look at who’s running the drill. Like on any HDD jobsite, a single person still operates the drill. However, more people help with steering/locating, tooling and managing fluid. Here is a brief overview of everyone’s responsibilities on the jobsite.
- Drill operator — This person performs all drilling activities, including making the pilot bore, reaming, swabbing the bore path and pulling back product.
- Steering hand — Since walk-over locating isn’t typically used on large-diameter bores at long distances, a wireline steering system is employed. The steering hand is responsible for providing steering coordinates to the operator during the pilot bore to make sure it is executed according to the bore plan.
- Rail laborers — Wire needs to be inserted and spliced together every time a rod is added to the drill string. Typically, two laborers are responsible for feeding wirelines through each section of drill rod and making the connections.
- Excavator or crane operator — With the support of the rail laborers, an excavator or crane is used to load and unload drill rods onto the rack or rod stager. The same machine will generally assist with adding and removing downhole tooling. A second excavator or crane may be present on the exit side of the HDD site to support fluid management and tooling logistics after the pilot bore is completed.
- Exit side laborers — Once the pilot bore is completed, workers are needed on the exit side of the bore to support drilling operations.
- Mud engineer — Some HDD projects may require a mud engineer. Their roles on the site is to make sure that the drilling fluid mixture is appropriate for the ground conditions, test fluid viscosity, monitor mud weights and check sand levels.
- Mud management laborers —These individuals are responsible for mixing drilling fluids, operating the reclaimer and pumping slurry from the pits. They keep the mud flowing.
HDD support crew responsibilities
In addition to the people directly responsible for drilling operations, several other crew members are on an HDD jobsite. These individuals may be part of the same company or employed by the project’s general contractor or a separate subcontractor.
- Vacuum excavator operators — Big drill sites require large truck vacs to help with fluid management. Ahead of drilling operations, vacuum excavators may be used to pothole existing underground infrastructure. During the drilling process, vacs are used to remove and transport spoils from draining pits.
- Site prep crews — These individuals are responsible for digging drainage pits and matting the jobsite in areas with heavy traffic and for the drill to be staged on. They will handle most site-related activities outside of the drilling application itself.
- Welders/pipe fusers — On most large-diameter HDD jobsites, a separate crew is responsible for welding steel pipe casings or fusing HDPE pipe. As a member of the HDD crew, you’ll likely work closely with this crew during the pullback phase of the HDD process.
Safety and quality assurance
To make sure work is performed correctly with safety in mind, several other individuals will be onsite during various phases of the HDD process. These individuals are checking on progress and looking for potential safety hazards.
- Safety inspector — This individual is checking to make sure everyone on the jobsite is adhering to jobsite safety requirements, which include:
- Wearing the proper personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Operating equipment and tools correctly
- Correctly marking and/or addressing jobsite hazards
- Pipeline inspector — This person is checking to make sure the product pipe is being constructed and installed within the specification of the project design.
- Landowners — Pipelines cross hundreds of miles (kilometers) of land, and property owners have a vested interest that the work is done with care. They will occasionally come out to view the work being done.
A team effort
With a better understanding of everyone’s responsibilities on large HDD sites, you now understand that it’s not easy work — but it is essential work. Pipelines are responsible for transporting energy and resources needed to power the economy and everyone’s daily lives.
If you missed any articles in this Big Drill Basics series, you can check them all out here.
- Big drill basics: what support equipment you’ll need
- Big drill basics: pipeline drilling vs. utility drilling
- Big drill basics: operator drilling techniques to know
For more information about Vermeer pipeline equipment, contact your local Vermeer dealer.
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