The construction of pipeline crossings through natural and artificial obstacles by directional drilling is associated with a great influence of geological conditions on the well. Complications arising in the process of pulling the pipeline are mainly due to the passage of curvilinear sections of the well in soils prone to collapse, namely gravel-pebble and very coarse ones. These areas are characterized by a significant increase in loads while reducing the speed of pulling.
The analysis of the process and results of construction of main oil and oil product pipeline submerged crossings by the directional drilling shows that inadequate control over well conditions leads to complete failure to comply with the time limits for the submerged crossing construction and therefore results in significant potential financial losses for the customer. The most technically complex and often leading to emergency incidents are cases with the collapse of the walls, leading to the impossibility of pulling the submerged pipeline and the need to build the crossing in a new location. The existing standard methods of control over the well conditions allow to control only the crossing profile along the bottom generatiх of the constructed well, but do not provide an opportunity to assess the changes that occurred at the upper generatiх of the well during the crossing construction. This limits the possibility to model the spatial state of the well, to assess its suitability for the pipeline pulling.
To ensure strict and technically justified regulation of the activities of design and contracting organizations in the field of submerged crossing construction, it is necessary to find methods and technologies that allow monitoring the submerged crossing well conditions at its acceptance from the contractor carrying out the drilling.
References
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