Bakken Missouri River HDD
Michels Trenchless, Inc. used horizontal directional drilling (HDD) to install 13,247 feet of 20-inch diameter steel pipe under Lake Sakakawea on the Missouri River.
Michels Pipeline, Inc. welded and tested the utility line prior to pullback. Michels Trenchless, Inc. placed a custom-made drilling rig with capacity of more than 1 million pounds of push/pull force on both sides of the crossing to complete all operations, from pilot hole drilling to final pullback.
The crossing was performed in early September to meet environmental permit requirement of no activity during the Dakota butterfly flight season. The project was up against a tight window prior to the winter months, which could prove problematic for water-based drilling operations and pipeline testing procedures prior to pullback.
