Press Release
On April 17, as a 610-mm diameter gas pipeline slowly emerged from the ground, the "metallic loong," which had traveled 4735 meters through the seabed rock, finally poking up through the soil, marking the successful completion of the onshore-to-offshore directional drilling for the natural gas pipeline connection project at the Mawan Power Plant in Shenzhen. The directional drilling from Dachan Island to Mawan Power Plant was accomplished in a single pass, setting three new world records: the world's longest directional drilling for pipelines with a diameter exceeding 600 mm, the world's longest onshore-to-offshore directional drilling, and the world's longest directional drilling for a natural gas pipeline.
Hebei Huayuan Science & Industry Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Huayuan") is an EPC for this project. The entire project utilized Huayuan's unique designed high-torque HDD rigs, drill rods, drill bit positioning, and pilot bit docking systems. Faced with numerous challenges during project execution, Huayuan's technical team rose to the occasion, completing multiple key technological innovations that ensured the successful completion of this ultra-long-distance pipeline crossing. The successful completion of this key control project for the gas supply line has laid a solid foundation for the commissioning of the Shenzhen Mawan Power Plant upgrade project.
Due to the ultra-long crossing distance and complex geological conditions, stringent quality control was required for the land-to-sea directional drilling. The project team employed a dual – HDD rig intersecting technique, where, due to the limitation of site and sea conditions, and the two drill heads had to enter the strata at a large angle of 20 degrees. The two drill heads traveled towards each other and eventually met successfully in hard rock layer (80m beneath the seabed), achieving a one-time docking success. Before pulling the pipeline back, the technical team conducted a thorough evaluation of the completed rock borehole to ensure that the pipeline would not be damaged during the ultra-long crossing. And also they carried out washing/repairing the hole simultaneously. A 3LPP enhanced anti-corrosion coating, known for its superior comprehensive performance, was applied to the pipeline’s exterior. Welding techniques were also optimized, ensuring the installation quality was effectively secured.
From the start of the directional drilling, the entire project team immediately launched 24-hour continuous drilling operations. In response to the specially complexed geological conditions, the project team fully utilized its self-developed forward reaming technology. And they had done continuously adjustment and optimized the parameters of the reamer during the drilling. This overcame the initial challenges of short reamer lifespan and high wear, gradually improving drilling efficiency. With the technical team providing full support throughout, the project was successfully delivered within the specified time.
In recent years, Huayuan has continuously pursued independent innovation, increased R&D investment, and designed and manufactured a series of trenchless equipment, positioning its proprietary technologies, which are constantly being innovated and enhanced, as its core competitive advantage. The company independently designed medium-sized horizontal directional drilling rigs and the first horizontal directional drilling rig with a pulling force of 1000 tons, successfully innovating and applying technologies such as "pilot hole positioning and docking technology", and "drill bit forward docking technology". Huayuan has fully leveraged its technical strengths, participating in several national key project constructions and significantly contributing to the development of trenchless technology.
"The success of this project marks a new milestone in China's trenchless technology. Huayuan will continue to pursue independent innovation, improve R&D efficiency, strengthen the building of the R&D workforce, and increase investment in R&D. We are committed to contributing to the development of China's trenchless directional drilling industry and to accelerating the country's growth in new quality productivity," said Shi Zhanhua, Chairman of Hebei Huayuan Science & Industry Co., Ltd.
