Press Release
On November 4, 2024, the International Society for Trenchless Technology (ISTT) Board of Directors convened at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai, UAE. During this meeting, Hebei Huayuan Science and Industry Co., Ltd. was honored with the 2024 ISTT Annual Trenchless Project Award (New Installation).
The event gathered representatives from associations across China, North America, Germany, Latin America, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Oceania, Singapore, Turkey, and other regions. Attendees engaged in discussions on trenchless technology trends, international cooperation, and key topics such as the hosting, planning, and bidding reports for the 2023-2027 International NO-DIG exhibitions. The meeting also reviewed ISTT’s upcoming work plan.
At the evening’s reception and awards banquet, Hebei Huayuan Science and Industry Co., Ltd. received the ISTT Annual Project Award (Installation) for outstanding performance in the “Weizhou-Beihai Pipeline Development Project’s Submarine Pipe Crossing Work of the Channel Planned for 300,000-ton Ships”. Ms. Wang Xiaobing, Executive General Manager of Huayuan, received the award on behalf of the company.
The ISTT Project Awards are a significant recognition established by the society to honor individuals, teams, or projects that have made significant contributions to trenchless technology. Covering areas such as technological innovation and project execution, the awards aim to encourage continuous excellence and innovation within the industry. Winning this award underscores the remarkable achievements of Hebei Huayuan Science and Industry Co., Ltd. and its team in overcoming the challenges of implementing offshore-to-offshore horizontal directional drilling (HDD) technology in complex marine environments.
Weizhou-Beihai Natural Gas Pipeline Project: Supporting Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality, Promoting Green Economic Development
The Weizhou-Beihai Natural Gas Pipeline Project is an important initiative aligning with China’s “Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality” goals. The project aims to supply more clean natural gas to Beihai City, promoting local green economic development. On January 11, 2023, the pipeline pullback was completed after 40 hours of work in the Beibu Gulf, Beihai city, Guangxi prov., achieving a 1,540-meter-long HDD installation, which included an 840-meter HDD section and two 350-meter counterweight sections. This achievement was made possible by overcoming a series of complex technical challenges.
Technical Challenges and Solutions
The project site posed extremely complex marine environmental conditions, with a tidal range exceeding 4 meters, a maximum water depth of nearly 30 meters, and frequent waves over 1.5 meters high. These natural conditions significantly increased construction difficulty. During the drilling of the pilot hole, maintaining the stability of drill rods in seawater became a major challenge. The rods, lacking radial constraints, were prone to instability in water. To address this issue, the team adopted casing installations around the submerged drill rods at the entry point to provide radial support and ensure stability.
The entire construction process required highly specialized equipment as well as meticulous operation and coordination. The HDD crossing work, including pilot hole drilling, reaming, and pipe pullback, were carried out by Huayuan’s independently developed “Tianze No.1” HDD rig barge. Once the drill head reached the seabed exit point, a floating crane on the exit side retrieved the drill head and conducted reaming operations with attached drilling tools such as reamers and drill rods. After the final reaming stage, hole washing and repairing were performed. The floating crane then withdrew to allow the pipe-laying barge to position itself for the pipe pullback operation. Pre-assembled pipeline segments were connected to the HDD pullback assembly, and the pullback process commenced, involving simultaneous pipe prefabrication and HDD pipe pullback until the pipeline surfaced at the drilled entry point. Despite challenges such as strong winds and the COVID-19 pandemic, the project team successfully completed the construction with efficient management and adaptive technical solutions.
A Technical Milestone
This offshore-to-offshore crossing marks Huayuan’s second successful project following its first offshore-to-offshore pipeline crossing in Zhoushan, China. Positioned 18 to 22 meters below the channel, the crossing ensured uninterrupted navigation. The project’s successful implementation validated multiple new technologies and provided valuable reference for future projects. This success also supports the advancement of China’s core offshore-to-offshore HDD technologies.
It is the second time to win this award from ISTT by Huayuan, following its first win in 2018 for the Annual Trenchless Project Award. Under the leadership of Chairman Shi Zhanhua, the Huayuan team has achieved another major milestone. This recognition not only highlights Huayuan’s important role in the global trenchless technology field but also sets a higher standard for its similar projects in future. This award not only acknowledges Huayuan’s past achievements but also inspires its commitment to ongoing innovation. Huayuan will remain committed to advancing technological innovation and contributing to the trenchless industry and sustainable development both in China and globally.
