Coordinated HDD Execution on a 10,000-ft Intersect Crossing

In the world of horizontal directional drilling (HDD), success on complex crossings is never the result of a single tool or tactic — it’s the outcome of experienced collaboration.

That was certainly the case on a recent 10,000-ft drill under Interstate 80 and the Platte River near Lexington, Nebraska. North Country Directional Drilling teamed with Inrock and Vector Magnetics to execute a challenging intersect bore for an 8-in. natural gas pipeline.

This project showcased the integration of advanced tooling and guidance systems — Inrock’s motors and jetting assemblies, Vector Magnetics’ ParaTrack guidance technology, and North Country’s deep operational expertise. It was a crossing that pushed the limits to deliver a pinpoint intersection. Together, this trio demonstrated how their combined experience continues to shape the standard for HDD performance in North America.

Project Scope & Site Constraints

The bore path traversed under I-80 from the north end and past the Platte River on the south, with significant sections of the alignment located beneath privately owned land. The inability to secure right-of-way agreements with the landowner meant the team had to rethink the original plan of three or four shorter drills. They opted instead for a single, extended bore using an intersect method. The final alignment measured 10,020 ft in length, with a maximum cover depth of approximately 175 ft.

J.D. Hair & Associates provided the initial IFC design. This design was verified and refined in the field by North Country’s team prior to spudding. While the design required no major adjustments, the intersect approach introduced critical engineering considerations. These were related to depth, formation variability, and path control over distance.

Drilling Approach & Rig Setup

North Country Directional Drilling deployed two rigs to the site. They used a 2008 American Augers 1.1 on the entry side and a brand-new 2024 American Augers 600 on the exit. Although the 1.1 rig alone could have managed the full bore, the use of two rigs was essential for the intersect method. This allowed the team to better optimize load distribution and bore control from both ends.

Jetting assemblies were used to initiate drilling. The team reached the bottom tangent before tripping out and switching to motors equipped with integrated ParaTrack At-Bit-Inclination-Assembly (ABIA) guidance. The motors, supplied by Inrock, were selected for stiffness and mud flow capability. They were effective in maintaining smooth curvature, which is particularly helpful when approaching the intersect point at depth.

Guidance and Intersect Execution

Inrock selected a range of technologies from the ParaTrack guidance toolbox. Mud motors were fitted with an ABIA, while the downhole tool string included a magnetic steering tool. It also had gyro and pressure modules. P2 tracking coils were set up on both entry and exit sides, providing dual-instrumented guidance and magnetic intersect verification.

On this project, Inrock’s Luke Vitelli and Jesús Treviño brought a combined 26 years of steering expertise to the field. They maintained open communication throughout drilling. They verified survey data and coordinated steering corrections to ensure the two bores met precisely beneath the Platte River.

The intersect was expected at the midpoint of the bore between joints 158 and 159. Despite gyro surveys suggesting alignment, the team opted to verify with ParaTrack Passive Magnetic Intersect to ensure convergence accuracy. According to daily logs, the Magnetic Intersect readings were near saturation, indicating extremely tight proximity between the two bore paths.

This level of accuracy at 175 ft deep speaks to the team’s experience. It also shows the integration of multiple guidance layers to manage accumulated positional error.

Pullback Performance & Lessons Learned

While the initial pullback took just 17 hours and required no mid-welds, a failure in the pipe coating application led to complications. The coating began to delaminate during the first installation. This ultimately required the pipeline to be extracted and recoated.

North Country coordinated a follow-up installation using a Denso ScarGuard outerwrap. The second pull was completed without issue, again within 24 hours. This reflects the bore’s integrity and the clean execution of the pilot.

Pull force data reflected minimal resistance. Peak pull loads reached only 140,000 lbs, with a breakaway of 160,000 lbs, and rotary torque hovering between 10–15,000 ft/lbs. Considering the pull load of the bare pipe on rollers was nearly 100,000 lbs, these values confirmed the quality of the hole. The strategic value of using ABIA motors for smooth steering and profile control was also confirmed. A pull force analysis from J.D. Hair prior to the job predicted much higher forces. This suggests a healthy safety factor in the design and validates the team’s drilling methods.

Decades of HDD Expertise Driving Intersect Success

This successful project is far from an anomaly. North Country and its partners have completed dozens of intersect bores across the U.S., drawing on decades of combined experience. While Vector Magnetics first guided an HDD intersect in 2000, intersect drilling is a relatively new standard. It has become increasingly critical on long crossings with limited access and tight easement constraints.

“At least 80 to 90 percent of the intersects we’ve done have been with ParaTrack,” said Neal Roberts, co-owner of North Country Directional Drilling. “And we’ve had great results. There’s no reason to go anywhere else.”

Roberts brings more than 25 years of field and project management experience to the table. He has worked his way from laborer to company owner. Today, he oversees project execution at North Country alongside partner-owners Josh Ugrich, Derek Vogel, and Eddie Ramos. Each partner brings deep field, estimating, and financial expertise to the company’s operations.

Conclusion

This intersect represents more than a successful installation. It’s a case study in what coordinated trenchless expertise can achieve. From formation management and profile design to intersect verification and pullback operations, the project underscores the importance of experienced teams, purpose-built tooling, and robust guidance systems in today’s HDD environment.

Jed Sheckler is director of marketing at Vector Magnetics LLC.

---