Atlantic Supply is a stocking distributor for Melfred Borzall, a highly regarded manufacturer of HDD tooling based in Santa Maria, California. Atlantic Supply represents Melfred Borzall in the states of Alabama, Mississippi, and North Florida and not only stocks their tools but provides field consultation as well.
This was the case last week as an Atlantic Supply client, Miller Pipeline, asked for assistance on a difficult project in Pineville, Louisiana. Miller Pipeline contacted HDD specialist, H.A. Stacey, who works for Atlantic Supply in their Montgomery, Alabama store. Stacey, as friends and clients call him, has been with Atlantic Supply for five years and has extensive training and field experience on both HDD tooling and drilling fluids and uses this training to help drillers maximize the products they purchase.
After meeting with the drilling crew, Stacey looked over their drilling fluids, the site conditions, and the Melfred Borzall tooling they brought for the project. Miller Pipeline previously purchased a 12-inch Melfred Borzall “Tornado” reamer from Stacey and the driller was concerned it may not work in the tough clay they were going to drill into. Stacey discussed a few parameters with the driller such as their drilling fluid pumping rate, tooling rotation speed, and their pull-back rate. Stacey made a few suggestions such as a faster rotation speed and a slower pull-back rate as well as with the drilling fluids mixture and pumping rate.
Melfred Borzall “Tornado” Reamer
After the crew completed the pilot bore, they attached the Tornado reamer and the 6-inch HDPE product line. The total length of the borehole was 460-feet and they were able to complete the pull-back in approximately 30 minutes. The driller was very happy with the results and said it was the easiest boring they had completed in this area.
Melfred Borzall Tornado reamer in exit pit
Stacey emphasized that using high quality Melfred Borzall tooling is a great start but using it properly can make a big difference. Each type of reamer is designed for a specific type of soil and each requires a specific technique to make it more effective. By using Stacey’s suggestions, the tooling ‘chopped up’ the clay which made it easier for the drilling fluid to move it out of the borehole.
Another important factor that Stacey discussed was having drilling fluid testing tools on hand, such as a Marsh Funnel for checking fluid viscosity and pH paper for checking the make-up water. These inexpensive tools can enable the person on the tank truck to monitor the drilling fluids, make fluid corrections when needed, and they are both very simple to use.
The Miller Pipeline crew was very pleased with the results and they will be able to use the knowledge they gained on any other future project of this nature. If you have any upcoming HDD projects that you would like to discuss, you can reach Stacey at 334-558-5338.