Tunisia is the northern most country in Africa; the nation is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, Libya and Algeria.
Bouchamaoui Industries is one of the largest contractors in the country. One of the company’s major activities is pipe laying, and it recently increased its fleet with the purchase of HDD machine TERRA-JET 5415 S.
The first training bore was 84 m (275 ft) long and took place in highly compacted sand. A HDPE pipe OD 315 mm (12 inch) had to be pulled in nearby a petrol refinery.
Pilot bore
Article continues below…The pilot bore was achieved in approximately three hours. With a drill depth of 2.2 m, the locating of the drill head was easy to perform and the drill head reached the arrival pit on target.
Backreaming and pipe pulling
Due to the high compaction of the sand, the backreaming was done in two steps. The first intermediate reaming was 260 mm (10 inch) in diameter, and the second reaming was 360 mm (14 inch) in diameter. The bentonite of the local producer Sofap proved appropriate for the compacted ground conditions. “The ADBS of the TERRA-JET 5415 S made the back reaming relaxing for the operator,” said the company.
The company also said that this patented system automatically and within milliseconds adjusts the working speed of the drill to suit the ground conditions. In soft ground the drill operates at maximum speed, while in hard ground it moves more slowly. If the drill head hits an unexpected obstacle, the ADBS reduces the drilling speed immediately and automatically drills very slowly through the obstacle.
Machine technology
The TERRA-JET 5415 S may drill directional bores up to 200 m (660 ft) long and 520 mm (20 inch) in diameter, depending on ground conditions. Torque and pullback force are produced by separate hydraulic circuits, allowing the maximum torque of 5,400 Nm (4,000 ft. lbs) and the maximum pullback force of 150 kN (15 tonnes, 33,000 lbs) to be used simultaneously under full load.
The drilling fluid volume is 200 litres per minute (53 gpm). The mixing system, responsible for mixing the bentonite into the drilling fluid via an injector (venture hopper), is located on board the HDD machine. This patent removes the need for an extra mixing system and a second engine.
Bouchamaoui decided to purchase their machine without the driver’s cabin. They may retrofit the cabin later as it can be assembled within a few hours. The operator sits in a comfortable seat, which can be adjusted to suit the body shape and weight of the operator. The seat can also rotate, allowing the operator to face the drilling or observe the drilling machine.
Owner of Bouchamaoui, Raouf Bouchamaoui and Technical Director Farhat Foued said that they were quite satisfied with the performance of the TERRA-JET 5415 S and their team.
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