The horizontal directional
drilling process
Graphic by James Hilston &
Chance Brinkman-Sull / Post-Gazette
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Stage 1: Pilot hole
The first stage consists of directionally drilling a small diameter pilot hole along a designed directional path.
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Stage 2: Prereaming
The second stage involves enlarging the pilot hole to a diameter larger than the pipeline that will go inside.
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Stage 3: Pullback
The final stage consists of pulling the pipeline back into the enlarged hole.
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