statement of qualifications pipeline, oil and gas services - Hatch Mott ...

Cuyahoga River HDD Crossing
Location
Cleveland, OH
Client
Dominion East Ohio
Project Type
Natural Gas Pipeline / HDD
Installation
Services
Design Services and
Construction Monitoring of
Horizontal Directional
Drilling Installation
Duration
Ongoing
HDD Contractor
4804 N 40th Street
PO Box 385
Sheboygan, WI 53082-0385
(920) 459-2600
Project Description
Dominion East Ohio is relocating an existing natural gas pipeline that crosses beneath the Cuyahoga
River, Ohio and Erie Canal, CSX railroad, and six (6) high pressure transmission mains. The
replacement 20-inch (500 mm) FBE/Powercrete steel natural gas pipeline will be installed using
horizontal directional drilling (HDD) construction methods. The crossing length is 1,300 feet (400
m). The glaciolacustrine deposits consist of clay and gravel. Permit restrictions limited the bore
diameter to 1.3 times the outer diameter of the project pipe. For the 20-inch (500 mm) steel product
pipe, this meant that the maximum bore diameter could only be 26 inches as opposed to the general
HDD standard of 1.5 times the product pipe diameter (i.e. 30 inches, 750 mm).
HMM Role
Hatch Mott MacDonald (HMM) was retained by
Dominion East Ohio to provide HDD consultation for the
Cuyahoga River Crossing. Specifically, HMM reviewed
the original design alignment, geotechnical information,
developed a risk registry, proposed installation strategy,
and performed a series of installation load and
hydrofracture calculations. Based on our review, a deeper
installation profile was developed to decrease significant
risks associated with hydrofracture and loss of drilling
fluids into the Cuyahoga River and Ohio and Erie Canal.
The required depth was based on a detailed hydrofracture analysis that involved determining the
required drilling fluid pressures and comparing these pressures to the maximum allowable drilling
fluid pressure along the entire alignment. This hydrofracture report was used to obtain the required
permits for the work. HMM’s risk register identified several installation risks that the original design
consultant had not considered. Once identified, HMM developed mitigation measures to lower the
overall risks associated with the identified hazard. One such risk reduction measure involved
swapping HDD rig entry and exit locations and securing permission to temporarily close a road to
allow the complete fabrication of the pipe string prior to pull back. An additional geotechnical
program was developed to identify the soils at the deeper installation depth. HMM also provided
on-site construction monitoring services for the HDD components of the work.
Project Highlights
• 1,300-foot long, 20-inch FBE/powercrete
natural gas pipeline installation.
• Crossing of the Cuyahoga River, Ohio
and Erie Canal, CSX Railroad, and six (6)
high pressure gas transmission mains.
• Reduced bore diameter of 26-inch
requirement (in comparison to HDD
industry standard of 30-inches) beneath
the CSX railroad.
• Development of a risk registry to
document project risks and track
individual hazards prior to and following
risk mitigation measures.
• Extensive hydrofracture analysis completed that resulted in significant deepening of the bore
profile to avoid environmental issues associated with a potential frac out and loss of drilling
fluids.