OPTIMUM was alongside GT Canalisations last week for the successful completion of HDD works beneath the River Oise, near Compiegne, in northern France. The crossing is a crucial step in renewing NaTran’s gas pipeline network, securing it deeper underground, within the context of the Canal Seine-Nord Europe project.
The CSNE project is a cornerstone of the Seine-Scheldt European waterway, designed to shift freight transport from road to canal — connecting France, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands in a more climate-conscious manner.
With a steel casing at the entry point, the 350-metre-long, DN 300, HDD was successfully drilled by Coquart, passing some 20 metres beneath the River Oise as well as several railway tracks. Prior to drilling operations, OPTIMUM engineers validated the trenchless design, calculated ground settlement values and load resistance.
Since the coarse and complex geology – chalk, gravel layers, flint blocks – posed risks of ground instability, dedicated OPTIMUM engineers were also present throughout the HDD works to monitor the drilling parameters in real time, and to ensure the fluid density remained appropriate for the fluctuating ground conditions.
The HDD works are now complete ; congratulations to all the teams involved in this climate-smart infrastructure upgrade.
