Proud to have played a part in the successful completion of an impressive HDD crossing in the north Chilean desert last week to install a 945-metre-long, DN 1200 pipe under the Loa River.
Drilled by TECHINT, supported onsite by BM Drilling, the HDD lies 32 metres under the riverbed, itself some 35 metres beneath the surrounding natural ground level. The crossing also passes under a high voltage electricity power line as well as the desert highway.
TECHINT commissioned OPTIMUM to conduct a detailed engineering study – including drill path optimisation, hydrofracture analysis, calculation notes – to validate the feasibility of the trenchless operations, given the geological and geotechnical constraints of the site, notably the risks of instability and abrasion when drilling through fractured / weathered sandstone.
The crossing forms part of the National Copper Corporation of Chile (CODELCO)’s project to install a reverse osmosis desalination plant to supply water to its mining operations in the region, thereby significantly reducing continental water consumption.
