Coosa River HDD Crossing

Michels Trenchless was approached to develop feasible solutions for the installation of an additional pipeline to alleviate a bottleneck in one of the nation’s largest interstate natural gas pipeline systems.

Ultimately, Michels and the customer determined that a 3,407-foot-long horizontal directional drill (HDD) installation of a 42-inch steel pipe had the highest probability for success under a section of river with steep slopes, challenging terrain and difficult geology.

Due to the length and complexity of the installation, the HDD was executed via the pilot hole intersect method, which involves rigs drilling the pilot hole from both sides of the alignment and meeting at a predetermined spot. Plans were developed to ensure safe operations, including removal of cutting up steep inclines. Rain made transportation to and from the drill locations nearly impossible, adding another level of complexity to ensure that HDD operations could continue without delay.

Once the final ream pass was complete, Michels crews rigged down the exit site HDD rig to prepare for pipeline pullback. A total of five pullback sections were carefully fabricated within the narrow right-of-way, as longer sections were deemed unfeasible due to the complex terrain. Once pullback operations commenced, the team worked relentlessly to pull the pipeline into place via 24/7 operations.

The project was honored with the Pipeliners Association of Houston Project of the Year Award for 2025.