Shell Falcon

54,150’ of 12” and 16” steel with a 7,200’ 12” intersect Ohio River Crossing

Aerial view of the Ohio River winding through lush green landscapes and agricultural fields, illustrating the geographical context of the Shell Falcon Ethane Pipeline project.

Project Details

  • 54,150 LF of 12 & 16-inch steel
  • $35MM
  • Six crews running for 18 months of maxi-drill rig installations
  • Multiple Gyroscopic steering including a horizontal curve intersect installation

In 2018, ECI Contracting was subcontracted to provide Horizontal Directional Drill installation services for the Shell Falcon Ethane Pipeline System in Ohio/Pennsylvania/West Virginia. The project included 97.5 miles of total pipe installation, with 25 HDD’s of varying lengths. The completion of this project was required to connect multiple processing facilities across critical resources including the Ohio River.

ECI Scope

Working a multi-stage, multi-bore project can be a challenge to manage. This particular project presented some unique challenges on top of large scale logistics, including:

  • Multi-layered geology of soft-hard rock
    • Sandstone
    • Limestone
    • Claystone
    • Siltstone
  • Coal seams including large voids
  • Extreme elevation changes
  • High population and heavily trafficked areas

Technical Solution

After evaluating the risk areas of the project, our team of experts created and implemented unique drill plans for each location that took into the specific challenges of each HDD:

  • Deployed six total crews including Midi (200k lb.) to Maxi (660k lb.) directional drill rigs
  • Utilized conventional wireline steering system as well as gyroscopic steering as needed
  • Implemented specialized drilling mud program for rock penetration and void plugging management.
  • Casing installation to support circulation during HDD Operations
  • Installed Sound Mitigation on select locations to minimize noise impact

Project Execution

Working in collaboration with the general contractor, ECI managed to complete the project on schedule, maximizing crew efficiencies.

  • Ohio River intersect
  • Over 100’ elevation changes
  • Compound curve steering
  • Electronic Data Reading for automated data collection
  • Multi-Tier jobsites due to limited work space on hill sides
  • Managed a multitude of teamsters for logistical movement of equipment, refuse, and soils disposal to maintain clean, safe work sites.
Aerial view of a horizontal directional drilling (HDD) site with drilling equipment, containers, and sound mitigation barriers, showcasing logistics for the Shell Falcon project.

Result

Over the course of two years, our team successfully managed the horizontal directional drilling operations and logistics of six crews. Utilizing both wireline magnetics, and gyroscopic steering, ECI was able to successfully install to tolerance in a multitude of geologies.

Highlights

  • Collaboration with multiple municipalities, Unions, and project teams.
  • 7,200 foot installation across the Ohio River with an intersect utilizing gyroscopic steering.
  • Examined and created mitigation plans for difficult geology including circulation challenges in coal seams.
  • Utilization of Electronic Recording Devices – Pushing new technology for more efficient and accurate project data.

Relevance

ECI Contracting is a reliable firm that promises Integrity, Teamwork, Grit, Accountability, and Family Values on all projects. When the challenges seem astronomical, ECI Contracting digs deep to create a product that adds value in addition to fulfilling a customer’s needs.