HDD (Horizontal Directional Drilling) Equipment

  • The equipment used in a horizontal directional drilling depends on the outer diameter of the pipe, length of the run, ground conditions and the surroundings above ground.
  • The equipment involved HDD machine, F5 transmitter, F5 receiver, pilot spondee, reamers with swivel, radio detection, mud stirring system and hydraulic hot melt machine.
Supporting equipment is needed to assist directional drilling, such as drilling mud recycling system, shale shaker, mud cleaner, centrifugal pump, mud tanks, etc.

ZT 20 RP

ZT 16 RP


SST Remote Display

F5 Transmitter




  • Directional boring is used for installing infrastructure such as telecommunications and power cable conduits, water lines, sewer lines, gas lines, oil lines, product pipelines, and environmental remediation casings.
  • It is used for crossing waterways, roadways, shore approaches, congested areas, environmentally sensitive areas, and areas where other methods are costlier or not possible.
  • It is used instead of other techniques to provide less traffic disruption, lower cost, deeper and/or longer installation, no access pit, shorter completion times, directional capabilities, and environmental safety.
  • The technique has extensive use in urban areas for developing subsurface utilities as it helps in avoiding extensive open cut trenches.
  • The use requires that the operator have complete information about existing utilities so that he can plan the alignment to avoid damaging those utilities.
  • Since uncontrolled drilling can lead to damage, different agencies/government authorities owning the urban right-of-way or the utilities have rules for safe work execution.
  • For standardization of the techniques, different trenchless technology promoting organizations have developed guidelines for this technique.

Locating and Guidance

Location and guidance of the drilling is an important part of the drilling operation, as the drilling head is under the ground while drilling and, in most cases, not visible from the ground surface. Uncontrolled or unguided drilling can lead to substantial destruction, which can be eliminated by properly locating and guiding the drill head.   Three types of locating equipment for locating the bore head:
  1. the walk-over locating system,
  2. the wire-line locating system and
  3. the gyro guided drilling, where a full inertial navigation system is located close to the drill head.
All three systems have their own merits, and a particular system is chosen depending upon the site requirements.