GNB training. How GNB locating systems work Horizontal drilling work

Horizontal directional drilling was invented over 50 years ago in the United States. Astute American engineers quickly realized that this technology was the future. Gradually, the HDD method began to be applied in different countries for trenchless laying of underground utilities. USA, Europe, Canada, China, and only in the last decade this method has become widespread in Russia. There is a simple explanation for this, this technology has a number of indisputable advantages: it allows you to exclude damage to the earth's surface when laying pipes, to increase the speed of work and reduce costs. However, with the growing popularity of the method in our country, a serious problem arose - a sharp shortage of good specialists in this field. Professional training of HDD operators, engineers, foremen and machinists has become relevant. However, there are very few places where qualified training of such personnel is carried out.

HDD training services

Our company "CDM" has been successfully operating in the Russian drilling market since 2005. We were one of the first to start using HDD technology when laying pipelines in Russia. Soon the company opened a unique training center for training HDD specialists. Our main advantage is that we know the entire process of horizontal drilling from the inside, not only in theory, but also in practice. And we are happy to pass this experience on to the students of the center. Practical training takes place at real facilities of our customers.

The training work is carried out under the protectorate of the International Association of Horizontal Directional Drilling Specialists (IAS HDD) according to the relevant license. For several years of work of our educational center, more than one thousand HDD operators from different CIS countries have passed qualified training. At the moment, many specialists who have a diploma from a training center carry out labor activities in major Russian and foreign companies.

HDD operator training

The HDD operator is the key specialist when performing horizontal drilling. The quality of the end result of drilling largely depends on the experience and qualifications of the operator. At the construction site, during the HDD execution, at least three operators must be present: on the drilling rig, the locator and the mixing system.

The operator is the main link in drilling, he has a number of important responsibilities:

  • control over the technological process of horizontal directional drilling;
  • calculation of the optimal trajectory of the drill head;
  • correct setting of the frequency of the geolocation system;
  • determination of drilling depth;
  • the ability to troubleshoot the HDD installation.

The Internet resources for the search for workers are overflowing with advertisements for the search for HDD operators. Such work is well paid (the average salary is 60-70 thousand rubles). A qualified operator is currently worth its weight in gold. Our training center focuses on the training of HDD operators. Most of the course is practical. Future operators gain knowledge directly on site by operating real HDD rigs (XCMG or Vermeer). Thanks to this, after completing the courses, the specialists are ready to immediately start performing the duties of a HDD operator. At the moment, many regional recruiting agencies cooperate with us and conclude employment contracts with students, even before the end of the educational process.

HDD driver training

The role of the driver should not be underestimated either, he depends on the serviceability of the HDD unit and other equipment that performs auxiliary functions during drilling operations. In addition, he carries out the installation of all drilling equipment and monitors the progress of the preparatory work.

Our center provides training in this specialty. Future machinists receive all the necessary knowledge for the quality performance of their duties. They undergo long-term practice with experienced machinists of our company, can directly participate in drilling on real construction sites.

HDD Engineer Training

The engineer is the brain of the workflow. On his shoulders lies the design of horizontal drilling for the laying of utilities and the construction of underground passages. He carries out all the necessary calculations, prepares as-built documentation, develops and coordinates the drilling project. He is also responsible for the commissioning of the facility. The training of HDD engineers in our center is somewhat different from other courses, since there are many nuances and features here.

At the end of the training and according to the results of passing the final exams, all students receive the appropriate diplomas. It is worth saying that the diplomas of our training center have a serious weight in this industry.

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Almost 50 years ago (60s) a new technology called GNB was first developed. And immediately such work became in demand. Horizontal directional drilling quickly became popular in the United States. Americans have stopped:

  • Open up asphalt;
  • Disassemble rail tracks;
  • Change traffic flows in order to lay communications.

In such conditions, the Americans, and then everyone else, began to use the GNS method. On a construction site where the GNS method is used, if ancillary workers are excluded, three specialist operators must work without fail. They must attend:

  • Mixing plant.

The technology of the method consists of three stages, each of which requires the GNB operator. All data on the operation of the well is displayed on the monitor of the employee, whose work is performed on the GNB unit. Thanks to this information, the operator is able to follow the drill and precisely control its operation, setting the drilling depth and the correct direction.

As you can see, the GND operator, whose training is carried out in various specialized training centers, is an important link when using the horizontal drilling method.

Taking into account the need (it is constantly growing) of a modern building complex for professional personnel, many companies have begun to open centers where personnel who will work in the field of HDD are trained.

Perhaps the best center is located in the city of Kazan. For many years now, specialists from GNS complexes representing different regions of the Russian Federation (there are even representatives of foreign countries) have been gathering here to improve their qualifications. And training is carried out by the International Association of Specialists (IAS) GNB.

The GNB driver is obliged to manage the installation, install the drilling tool, carry out minor repairs and maintain the complex. In addition, his duties include the maintenance of the adjacent construction site, as well as loading (unloading) work (for example, pipes, bentonite).

The GNB master organizes all the necessary HDD work prior to the commissioning of the object. He must:

  • Supervise the work of the brigade;
  • Understand project documentation;
  • Coordinate engineering communications;
  • Maintain reporting documentation.

A specialist performing the duties of a foreman must know drilling rigs, understand the repair of equipment and its maintenance, and be able to work with location equipment. In short, he must have practical skills in organizing and managing work.

The GNB engineer is engaged in the design of closed passages, performs their surveys and provides support for the construction of passages for:

  • Gas pipeline and water supply;
  • Sewerage;
  • Electric cable.

The duties of this specialist include:

  • Control of work at the facilities;
  • Control over the supply of equipment and necessary materials;
  • creation of ID (executive documentation) and its coordination with operating organizations;
  • Commissioning of the object.

As you can see, to become a really cool specialist, you need hb training.

In the last article, we talked about the history of the HDD method and mentioned that in the early 80s, when the method was just beginning to develop, there were no location tracking systems, and we had to drill “for luck”.

Things are different today. In the USA and European countries, the volume of the horizontal directional drilling market is more than 95% of the entire communications market. In Russia, the method of horizontal directional drilling is at the stage of development. The HDD technology is approved and recommended by the State Construction Committee of the Russian Federation for the construction of underground utilities. According to 2013 data in the Russian Federation, the volume of work performed by the horizontal directional drilling method was:

  • in housing and communal services and construction - 34%,
  • electric power industry - 30%,
  • laying of engineering communications - 23%,
  • laying pipes for transporting oil and gas - 18%,
  • other use - 5%.

No horizontal drilling rig is complete without an accurate location system that allows you to track the drilling process "from" to "to". However, some customers still have concerns about the reliability of the method, since there is no direct eye contact with the drilling equipment in the ground. In this article, we will describe the algorithm for locating systems in horizontal directional drilling to allay concerns.

Locating systems were created in the late 1980s to control the drilling process; today they are most convenient for operation, and perform the following functions:

  • tracking the location and movement of the drill head;
  • monitoring the temperature regime of the drill head;
  • determination of the required grounding depth of the drill head.

Each locating system consists of three key elements:

  1. The probe is a transmitter built into the drill head. It gives signals that the locator receives. The probe records the position of the drill head in the ground - depth, tilt angle and angle of rotation, as well as its temperature and other parameters.
  2. The receiver - the HDD locator, processes the information coming from the probe, converts it into a readable format, and displays it on the display. The locating unit operator (locator) accompanies the drill head all the way and sees the information on the locator screen. The operator of the drilling machine sees the same information on a repeater screen, thus the information is broadcast for two screens: the operator of the locating unit (locator) and the operator of the drilling rig.
  3. Radio communication is organized between the locator and the HDD operator. It is the operator of the location installation by radio communication that gives commands to the HDD operator. The HDD operator, in turn, executes his commands and corrects the movement of the drilling tool, the angle of inclination and the angle of rotation, if necessary. It also sees any changes in the actual position of the drill head on a follow-up screen.

Thus, the probe installed in the drill head transmits information about its location, and also records the depth, tilt and angle of rotation, temperature and other parameters. The signal is received by the ground locator, after which the information is converted into a readable format and transmitted to two displays: the display of the receiver and the repeater screen.


The locating unit operator accompanies the drill head and sees the information on the locator screen. The drill operator sees the same information on a follow-up screen. Radio communication is organized between the locator and the operator of the HDD installation using walkie-talkies. It is the locator who guides the process, he gives commands to the HDD operator about what actions he should perform (at what angle to turn the drill head, drill with rotation or crush the rods, etc.) He promptly corrects the direction of the drill head according to the instructions. If the head deviates from the design direction, the HDD operator changes the drill trajectory, bypassing underground obstacles, in order to avoid collisions with underground utilities: gas, water and oil pipelines, collectors, telephone lines, etc. drill head in the specified location.

With the advent of Locating Systems, the drilling process has become completely controllable and safe. In this article, we talked about the sequence of operation of the location system. Hopefully, you can now more clearly imagine all the stages of drilling tracking. Note that tracking the drill head when laying communications is not the only geolocation process in HDD practice: thermal imager installations are used at the previous stages of HDD operation, for example, at the stage of soil study and geodetic works.

Today, there are at least a dozen location systems of different companies for HDD, each of them has both advantages and disadvantages. If you want to see an article in which we compare receiver devices, leave a request in the comments on Google+ and she will appear on the blog!

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