Crossing from Sea to Land

For a 2,940-meter-long, 80-meter-deep

Subsea Natural Gas Pipeline

Clearing the "Roadblocks"

Adopting Dual-Rig Intersection and Synchronous Reaming Technology

 XCMG XZ5060 Horizontal Directional Drill 

Sets Another Local Record for the Longest Crossing

Overseas Journey, Setting Records Again

Recently, the XCMG XZ5060 horizontal directional drill appeared overseas, working in conjunction with the XZ2860 to assist in a subsea natural gas pipeline laying project.

The project set a horizontal directional drilling intersection record with a length of 2,940 meters and a depth of 80 meters, completing another major achievement in infrastructure construction in a Belt and Road Initiative country!

Prior to this, as XCMG's super-large-tonnage directional drill, the XCMG XZ5060 had set the farthest crossing distance at 2,630 meters in a large-scale crossing project on the Wuyuer River.

Subsea Construction, Considerable Difficulty

The project involved a D762mm natural gas pipeline, and a 6-inch optical cable conduit was also laid.

The strata in the crossing area consist of expansive clay and silty sand, which are prone to hole shrinkage and bit sticking during construction; the seawater has a high salt content, making bentonite slurry preparation difficult, and the mud's cuttings-carrying and wall-protection performance is extremely poor, escalating the difficulty of long-distance guided crossing and pullback reaming on the seabed.

In response to the engineering challenges, XCMG technical personnel adjusted the construction plan, adopting dual-rig intersection technology and a dual-rig reaming construction process. From equipment entry, positioning, and commissioning to drill operator training and construction methods, they provided overseas customers with a complete set of solutions, ensuring the project was completed with high quality and efficiency.

XZ5060 + XZ2860, Dual-Rig Synchronization

The XCMG XZ5060 horizontal directional drill is a large-tonnage horizontal directional drill independently developed by XCMG Foundation to meet customer needs.

It features fast rotation speed, high torque, and strong push-pull force, with a maximum rotary torque of 16,000 N·m and a maximum push-pull force of up to 5,300 kN, making it suitable for large-diameter, long-distance crossing conditions.

In this intersection process, XCMG's proprietary dual-rig synchronous reaming technology was adopted:XCMG XZ5060 served as the main rig, performing "pullback and reaming" on one side, while the XZ2860 rig, on the exit side, carried out follow-up operations except for reverse rotation... The dual-rig collaborative operation increased construction torque while shortening construction time, ensuring smooth traffic across the strait.

In this project

the XCMG XZ5060 horizontal directional drill perfectly overcame

the long-distance crossing challenge

With its strength and performance

speaking for domestic equipment

and winning recognition from overseas customers!