Best practices for HDD Reaming in rock structures

Published — 2022-03-25

We have put together the best practices for HDD (horizontal directional drilling) reaming in rock structures.

Follow the manufacturer guidelines relating to push/pull forces, revolutions per minute (RPM) and fluid volume
Ease the reamer into cutting and allow it to cut its own pattern for 3 to 5 feet before increasing pull forces, particularly when there is a transition from soft rock to hard rock.
Allow a new reamer to cut its own pattern when replacing a used reamer
Use the rule of thumb that the harder the rock, pull forces need to be higher and RPM needs to be lower
When reaming in rock, use higher fluid volume to better cool the reamer and remove cuttings
Centralize each reaming pass with in general between 1.5” and 2.0” smaller diameter than the previous pass.
Track reamer life by calculating cone revolutions as opposed to drilling hours.