As pipeline projects become more complex, there is a global need to push the boundaries of trenchless infrastructure installations. With an expanding presence in Australia, Michels is rising to the challenge.
Founded in the Midwestern United States in 1959 as a regional natural gas distribution company, Michels quickly expanded its services to meet the evolving needs of established and new customers. Twenty-six years ago in 1988, the company entered the horizontal directional drilling (HDD) market, offering a safe, environmentally sound way to install utility lines in areas where traditional open-trench construction would not be practical or feasible.
“Keeping with Michels’ spirit of innovation, the trenchless team has grown and advanced with the industry, building a reputation for completing the world’s most challenging and significant installations and for continuing to expand the capabilities of its team and its custom-designed and fabricated equipment,” Michels Trenchless General Manager Bryce Morrow said.
“Michels has completed more than 225 pilot-hole intersect HDD projects and drilled single crossings more than 4700m to become the world’s most experienced direct pipe contractor.”
In 2021, the company established Michels Trenchless, a permanent trenchless operation in Wangaratta, Victoria, Australia, bolstering the Michels family of companies. Michels Trenchless selectively specialises in delivering technically challenging trenchless installations throughout the region.
In Australia, Michels Trenchless is continuing to demonstrate its ability to succeed with technical challenges that expand the potential for trenchless construction. The team has used its skills to maintain directional control and avoid negative environmental impact while completing a 2243m-long borehole with an elevation change of a staggering 650m. By comparison, the classic HDD profile is commonly composed of five sections: a downward tangent, a parabolic arc, a flat tangent, another parabolic arc and an upward tangent ending at the exit point. In most standard HDD profiles, elevations changes of about 50m between entry and exit locations are considered significant.
The Michels Trenchless team continues to complete additional challenging drills on the same remote project in Australia.
During its foundational years in Australia, Michels Trenchless established the leadership, safety and field operation teams needed to deliver trenchless construction throughout Australia and the Asia Pacific region.
In-country teams have direct access to a large, local fleet of specialised equipment integrated with Michels now globally experienced technical experts.
“Michels has responded to the need of expanding the region’s trenchless construction capabilities,” Morrow said.
“Michels has the skills, experience, creativity and confidence needed to plan, review and safely construct technically challenging crossings beyond what has been previously achievable by existing domestic capabilities.”
Success in North America
This is far from the first time Michels has completed HDD projects requiring immense levels of skill and power.
“In 2021, Michels completed a 4702m installation of an NPS-24 steel utility line in North Dakota, the likes of which had not previously been attempted at the 24-inch diameter anywhere,” Morrow said.
That same year, Michels completed a 3540m installation of an NPS-12 steel pipe under a golf course and wetland in Burlington, Ontario, the longest HDD in Canada to date. The alignment followed the right-of-way of an original pipeline, requiring Michels to carefully navigate five horizontal curves along the alignment.
In 2020, Michels completed a 1041m installation of NPS-42 steel pipe under the bow River in Cochrane, Alberta, Canada. A 64.4m height difference between entry and exit side added to the project’s challenges.
Michels has a long history of delivering complex trenchless projects. With a growing footprint in the country, Australian pipeline projects look set to benefit from the company’s expertise.
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This feature also appears in the September edition of The Australian Pipeliner.
