Horizontal drilling work. gb operator. Education. HDD operator training

The laying of communications by the method of horizontal directional drilling (HDD) is gaining more and more popularity. At the construction site, such work is carried out by the HDD team, and vacancies in this area of employment help to fully reveal their professional potential. Remuneration corresponding to qualifications, the possibility of professional and career development- factors that attract a large number of candidates for such HDD vacancies as an operator, locator, machinist, engineer, etc.

The presence of secondary specialized education is necessary, since the work of the HDD involves the use of technologies that require knowledge of their proper application.

Requirements for the candidate for the vacancy "HDD Operator"

There should be 3 operators on the construction site, each of which is responsible for different stages of drilling:

the operator of the installation, directing the movement of the blades;
a locator who tracks the passage of the drill using a locating system;
mixing plant operator responsible for the bentonite slurry, which prevents the drill blade from overheating and helps soften the soil.

One of the main roles at the construction site is performed by the HDD operator, the vacancy is accompanied by the following requirements:

Knowledge of horizontal directional drilling technology.
Service skills technical equipment.
Additional requirements may be the ability to weld HDPE pipes and work experience of at least 1 year.

Expensive installations are used for trenchless laying, so their management is impossible without appropriate qualifications. Some firms organize training and accept newcomers to the industry.

Such a step may be explained by the fact that the technical equipment at the enterprises is different, and the models of the drilling rig may require specific knowledge for the competent handling of the equipment. On the territory of Russia, both foreign installations (Vermeer, XCMD, Ditch Witch) and domestic ones (Svyatovit, Enerprom and others) are used.

The operator's responsibilities include Maintenance drilling rigs, preparing equipment and carrying out HDD works (drilling soil, pulling cases), control of the depth and correct direction of the drill.

Given that drilling technology involves employment in a team, employers include loading and unloading the complex, cleaning the construction site and installation work in the list of duties.

In Russia wages, indicated in the advertisements for the vacancy "HDD Operator", may differ by several tens of thousands of rubles. The difference in remuneration is due to the fact that different purposes of drilling (laying a power cable, water pipes or a gas pipeline) involve different amounts of work and the complexity of their implementation.

The size of the rate depends on the region in which the company is located, and on the equipment used by it.

Requirements for the applicant for the vacancy "Locator"

The HDD locator, whose vacancy may also be called "location system operator", must meet the following requirements:

Knowledge of the location system.
Reading project documentation, drawings.
Possession of a category B driver's license.
Welding and installation of HDPE pipes.

His responsibilities include overseeing the entire operation of the plant. The higher the salary, the more requirements are put forward to the applicant. He must lay and control the path of the drilling rig, preventing damage to other communications.

The operator has at his disposal a special location system, which is a probe mounted on the drill head, and a special device that provides synchronization. The device is equipped with a display with control buttons. With the help of a probe, information is recorded about where the drilling line is directed, how many revolutions of the drill head are made and what is the temperature of the HDD installation.

The data obtained by the locator makes it possible to drill a well using minimal time and material costs.

New location systems are designed to spend a minimum amount of time on staff training. This explains why firms open new training centers and are ready to accept newcomers.

An error in calculations or carelessness in locating will lead to losses and call into question the feasibility of using trenchless technology. Therefore, the requirements for the vacancy "Locator" remain high.

Other GNB vacancies

Drilling involves the presence in the brigade of a number of workers. Along with the operators of the drilling and mixing plant and the locator, there are vacancies for a HDD operator, foreman, engineer

The operator is responsible for managing the plant. His responsibilities also include equipment installation, tool repair and maintenance. The area for which he is responsible includes the territory of the construction site, loading and unloading of pipes and components of bentonite mortar.

The vacancy of a master assumes the skills of organizing all types of drilling work, including the commissioning of an object. He must understand the design of installations and locators, the specifics of project documentation, and carry out maintenance and repair of equipment.

The foreman manages the team, maintains reporting documentation and coordinates engineering communications. His job requires team building skills and experience in managing jobs and executing a drilling plan.

An engineer is responsible for designing closed crossings. His responsibilities include:

filming and support of drilling operations for sewer communications, water and gas pipelines, electric cable, etc.;
control of work at the HDD facility;
solution of issues related to the supply of technical equipment and materials;
drawing up as-built documentation for agreement with representatives of organizations operating the facility;
commissioning of ready-made communications.

Careful preparation is required to perform all types of work in the field of HDD. Therefore, without appropriate training, admission to such activities is prohibited.

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 you had to drill "for luck".

Today things are different. In the US and European countries, the horizontal directional drilling market accounts for more than 95% of the entire communications laying market. In Russia, the horizontal directional drilling method is at the stage of development. HDD technology is approved and recommended by Gosstroy of the Russian Federation for the construction of underground utilities. According to 2013 data in Russian Federation the scope of work performed by the horizontal directional drilling method was:

in housing and communal services and construction - 34%,
power industry - 30%,
laying engineering communications - 23%,
laying pipes for the transportation of 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 and 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 the operation of location systems in horizontal directional drilling in order to dispel concerns.

Location systems were created in the late 80s in order to control the drilling process, today they are as convenient as possible for operation, and perform the following functions:

tracking the location and movements of the drill head;
drilling head temperature monitoring;
determination of the required grounding depth of the drill head.

Each location system consists of three key elements:

The probe is a transmitter built into the drill head. It gives signals that the locator receives. The probe captures the position of the drill head in the ground - depth, tilt and rotation angle, as well as its temperature and other parameters.
The receiver is a HDD locator that processes the information coming from the probe, converts it into a readable format, and displays it on the display. The locator 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 the repeater screen, so the information is broadcast for two screens: the operator of the location rig (locator) and the operator of the drilling rig.
Between the locator and the operator of the HDD installation, radio communication is organized using radios. It is the operator of the location unit that gives commands to the HDD operator via radio communication. 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. He also sees all changes in the actual position of the drill head on the repeater screen.

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

The locator operator accompanies the drill head and sees the information on the locator screen. The drilling machine operator sees the same information on a repeater screen. Between the locator and the operator of the HDD installation, radio communication is organized using walkie-talkies. It is the locator who manages 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. In case of deviation of the head from the design direction, the HDD operator changes the trajectory of the drill, bypassing underground obstacles, in order to avoid collision with underground utilities: pipelines - gas, water and oil pipelines, collectors, telephone lines, etc. The operation of drilling a pilot well ends with the exit drill head in the specified location.

With the advent of location systems, the drilling process has become completely controlled and safe. In this article, we talked about the sequence of operation of the location system. We hope that now you can more clearly imagine all the stages of drilling tracking. It should be noted that drilling head tracking when laying communication is not the only geolocation process in HDD practice: thermal imager installations are used at previous stages of HDD operation, for example, at the stage of soil study and geodetic work.

To date, 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 it will appear on the blog!

Almost 50 years ago (60s) was first developed new technology, named gnb. And immediately such work became in demand. Horizontal directional drilling immediately became popular in the United States. The Americans stopped

Open asphalt;
Dismantle railroad tracks;
Change traffic flows to lay communications.

In such conditions, the Americans, and then everyone else, began to use the gnb method. At a construction site where the HDD method is applied, if auxiliaries are excluded, in without fail three specialist operators should work. They must be present at:

mixing plant.

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

As you can see, the HDD operator, who is trained 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 the modern construction complex in professional personnel, many companies have begun to open centers where training of personnel who will work in the field of HDD is carried out.

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

The HDD engineer is obliged to manage the installation, install drilling tools, perform minor repairs and maintain the complex. In addition, in his job responsibilities includes maintenance of the adjacent construction site, as well as loading (unloading) work (for example, pipes, bentonite).

The master of HDD organizes all the necessary work on HDD before the commissioning of the object. He must:

Lead the work of the team;
Understand project documentation;
Coordination of 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 work and directing it.

The HDD engineer is engaged in the design of closed crossings, surveys them and provides support for the construction of crossings under:

Gas pipeline and water supply;
Sewerage;
Electric cable.

This specialist's responsibilities include:

Control of work on objects;
Control of the supply of equipment and the necessary materials;
creation of ID (as-built documentation) and its coordination with operating organizations;
Putting the facility into operation.

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

Horizontal directional drilling was invented over 50 years ago in the USA. Astute American engineers quickly realized that this technology was the future. Gradually, the HDD method began to be applied, with trenchless laying of underground utilities, in different countries Oh. 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 undeniable advantages: it allows to exclude damage to the earth's surface when laying pipes, 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 good specialists in this domain. Professional training of HDD operators, engineers, foremen and machinists has become topical. 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 whole process of horizontal drilling from the inside, not only in theory, but also in practice. And we are happy to share this experience with the students of the center. Practical classes are held at real objects of our customers.

Educational work is carried out under the protection of the International Association of Horizontal Directional Drilling Specialists (IAS HDD) in accordance with the relevant license. For several years of operation of our educational center, more than one thousand HDD operators from different CIS countries have received qualified training. V currently, many specialists who have a diploma training center, carry out labor activity in major Russian and foreign companies.

HDD operator training

The HDD operator is a key specialist in 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, there must be at least three operators: at 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;
ability to troubleshoot the HDD installation.

Internet resources for finding workers are full of ads 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. In our training center, the main emphasis is on the training of HDD operators. Most of the course is based on practice. Future operators gain knowledge right on construction sites, operating real HDD installations (XCMG or Vermeer). Thanks to this, after completing the courses, specialists are ready to immediately begin to perform the duties of a HDD operator. At the moment, many regional recruiting agencies cooperate with us and conclude employment contracts before the end of the educational process.

HDD driver training

The role of the driver also cannot be underestimated, it depends on the serviceability of the HDD installation and other equipment that performs auxiliary functions during drilling operations. In addition, he carries out the installation of all drilling equipment and controls the progress of the preparatory work.

Our center provides training in this specialty. Future machinists get everything necessary knowledge for the quality performance of their duties. They undergo a long practice with experienced machinists of our company, they can be directly involved in drilling at 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 engineering communications and the construction of underground passages. He does everything necessary calculations, draws up as-built documentation, develops and agrees on a drilling project. He is also responsible for the commissioning of the facility. Training HDD engineers in our center is somewhat different from other courses, as there are many nuances and features.

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 serious weight in this industry.

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