Ace Energy Infrastructure Pvt Ltd accomplished a significant milestone as they successfully installed a 3,600 m pipeline of 24″ diameter across the Subansiri River in Assam.This remarkable achievement was made possible by utilising the intersect method of Horizontal Directional Drilling, positioning it among the largest pipeline installations worldwide using this technique.This was executed for Indradhanush Gas Grid Ltd (a joint venture of oil and gas companies such as Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd, GAIL (India) Ltd, Oil India Ltd, and Numaligarh Refinery Ltd) with MECON Ltd, India Ltd the company stated. Serving as the Project Management Consultant as part of a project to extend the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga (National Natural Gas Grid) to the North Eastern states of India, a project envisioned by the Prime Minister of India and ably steered by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India. Ravneet Singh, Director, Ace Energy Infrastructure said,“This endeavour stands among the largest HDD crossings undertaken globally and is a good demonstration of the engineering talent and competencies that infrastructure companies in India are capable of. Our team of experts tackled several technical and logistical challenges with precision and dedication, resulting in the completion of this complex HDD crossing milestone.”
Tarun Singh, Director, Ace Energy Infrastructure says, “Our experience in executing challenging projects and our dedication to quality will always be critical in delivering a solution that meets the requirements. Together, we have proven that no challenge is insurmountable when we unite our expertise, passion, and determination.”
Ajit Kumar Thakur, CEO, Indradhanush Gas Grid Ltd says, “This is a monumental accomplishment not only for Indradhanush Gas Grid Ltd, MECON Ltd, and Ace Energy Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, but also for the country’s strategic vision of expanding access to cleaner energy use by setting up the natural gas infrastructure to the major demand centres in North East parts of the country.”
Some factors which made it extra special effort apart from the technical challenges in the drilling were:
- Extremely difficult site conditions: Both banks of the river where the equipment was to be mobilised were at an extremely inaccessible location, in North Lakhimpur and Majuli Districts of Assam, with no access to motorable roads. While access to the Majuli side was achieved by the construction of a temporary cofferdam across the Lohit River, which too was washed out due to flash floods in early April in pre-monsoon rains. Access across the river itself was on a rudimentary ferry that could barely accommodate cars. What made the task even more challenging was the narrow weather window when equipment could be mobilised with the entire area being waterlogged between June and October.
- Several months of job planning: A well-planned approach is the key to success. Their detailed planning of methods, equipment, and manpower several months in advance played a crucial role in the successful execution of this highly challenging crossing. Equipment such as tracking and guidance tools, a recycling unit, mud pumps, drill pipe, swivels, and various tooling apart from the HDD rigs with ample redundancy befitting such a major crossing were procured months in advance and had to be mobilised at the remote project site.
- Hard Work and determination: The Ace Energy Infrastructure team worked tirelessly day and night over the past five months, without a single break.
- Perseverance and using setbacks to learn and grow: From a flash flood washing out the only access to the site (the temporary cofferdam) to breakage in drill strings, the team faced adverse situations and continued towards their commitment to excellence.
- Improvising methods using feedback from people on the ground: During the course of the execution of the works, the best-made plans need to be re-looked at and re-engineered in light of the dynamics of the project site. Feedback from experienced personnel at the site proved invaluable. Their firsthand experiences and insights provide crucial guidance for continuous improvement.