Best of Both Worlds: Gyro for ParaTrack

In landmark news for the Australian HDD industry, Ve ctor Magnetics’ game changing ParaTrack Gyro Module (PGM) has now been released in Australia. Available for hire via select local steering specialists, the add-on gyro module solves the issue of magnetic interference, providing unparalleled verification for centimetre-accurate steering and opening up opportunities for HDD design that would have been an impossibility in the past.

Pros and cons

ParaTrack magnetic steering tools are a stalwart of the Australian HDD landscape. Utilised for steering, surveying, tracking, and pressure monitoring on countless HDD projects over the past decades, the tools have earned a dedicated following.

However, being that the tools rely on use of magnetic sensors, magnetic interference – from sources such as steel pipes, rail lines, and occasionally even magnetic geological formations – can impact HDD projects.

On the other hand, gyro surveying tools – available from various international providers – are immune to magnetic interference, but bottom hole assembly options are limited and involve additional steering requirements.

But in a major coup for the industry, the new PGM provides the best of both worlds. The PGM can be added to any existing ParaTrack magnetic tool, forming a magnetic and gyro tool in a single bottom hole assembly.

This means that when magnetic interference is experienced – or for extended intervals where surface tracking is not possible – the PGM comes into action, providing verification and correction of magnetic tracking via its fibre-optic north-seeking gyro system. In other words, the two tools, fully integrated into the one assembly, operate in tandem to provide the best solution for the individual conditions as they are encountered.

Design opportunities

Survey and tracking ability is a significant consideration on HDD projects. In some instances, ability to accurately survey and track progress influences key aspects of design, such as entry and exit orientation or location. Occasionally, a methodology can even be abandoned or not considered in the first place due to conditions making survey and tracking impossible, such as pipeline designs under multiple parallel rail lines with a significant change in azimuth along the alignment.

However, with access to the new PGM, major options that would have been difficult or impossible due to survey limitations are now a possibility. Where before we would have to amend a design to fit survey and tracking abilities, the new PGM provides additional options. It’s an exciting premise for HDD designers.

Gyro for ParaTrack: first time in Australia

The PGM has been available to HDD providers internationally and has been used with success on projects such as the Raritan River crossing, a fibre-optic installation in New Jersey, USA. However, with recent acquisition by local steering specialists, the PGM is only now available for the first time in Australia. Given the opportunities that the product presents, we’re expecting a rapid take-up – especially since it integrates with existing ParaTrack tools and RivCross software, allowing for a straightforward adoption of the PGM by existing ParaTrack users.

Defining moment

This product represents a landmark point in steering in the HDD industry, combining two vital technologies into a single, straightforward solution. It’s an exciting development, and we’re eager to see how the PGM is taken up and used in Australian HDD projects. We’re also excited for the opportunities that the PGM provides to HDD designers. By providing extended survey and tracking abilities, where before the inclusion of horizontal radii would be limited due potential magnetic interference, the PGM could provide the ability to greatly increase the alignment options along a bore hole path. This is what makes this tool really significant: it doesn’t just provide the ability to improve steering on projects – it also opens up new possibilities for methodologies that could not be utilised due to the inability to survey and track under areas impacted by magnetic interference or where surface access is limited. In this way, the new PGM may not only improve survey and steering ability, but it may also have the power to influence the improvement of HDD methodology and the industry overall.