5 AUGUST 2026 E-News Flash by WorldWide Drilling Resource by WorldWide Drilling Resource® A Clay-and-Water Mixture Adapted from Information by Enbridge As the 41-mile Line 5 Wisconsin Segment Relocation Project moves forward, some of the most crucial operations are taking place dozens of feet below rivers, streams, wetlands, and roadways. This method, known as horizontal directional drilling (HDD), is a specialized technique used globally to install pipelines below sensitive environmental areas without the need for open trenches. A common question asked is what exact materials are used in HDD construction. The answer is quite simple. The drilling process relies on a mixture predominantly comprising around 96% water and 4% bentonite clay. “People hear the term “drilling mud” and sometimes imagine something complicated,” said Christopher Pope, Manager of Mainline Construction for Enbridge’s Line 5 Wisconsin Segment Relocation Project. “In reality, the primary ingredients are water and bentonite clay - materials that have been used safely in drilling applications for decades, including the construction of drinking water wells.” Bentonite is a natural, nontoxic clay originating from weathered volcanic ash. During the drilling operation, this clay-water mixture is pumped through the drilling line and circulated back to the surface. This fluid serves multiple purposes: it lubricates and cools the drill bit, stabilizes the underground borehole, transports soil, and diminishes friction as the pipeline is inserted. In most HDD projects, the bentonite-water mixture is sufficient on its own. In instances where specific site conditions require enhanced drilling capabilities, only additives approved by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) may be utilized. “Environmental protection is built into every aspect of this work,” said Pope. “The DNR permit for the project requires that any additives must meet Wisconsin’s regulatory requirements. If an additive is needed, that additive has already been approved by DNR for HDD use.” HDD avoids surface disruption by drilling a pilot hole deep beneath these features and subsequently pulling the pipeline through the completed borehole. This technique offers numerous environmental advantages, including: • Reduced disturbance to aquatic habitats • Protection of riverbeds and streambanks • Minimized impact on water quality • Less disruption to wetlands and vegetation • Decreased risks of erosion and sedimentation For the communities along the Line 5 route, HDD represents one of the most carefully engineered aspects of the project. The drilling process is continuously overseen by experienced professionals. In the event of pressure drop, drilling is halted until corrective measures are completed. Should there be a release of the clay-water mixture, Enbridge follows DNR-approved response plans to minimize the impact and has equipment positioned nearby for quick respond cleanup efforts. Hobbs: Singular Oil Find in New Mexico Adapted from Information by Adapted from Information by the American Oil & Gas Historical Society Although it was discovered six years after the first oil production well, the Hobbs discovery was soon called by petroleum geologists the most important single oil find in New Mexico’s history. The Midwest State’s No. 1 well, which was spudded in late 1927 using a standard cable tool rig, revealed first signs of oil from the giant oilfield at a depth of 4065 feet on June 13, 1928. Geologists noted that finding commercial amounts of oil in southeastern New Mexico was difficult to predict because the land was flat. This was unlike West Texas with its surface formations giving oilmen clues where underground formations with oil might be. The flat, level land in Lea County, New Mexico, gave no hints what might lie underneath. Because oilmen had to make guesses about where to explore, it was expensive in these vast and remote locations. Just by the end of 1928, between $15 million and $18 million was spent for exploration, leases, and tests in the county. Because of oil discoveries in Winkler County, Texas, exploration for oil moved north into southwestern New Mexico. The Midwest Refining Company, later becoming Amoco, drilled the Hobbs discovery well in a remote farming pasture. Drilling this well was not easy. Using the cable tool rig proved to be a challenge from the start. At a depth of 1500 feet, disaster struck when exhaust from the Franklin 85 engine ignited the engine house with fire and quickly consumed the wooden derrick. After this, a steel derrick was set up while the engine was rebuilt by local mechanics, and cable tools were fished from the hole. After the first signs of oil came at 4065 feet, the well was drilled to 4330 feet to increase production. Finally completed in November 1928, it produced 700 barrels of oil per day on state land leased by the Will Terry Hobbs Cont’d on page 6.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDk4Mzk=