Pipeline Installation in a Confined Location Under the Bow River by Horizontal Directional Drilling

In the summer of 2000, TransCanada PipeLines Ltd. (TransCanada) upgraded portions of the Western Alberta System (WAS) NPS 36 gas pipeline through the town of Cochrane Alberta. The pipeline upgrade required the installation of new sections of pipe to meet the higher Class Location designation due to population density increase. Environmental concerns, expressed by federal and provincial regulators and the Cochrane community for the in-stream disturbance associated with a conventional “open cutting” installation, prompted TransCanada to design a directionally drilled crossing. A unique challenge to this project was the Bow River crossing within a congested and restricted right of way. The project team developed and implemented a series of innovative solutions which led to the successful conclusion of the project in September 2000. This paper summarizes the unique design and construction implemented in this project.