NZ799105B2 - Sonic-powered methods for horizontal directional drilling - Google Patents
Sonic-powered methods for horizontal directional drilling Download PDFInfo
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- NZ799105B2 NZ799105B2 NZ799105A NZ79910521A NZ799105B2 NZ 799105 B2 NZ799105 B2 NZ 799105B2 NZ 799105 A NZ799105 A NZ 799105A NZ 79910521 A NZ79910521 A NZ 79910521A NZ 799105 B2 NZ799105 B2 NZ 799105B2
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- Prior art keywords
- sonic
- sonic drill
- drill
- drill bit
- drilling
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Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B7/00—Special methods or apparatus for drilling
- E21B7/04—Directional drilling
- E21B7/046—Directional drilling horizontal drilling
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B7/00—Special methods or apparatus for drilling
- E21B7/20—Driving or forcing casings or pipes into boreholes, e.g. sinking; Simultaneously drilling and casing boreholes
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B7/00—Special methods or apparatus for drilling
- E21B7/24—Drilling using vibrating or oscillating means, e.g. out-of-balance masses
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B7/00—Special methods or apparatus for drilling
- E21B7/28—Enlarging drilled holes, e.g. by counterboring
- E21B7/30—Enlarging drilled holes, e.g. by counterboring without earth removal
Abstract
any type of drilling or boring operation, including horizontal directional drilling (HDD), different geological formations and conditions can be encountered underground that need to be bored through to make the desired hole or path. Especially in regions where the geological formations change along the desired path to be cut, conventional HDD machines and processes can struggle to efficiently complete the drilling and installation. Furthermore, the sourcing and handling (including disposal) of drilling fluids in the HDD process can be problematic, especially when utility line installation is taking place in developed areas such as built residential developments. Such problems have led to the older conventional trench-digging methods to be used in these circumstances, leading to more disruption and problems. In accordance with the present disclosure, a sonic-powered method is provided for horizontal directional drilling. The method includes positioning a drilling apparatus (40) at one end of a desired path for a generally horizontal bore to be formed, and attaching a drill bit (46) and atleast one drill rod (48) to a drill head (42). The method also includes advancing the drill bit (46) and the drill rod(s) (48) into and through the ground along the desired path by advancing the drill head (42) to move along the drill mast (44). A sonic oscillator of the apparatus (40) applies sonic energy in the form of high frequency vibrations to the drill rod(s) (48) and the drill bit (46) to cause the drill bit (46) to penetrate through an underground formation (56, 58, 60) in front of the drill bit (46) along the desired path. The sonic vibrations help efficiently penetrate through different materials in underground formations (56, 58, 60). The drilling apparatus (40) uses the drill head which is operatively engaged with the sonic oscillator to alternate between advancing the drill rod(s) (48) and then the drill casing(s) (49) by applying sonic energy independently and separately to either the drill rod(s) or casing(s) such that the majority of the bore (50) is stabilized and cased behind the drill bit (46) during the horizontal directional drilling.
Description
In any type of drilling or boring operation, including ntal directional drilling (HDD), different
ical formations and conditions can be encountered underground that need to be bored
through to make the desired hole or path. Especially in regions where the geological formations
change along the desired path to be cut, tional HDD machines and processes can struggle
to efficiently te the drilling and installation. Furthermore, the sourcing and handling
(including disposal) of drilling fluids in the HDD process can be problematic, especially when
utility line installation is taking place in developed areas such as built residential developments.
Such problems have led to the older conventional trench-digging methods to be used in these
circumstances, leading to more disruption and problems. In accordance with the present
disclosure, a powered method is ed for horizontal directional drilling. The method
includes positioning a drilling apparatus (40) at one end of a d path for a generally horizontal
bore to be formed, and attaching a drill bit (46) and atleast one drill rod (48) to a drill head (42).
The method also includes advancing the drill bit (46) and the drill rod(s) (48) into and through the
ground along the desired path by advancing the drill head (42) to move along the drill mast (44). A
sonic oscillator of the apparatus (40) applies sonic energy in the form of high frequency ions
to the drill rod(s) (48) and the drill bit (46) to cause the drill bit (46) to ate through an
underground formation (56, 58, 60) in front of the drill bit (46) along the d path. The sonic
vibrations help efficiently penetrate through different materials in underground formations (56,
58, 60). The drilling apparatus (40) uses the drill head which is operatively engaged with the sonic
oscillator to alternate between advancing the drill rod(s) (48) and then the drill casing(s) (49) by
applying sonic energy independently and separately to either the drill rod(s) or casing(s) such that
the majority of the bore (50) is stabilized and cased behind the drill bit (46) during the horizontal
directional drilling.
799105 B2
SONIC-POWERED METHODS FOR HORIZONTAL DIRECTIONAL DRILLING
Cross-Reference to Related Application
This application claims priority to US Provisional Patent Application No.
63/104,231, filed October 22, 2021. The above-mentioned patent application is incorporated
herein by reference in its entirety.
Technical Field
The invention relates generally to underground boring and drilling
applications, and more particularly, to methods using sonic energy to enhance capabilities of
horizontal directional drilling technology.
Background
y lines for various services such as water, electricity, gas, internet,
communications and the like are often run underground for reasons of safety and aesthetics.
One tional method for providing such underground utility lines is by digging a trench
and laying the lines into the opened trench, which is then back-filled following the
installation. It is not always possible or desirable to install utility lines in this manner using
es; as such uction methods have various disadvantages. For example, digging a
trench can cause serious disturbance to existing structures or roadways, while also running
risks of damage to pre-existing underground utility lines in the same area. During the
lation work, the open trench poses a danger of injury to workers and others moving past
the worksite.
Thus, an alternative technique of ling underground utility lines using
horizontal directional drilling (HDD) has become a preferred alternative to trench-based
installation operations in modern times. HDD, which is also known by other terms such as
micro-tunneling, trenchless boring, and horizontal directional boring, lly involves first
drilling a pilot bore into the ground at an acute/oblique angle with respect to the ground
surface using a HDD machine, the pilot bore drilling generally ing circulation of
drilling ?uid (water/mud) to remove cuttings and allow for borehole advancement. The
boring tool making the pilot bore is d in on and depth so that when the boring tool
reaches the desired depth under the ground surface, the boring tool is then advanced
horizontally along the desired path for the round utility lines. At the end of the d
path, the boring tool is typically turned to move upwardly and then advanced until it breaks
back through the ground surface. One or more reamers can be attached to and pulled by the
drill string back h the pilot bore
to make the le have a larger diameter, and a utility line or conduit can also be pulled
through the borehole as a part of this process. The HDD results in underground utility line(s)
being installed without necessitating trench digging, which can be particularly useful when
such line(s) are to be installed under areas where trench digging is not possible or desirable,
including under rivers, railways, major highways, environmentally sensitive areas, and urban
environments, for example.
With reference to the schematic ”Prior Art” overviews shown in FIGS. 1 and
2A-2C, a standard HDD process with a standard HDD drilling apparatus 10 typically begins
with drilling a pilot bore 12 along a desired round path. This is shown in FIGS. 1 and
2A, in this schematic example, the installed drill string 14 being shown behind the drill bit
16. Although these views show the bore path and pilot bore traversing a horizontal ce
underneath a body of water, it will be tood that the bore path may be modified to
traverse under or along er surface topology is present and needs to be worked around.
The pilot bore is lly thereafter enlarged to a desired diameter and the walls thereof are
conditioned as needed by g a larger cutting tool 18, sometimes termed a ”reamer” or
”back ,” back through the pilot bore. This step is shown in . Multiple reamers
of increasing size can be pulled back through the pilot bore to further enlarge and condition
the bore hole. Additionally, the product 20 (shown as a pipe 20 in ) may then be
installed in the enlarged hole by way of being pulled behind a reamer, swabber, or the like as
the drill string is retracted from the reamed bore. It is well understood that the accuracy of
the resulting bore relative to the predetermined path directly relates to the accuracy of the
initially drilled pilot bore. As a result, downhole nt ng beacons referred to as a
”sonde” or alternative tracking devices are typically used to track the progress of the drill bit
to help an HDD rig operator properly guide the pilot bore to be along the desired path. The
d path may involve one or more turns along the length, e.g., bore holes are not
necessarily always in a straight line path during the HDD process.
In a standard HDD operation, the drill bit of an HDD drill string engages with
the substrate or underground formation to be bored and works to erode the substrate at the
point of engagement during a boring process. One or more t port(s) of the drill bit
may be configured to expel a ?uid, referred to as a drilling ?uid, such that any eroded
ate at the point of engagement is cleared away from the drill bit assembly. Drilling
?uid may be compressed air, a viscous liquid mixture of water and bentonite or polymer
(”drilling mud”), or any other similar combination known to a person having ordinary skill in
the art. During a boring process, the drilling ?uid is typically continuously pumped to the
drill bit and expelled from ports in the drill bit. The drilling ?uid may be useful for holding
eroded substrate particles in sion and lubricating the bored channel for the drill string
and/or the pulled product. Advantageously, these properties of the drilling ?uid help stabilize
the channel walls, cool the common drill bit, alleviate the pressure on the common drill bit
and t a building-up of substrate particles at the common drill bit during the boring
process. For example, a drilling mud helps keep the bore path open by building a sidewall
cake and pressurizing the borehole with high viscosity ?uids.
To this end, the use of a drilling ?uid in this manner helps prevent the drill bit
assembly from becoming clogged, which can restrict any necessary freedom of nt
between the component parts. This also facilitates the circulation of the drilling ?uid in the
pilot bore, which is also lly used to cool the moving parts of the drill string. In such
embodiments, the drilling ?uid also tates the removal of previously eroded substrate
from the channel along the drill string as the percussion boring process continues. It will be
readily understood that this process consumes a significant amount of water/drilling ?uid,
especially for longer bore hole paths, and the handling, containment, recycling, and disposal
of used drilling ?uid fouled with the drill cuttings and other ves is a technical problem
that must be addressed on every job site. For example, it is often necessary to use a large and
complex solids treatment device or water recycling system 22 (or a separate set of holding
tanks, ?uid pumps, and mud separators) to allow for cleaning and potential recirculation of
the water removed from the bore hole, in ction with the HDD rig and drilling
equipment 10 (even though such ts are only schematically shown in ”black box” form
in the standard overview for simplicity). In addition, as shown at least in pits
24 typically need to be dug into the ground around the entry site to allow for collection and
temporary retention of returned drilling ?uids 26 from the bore hole. As set forth in detail
below, the use of drilling ?uid also tes a risk of ”frac outs” in which the drilling ?uids
are expelled at the ground surface at a location not desired (e.g., between the entry and exit
points), thereby creating potential safety and environmental contamination concerns. Two
such examples of ”frac outs” are shown in , for example, with the drilling ?uid
expelled into and fouling either the river at reference 28 or the ground surface at reference 30.
Nevertheless, the various beneficial functions achieved by using the drilling ?uid (including
bore hole stability) have long ted HDD operators from tioning to more ”dry”
drilling ques when conducting HDD.
One exemplary downhole drill bit arrangement that may be conventionally
used with HDD equipment and processes is now described. This drill bit arrangement uses a
basic percussive cycle of hammering to advance the bore hole in HDD operation. The drill
bit may be slidably engaged with a hammer via a chuck and spline. Air or hydraulic pressure
is delivered to a piston and cylinder arrangement to cyclically drive the piston into repeated
engagement with an impact surface on the drill bit. This percussive low frequency
hammering action advances the drill bit, which may e cutting blades or carbide bits
along leading edges thereof, into the material to be bored through while the drill string and
drill bit is d. This process repeats continually to cause breakage and penetration
h the underground formation in front of the drill bit, thereby advancing the bore hole as
desired. It will be understood that the use of drilling ?uid in such HDD ions can be
ary for the various functions noted above.
In any type of drilling or boring operation, including the aforementioned
HDD, different geological formations and conditions can be encountered underground that
need to be bored through to make the desired hole or path, in this case for the utility lines.
Such ent underground formations are shown by differing cross-hatchings in the ground
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2A-2C. ally in regions where the geological ions change
along the desired path to be cut, conventional HDD machines and processes can struggle to
efficiently complete the drilling and installation. rmore, the sourcing and handling
(including disposal) of drilling ?uids in the HDD process can be problematic, especially
when y line installation is taking place in developed areas such as built residential
developments. Such problems have mes led to the older conventional trench-digging
methods to be used in these circumstances, leading to more disruption and ms as set
forth above.
It would therefore be desirable to provide improved s of making HDD
applications reliable and efficient regardless of the underground geological formations
present, to address the various deficiencies and technical problems with conventional HDD
designs and methods as outlined above.
Summary
In order to address the various deficiencies noted above with tional
designs and methods, a sonic-powered method for horizontal directional drilling is ed
in accordance with the embodiments of this invention. The method includes positioning a
drilling apparatus proximate to an entry site at one end of a desired path for a generally
horizontal bore to be formed. The drilling apparatus includes a drill head ly mounted
on a drill mast and a sonic oscillator operatively d with the drill head. A sonic drill bit
and a sonic drill rod are attached to the drill head, and then the sonic drill bit and the sonic
drill rod are advanced into and through the ground along the desired path by advancing the
drill head to move along the drill mast. The sonic oscillator applies sonic energy in the form
of high frequency vibrations to the sonic drill rod and the sonic drill bit to cause the sonic
drill bit to ate through an underground formation in front of the sonic drill bit along the
desired path. Then, the method includes attaching further sonic drill rods to the drill head and
to previously-advances sonic drill rods, and repeating the advancing of the drill head to
continue forming a generally horizontal bore by horizontal directional ng (HDD) along
the desired path until the sonic drill bit emerges at an exit site at an opposite end of the
desired path. The generally horizontal bore that is formed defines a pilot bore for installing a
line or conduit along the desired path. By using sonic drilling with HDD, drilling speed and
efficiency is increased, and environmental and personnel safety is improved, while also
eliminating some of the equipment that must normally be used with conventional HDD
applications.
In one embodiment, the ing of the sonic drill bit and the sonic drill rods
into and through the ground is performed without a continuous circulation of a drilling ?uid
to the sonic drill bit and along the pilot bore. More specifically, the advancing of the sonic
drill bit and the sonic drill rods into and through the ground can be accomplished in some
embodiments without circulating any drilling ?uid to the sonic drill bit or along the pilot
bore. As a result, no ?uid collection trench or water recycling equipment needs to be
provided at the entry site and at the exit site.
In another embodiment, the desired path for the pilot bore s through at
least two different underground formations defined by differing materials to drill through.
The advancing of the sonic drill bit and the sonic drill rods into and through the ground then
includes using the same sonic drill bit to penetrate through each of the differing materials in
the at least two ent underground ions. A single set of drilling equipment
including the same sonic drill bit and a single set of drilling operation parameters may then be
used for penetrating the pilot bore through each of the at least two ent underground
formations.
In a further embodiment, one of the ent round ions is
defined by sand material. In such a scenario, advancing the sonic drill bit and the sonic drill
rods is done by suspending sand grains of the sand material in space using transmission of
sonic vibrations from the sonic drill bit and the sonic drill rods into the sand material. This
suspension of the sand grains generates a low friction environment for the sonic drill bit to
advance through the sand material.
In yet another embodiment, one of the different underground formations is
defined by clay material. In such a circumstance, advancing the sonic drill bit and the sonic
drill rods is done by shearing the clay al surrounding the sonic drill bit and the sonic
drill rods with transmission of sonic vibrations from the sonic drill bit and the sonic drill rods
into the clay material. This shearing of clay material reduces friction against forward
movements of the sonic drill bit and the sonic drill rods.
In another embodiment, one of the different round formations is
defined by rock material. In that case, advancing the sonic drill bit and the sonic drill rods is
done by percussively fracturing the rock material by applying sonic vibrations to the sonic
drill bit to cause repeated impacts of the sonic drill bit into the rock al, thereby
removing the rock material in front of the sonic drill bit and reducing friction against forward
nts of the sonic drill bit and the sonic drill rods.
In one embodiment, the method also includes attaching a sonic drill casing to
the drill head, the sonic drill casing being larger in diameter than the sonic drill bit and sonic
drill rods. The sonic drill casing is advanced into and through the ground so that the sonic
drill casing surrounds the sonic drill rods and the pilot bore as the sonic drill casing is
installed. The sonic oscillator s sonic energy defined by high frequency vibrations to
the sonic drill casing to cause the sonic drill casing to penetrate h underground
formation(s) in front of the sonic drill casing. The method also includes attaching further
sonic drill casings to the drill head and to previously-advanced sonic drill casing(s) and
repeating the advancing of the drill head to continue casing the pilot bore, thereby stabilizing
the walls of the pilot bore to prevent collapse of the pilot bore and/or to t escape of any
drilling ?uids used in the pilot bore.
In one example, the drill head alternates between advancing one sonic drill rod
and then one sonic drill casing such that the majority of the pilot bore is stabilized and cased
behind the sonic drill bit during the horizontal directional drilling, and wherein the drill head
independently and separately s the sonic energy to the sonic drill rods or to the sonic
drill casings. The method may then further include inserting the line or conduit into the cased
pilot bore and pulling the line or conduit h the pilot bore to finalize lation of the
line or conduit along the d path; and withdrawing the sonic drill casings using the
ng apparatus after the line or conduit is installed along the desired path.
The sonic oscillator produces high frequency vibrations of up to 150 Hz in the
sonic drill bit and the sonic drill rods, or in the sonic drill casings. Moreover, the method
may also include adjusting output of the sonic oscillator such that a frequency of the
vibrations d by the sonic energy on the sonic drill rods is a resonant frequency of the
sonic drill rods or the sonic drill casings.
In another ment, the advancing of the sonic drill bit and the sonic drill
rods further includes g a d direction of the sonic drill bit with a bent sub such
that the desired path of the pilot bore includes one or more turns along a length of the desired
path.
In a further embodiment, after the sonic drill bit emerges from the exit site to
finalize formation of the pilot bore, the method includes attaching a reamer and/or a swabber
to a free end defined by the sonic drill rods. The sonic drill rods are then withdrawn back
through the pilot bore to advance the reamer and/or the r along the pilot bore. The
sonic oscillator of the drilling apparatus continues to apply high frequency vibrations to the
sonic drill rods to assist the reamer and/or the swabber to cut through the underground
formations surrounding the pilot bore and thereby expand a size of the pilot bore. The pilot
bore is then enlarged so as to be ready to fit the line or conduit to be installed along the
desired path. The method can then include inserting the line or conduit into the expanded
pilot bore and pulling the line or conduit through the pilot bore to finalize installation of the
line or conduit along the desired path.
In yet another embodiment, advancing the sonic drill bit and the sonic drill
rods includes a combination of: applying sonic energy with the sonic ator as described
above, applying hydraulically-generated down pressure to move the drill head along a length
of the drill mast towards the entry site, and slowly rotating the sonic drill bit and the sonic
drill rods with the drill head during movement of the drill head along the length of the drill
mast. This combination results in rapid and efficient movement to advance the pilot bore
through many different types of underground materials and ions that may be
tered along the desired path.
The s features described in these embodiments may be combined in any
combination or mbination without departing from the scope of this invention. The
Sonic HDD method allows for quicker drilling of lly ntal bores without
necessitating significant use of drilling ?uids that can lead to personnel or environmental
hazards that need to be managed when conducting such drilling operations. Furthermore, the
Sonic HDD methods can handle challenging variations in underground ions that a
horizontal bore may need to be drilled through in certain settings.
Brief Description Of The Drawings
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part
of this specification, illustrate one or more embodiments of the invention and, together with a
general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description given below,
serve to explain the invention.
Figure l is a schematic view showing a l overview of how conventional
horizontal ional drilling (HDD) applications function, particularly in the pilot bore
boring stage.
Figure 2A is another schematic view showing a further step in the
conventional HDD drilling process, in which the pilot bore is r advanced along a
desired path, with potential ”frac outs” shown that may occur when using drilling ?uid in
HDD applications.
Figure 2B is a further tic view showing a further step in the
conventional HDD process, in which r steps of reaming and/or swabbing are being
Figure 2C is yet another schematic view showing a further step in the
conventional HDD process, in which a line or conduit is being installed in the bore along the
desired path.
Figure 3 is a schematic overview showing initial steps of forming a pilot bore
using a sonic HDD process in accordance with embodiments of the invention.
Figure 4A is a further schematic view showing additional progress of
advancing the sonic drill bit and sonic drill rods (as well as sonic drill casings) to form the
pilot bore during the sonic HDD process, with the sonic drill bit penetrating through different
underground formations and different materials shown by differing cross-hatchings along the
desired path.
Figure 4B is a further schematic view g a further step in the sonic HDD
s, in which r steps of reaming and/or swabbing are being ted.
Figure 4C is yet another schematic view showing a further step in the sonic
HDD process, in which a line or conduit is being installed in the bore along the desired path.
Figure 5A is a detail view of the sonic drill bit and the foremost sonic drill rod
and sonic drill casing as these separately/independently penetrate through a first underground
formation (e.g., such as one made of sand al) along the desired path, and as noted at
detail circle 5A in Figure 4A.
Figure 5B is a detail view of the sonic drill bit and the foremost sonic drill rod
as these penetrate through a second underground formation (e.g., such as one made of rock
material) along the desired path, and as noted at detail circle 5B in Figure 4A.
Figure 5C is a detail view of the sonic drill bit and the foremost sonic drill rod
as these penetrate through a third underground formation (e.g., such as one made of clay
material) along the d path, and as noted at detail circle SC in Figure 4A.
Figure 6A is a top view that schematically illustrates the exemplary sonic
HDD process in another embodiment, specifically to show turns that may be formed when
advancing the sonic drill bit and sonic drill rods along the desired path.
Figure 6B is a side view that schematically illustrates another example of the
sonic HDD process, such as a vertical profile of the pilot bore formed in the Figure 6A
example.
Figure 7 is a detail side view of the sonic drill bit and a foremost sonic drill
rod and sonic drill casing upon initial insertion into the ground at the entry site when starting
the sonic HDD process.
Detailed Description
An improved horizontal directional drilling (”HDD”) process for installing
utility line(s) for one or more services is provided in accordance with the ing
description. Notably, the inventors have applied use of a sonic drill to the HDD process to
enhance the reliability and efficiency of this HDD process. Using the sonic drill allows for
various ical formations to be successfully cut through and penetrated during formation
of the bore hole with no changes necessary in the ng equipment, with corresponding
increases in speed of advancing the sonic drill bit along the desired path for the utility lines to
be installed. To this end, ions in the underground geological formation along the
desired le path can be handled when using sonic-powered HDD methods without
causing significant delay and reconfiguration of the drilling equipment during the process.
Additionally and unexpectedly, such bore hole formation is accomplished without need for
circulation of drilling ?uid, or alternatively, with only a minimized amount of drilling ?uid
use. The HDD using sonic energy is capable of generating te bore hole paths for utility
line lation without the known risks and technical problems encountered as a result of
trench-digging or use and containment of significant amounts of drilling ?uid during the
HDD process.
As set forth generally above, the inventors of this application have now
applied sonic drilling to the HDD context. lly, a sonic drilling method uses a sonic
drill head which includes a ism for vibrating a drill pipe or drill string/rod. One
red mechanism for generating the vibrations is an oscillator mounted on the drill and
adapted to transmit sinusoidal pressure waves through the drill pipe to thereby create a
cutting action at the bit face. The oscillator may include, for example, one or more pairs of
rotating weight elements contained within cavities such that counter-rotations of the weight
elements relative to one another (e.g., one clockwise and r counterclockwise within the
cavities) generates a high frequency ion, such as up to 150 Hz, that is transmitted and
applied to the drill string and therefore also to the sonic drill bit at the leading end of the drill
. A pneumatic isolation system may be used to insulate the remainder of the sonic drill
head and rig from this energy so that it can be directed for maximum effect on the drill string.
The sonic frequency energy or vibrations generated by the oscillator are
controlled by the drill operator to be generally what's called a resonant frequency for the
underground ion being bored through at the sonic drill bit. To this end, when the sonic
energy applied coincides with a natural frequency of the drill string, resonance occurs and
this results in a m amount of energy transfer to the leading end of the sonic drill bit.
The drill string and sonic drill bit are also slowly rotated during this process to help evenly
distribute the energy and resulting impact on the sonic drill bit face. The advancement of the
sonic drill head along the drill mast is performed in this embodiment by hydraulic down
pressure created by ?owing hydraulic ?uid (on the drilling rig) to a hydraulic feed cylinder
while also slowly applying rotation to the drill string and the aforementioned sonic energy.
As with the percussive drilling method noted above, the sonic drill bit face may include
carbide cutting bits that e to cut through and remove material from in front of the sonic
drill bit as a result of the rotation and application of sonic frequency energy. The resonant
energy applied to the drill string also tends to suspend the soil or ground formation
immediately adjacent the drill string, which minimizes on applied against forward
nts of the drill string as the sonic drill bit advances. The specific operation of sonic
energy on various types of underground formations is described further below.
Exemplary ments of combining the concepts of sonic ng with an
HDD operation are shown in the views of FIGS. 3 through 7, contrasted with the more
generic views of standard HDD operation as previously shown. shows a general
overview of the setup for a drill site using sonic HDD. In this Figure, a track-mounted
mobile sonic drill rig 40 (also referred to as a drilling apparatus 40 herein), which may
specifically be a ”Terra Sonic 150 Compact Crawler” commercially available from Terra
Sonic of Marietta, Ohio, has been modified to operate in an HDD mode of operation. As
with conventional HDD rigs, the sonic drill rig 40 moves a sonic drill head 42 along an
angled drill mast 44 as shown so that a sonic drill bit 46 and a drill string made up of a series
of sonic drill rods 48 (also known as drill steel) can be advanced through the ground in a
ntially and/or completely horizontal manner. It will be understood that a bent sub (not
shown in detail) is also connected between the sonic drill bit 46 and the st sonic drill
rod 48 to allow for ng thereof, bed further below. The sonic drill head 42 of the
sonic drill rig 40 in includes an oscillator (not shown) as bed above and
therefore applies high frequency sonic energy to cause drilling action and advancement of the
sonic drill bit 46 and drill string. A storage rack of further sonic drill rods 48 would be
positioned in close proximity to where the sonic drill rig 40 is operating so that as pieces of
the sonic drill rod 48 are advanced into the ground, additional portions can be added and then
ed by longitudinal movement of the sonic drill head 42 along the drill mast 44. Such
sonic drill rods 48 or portions can be manually positioned for connection to the existing drill
string and the sonic drill head 42 or alternatively an automated lift and positioning system
(not shown) can be used. This process of advancing the drill string and inserting a new drill
string portion/member repeats until the pilot bore 50 has been d along the entirety of the
desired path.
Moreover, the sonic HDD process may also advantageously include
installation of sonic drill casings 49 (first seen in ) as well along the pilot bore 50.
The sonic drill casings 49 are of a larger diameter than the size of the sonic drill bit 46 and
can be advanced so as to remain only a few feet behind the operations of the sonic drill bit 46,
although this positioning is not shown in the -schematic views provided in FIGS. 3
h 4C. The sonic drill casings 49 are installed using the same ation of sonic
energy/vibrations and slow rotations with the sonic drill head 42 (e.g., the sonic drill head 42
independently applies vibrations, rotation, and advancement movement to either the drill
string (sonic drill rods 48) or to the sonic drill casings 49). Once installed, the sonic drill
casings 49 fy the pilot bore 50 to prevent any collapse thereof while also preventing any
possibility of a ”frac out” when drilling ?uids are to be used in the process. It will be
understood that in embodiments where sonic drill casings 49 are used in this manner, the
process of advancing the drill string will alternate between securing a new sonic drill rod
section to the sonic drill head 42 and advancing the sonic drill bit 46 and sonic drill rods 48,
and securing a new sonic drill casing section to the sonic drill head 42 and then advancing the
sonic drill casings 49. The storage rack described above may contain both sonic drill rods 48
and sonic drill casings 49 for ease and convenience of this alternating advancement to
e a ”cased" pilot bore 50.
What can be seen in is that the sonic drill bit 46 and sonic drill rods 48
have been advanced using the sonic drill rig 40 so as to penetrate into the ground at an entry
site 52, as shown by the movement arrows in this As will be described in further
detail below (and also shown specifically in , no trench or pit is needed to be dug at
the entry site 52 because the sonic HDD process does not require continuous circulation (or
even any circulation, in some embodiments) of drilling ?uid along the pilot bore 50. The
sonic drill bit 46 moves at an angle downwardly until a depth of the desired lly
horizontal path is reached, at which point the sonic drill bit 46 advances generally
horizontally under the ground, and this permits the pilot bore 50 to traverse underneath
environmental features such as sensitive areas (where trenches cannot be dug) or a river, as
specifically shown in It is also shown in that the underground areas where the
sonic drill bit 46 and the sonic drill rods 48 move through may be defined by various
round formations having different materials, an example of which will be described
further below. The sonic HDD process allows for the same sonic drill bit 46 and drilling
methodology to be used to successfully form the pilot bore 50 through each of these
underground formations and als.
Further steps of the sonic HDD s are shown with reference to FIGS. 4A
through 4C. In , the sonic drill bit 46 and the sonic drill rods 48 have continued to be
advanced by the sonic drill rig 40 through most of the desired path, e.g., the sonic drill bit 46
in is moving at an angle upwardly so as to emerge at an exit site 54 as also shown in
. Also shown in , the sonic drill s 49 have been installed over the sonic
drill rods 48 along at least a portion of the pilot bore 50. It will be understood that when such
sonic drill casings 49 are installed, they are typically installed in alternating ce
(contrary to what is shown in for tency with later Figure 5A, described below)
so that a substantial entirety of the pilot bore 50 is " except for the couple of feet that
the sonic drill bit 46 and sonic drill rods 48 project beyond a free end of the sonic drill
casings 49. During the movement along the d path to form the pilot bore 50, the sonic
drill bit 46 and sonic drill rods 48 (as well as sonic drill casings 49) are advanced through at
least two different underground formations located in this schematic view at different
portions under the river shown. As set forth in further detail below, the different
underground formations are defined by different materials, such as sand material at a first
underground formation 56, rock material at a second underground formation 58, and clay
material at a third underground formation 60. The sonic HDD s may cut through more
or fewer variations of underground ions when making the pilot bore 50, depending on
local geology and surface structure. The specifics of cutting through these different
underground formations 56, 58, 60 are described further below with reference to detail views
at FIGS. 5A through 5C, the detail circles being shown for reference in .
The advancing movement of the sonic drill bit 46 and sonic drill rods 48 (and
optionally the sonic drill casings 49) is shown by the movement arrows along the pilot bore
50 in . After emerging from the exit site 54, which again does not require digging a
trench or tion pit for drilling ?uids, the sonic HDD process may continue in some
embodiments by attaching one or more of a reamer 62 (also known as a eamer) or
swabber to the free end of the drill string where the sonic drill bit 46 was connected. The
advancing movements of the sonic drill rods 48 with the sonic drill rig 40 are repeated in
reverse then, which withdraws the sonic drill rods 48 back h the pilot bore 50 section-
by-section as shown by movement arrows in . Where sonic drill casings 49 are also
installed at the pilot bore 50, the sonic drill s 49 are withdrawn in front of the typically-
larger reamer 62 so as to not interfere with the further expansion of the bore, and this is
shown by the location of the sonic drill casings 49 relative to the reamer 62 in . Such
withdrawal of the sonic drill rods 48 also moves the reamer 62 and/or swabber through the
pilot bore 50 as shown at the bottom of . The reamer 62 is ured to further cut
through the underground formations to expand the diameter or size of the bore along the
desired path, and such cutting is enhanced by the continued application of sonic energy with
the sonic oscillator along the drill string. During this same movement or withdrawal step, the
method may also include inserting the line or conduit 64 into the pilot bore 50 along the
desired path, such as by having the line or t 64 be secured behind the reamer 62 to
therefore follow into the pilot bore 50 as shown by the movement arrows in . Once
the reamer 62 and the line or conduit 64 have d again at the entry site 52, the sonic
HDD process is complete with the line or conduit 64 fully led along the desired path,
which in this illustrated example is generally horizontally underneath a body of water like a
river. Because no drilling ?uid or only a minimal amount of drilling ?uid is needed thanks to
the application of sonic vibrations, there is no risk of ”frac outs” or other environmental
hazards during this process. Furthermore, the sonic HDD process installs the line or conduit
64 quickly regardless of the variations that may be present in underground formations and
materials to be penetrated through.
In one alternative, where the sonic drill casings 49 are sufficiently large in size
so that the line or conduit 64 to be installed can fit through the sonic drill casings 49, the step
of pulling the reamer 62 or a swabber back through the desired path is not necessary. To this
end, in such ative embodiments the sonic HDD process can be completed by pulling
(with the sonic drill rods 48) the line or conduit 64 back through the pilot bore 50 that
remains ”cased" by the sonic drill casings 49, and then the sonic drill casings 49 are thereafter
removed following the finalized lation of the line or conduit 64.
Now turning with reference to FIGS. 5A through 5C, the detail views showing
how the same sonic drill bit 46 and drilling operations are used for the different underground
ions 56, 58, 60 are shown in detail. In these rations, it will be understood that the
sonic drill bit 46 is shown generally schematically, but in slightly more detail than in prior
views. When a sand-based first underground formation 56 is tered by the sonic drill
bit 46 as shown in , the sonic vibrations cause sand grains to suspend in space to
allow for a generally frictionless or friction-light environment to advance along the desired
path (as shown by the movement . This type of movement may be ed to as
”suspension advancement” of the sonic drill bit 46 and the sonic drill rods 48. Also visible in
, such sand-based formations are also where following the sonic drill bit 46 with
installation of sonic drill s 49 (a frontmost one shown in this Figure) help solidify and
stabilize the pilot bore 50 within the soft formation. When a rock-based second geological
ion 58 is encountered by the sonic drill bit 46 as shown in , repeated s
of the carbide cutting bits percussively fracture and remove rock material to allow
advancement (as shown by the movement arrow), while again reducing frictional damping
forces along the length of the drill string. When a clay-based third subsurface formation 60 is
encountered by the sonic drill bit 46 as shown in , the clay material is sheared using
the sonic energy and this allows for reduced frictional damping forces along the length of the
drill string following the sonic drill bit 46, thereby allowing for advancement as shown by the
movement arrow in this view. In each of FIGS. 5B and 5C, it can be seen that the sonic drill
rods 48 can advance without much friction e the sonic drill bit 46 used is slightly
larger in diameter size than the sonic drill rods 48 (and/or the bent sub behind the sonic drill
bit 46), for example, the sonic drill bit 46 in one embodiment can be about 5 inches in
diameter and the sonic drill rods 48 are 3.5 inches in er, leaving a small gap about the
periphery of the sonic drill rods 48. No iguration is generally necessary of the
equipment or of the operations of the sonic drill rig 40 when transitioning between these
different types of underground geological formations, as each is automatically handled well
by the application of sonic energy, thereby eliminating pauses and delays that may be
encountered when using tional HDD processes in the same context. Moreover, the
borehole remains open and has good stability even without circulating ng ?uid to
reinforce bore walls as a result of transmitting sonic energy/vibrations along the drill string,
which allows for the unexpected result of true ”dry” HDD being le. These various
benefits of sonic-powered HDD work both during initial pilot bore drilling as well as the
subsequent reaming (and al swabbing) passes through the desired path. Other types of
materials and underground formations can also be handled by the sonic HDD process
similarly, as these three are provided as exemplary ments only.
Another embodiment for the sonic HDD process is shown in FIGS. 6A and
6B, this being re?ective of some testing done during proof-of-concept work for this process.
In , it can be seen that the advancing of the sonic drill bit 46 and the sonic drill rods
48 done by the sonic drill rig 40 includes turning a forward direction of the sonic drill bit 46
(e.g., using the bent sub) in a couple of places so as to follow a desired path for the pilot bore
50 that includes one or more turns. A bore path with two turns is shown from above in the
example of . The vertical e of this test is shown in , where it can be
seen that the horizontal elevation of the pilot bore 50 can be adjusted as needed to follow the
desired path as well as the lateral turns visible in . The sonic drill casings 49 were
also used in this test but have been omitted from the views here for simplicity.
With reference to a beginning of the sonic HDD s with the sonic
drill rig 40 is shown, with drillers preparing the lead element of the drill string (sonic drill rod
48) and the sonic drill bit 46 for initial insertion into the entry site 52 of the desired path or
bore. As shown in this and the other views, an entry pit does not need to be dug at this
jobsite because there is no need to use and m a large amount of drilling ?uids when
using sonic in ation with sonic HDD. To this end, the drilling described in this
process is successfully done ”dry,” meaning without drilling ?uids. The sonic drill head 42
then proceeds to advance the sonic drill bit 46 and the sonic drill rods 48 into the ground
along the desired path as described above, the advancement being done as a result of the
application of sonic energy at high frequencies to e and penetrate the underground
ions in front of the sonic drill bit 46 as well as pull down force applied by movement
of the sonic drill head 42 down the length of the drill mast 44. The sonic drill head 42 is then
used to connect to and advance a sonic drill casing 49 into the ground so as to surround the
sonic drill rod 48 as shown behind the sonic drill bit 46, and thereby to case the pilot bore 50
for the advantageous reasons explained above. Additional sonic drill rods 48 and sonic drill
casings 49 are added for each pass of the sonic drill head 42 along the drill mast 44, with the
sections being manually or automatically moved from the storage rack near the entry site to
the sonic drill rig 40. The lly ”dry” and reliable operation of the sonic HDD process is
accomplished thanks to the combination of applying hydraulically-generated down pressure
to move the sonic drill head 42 along the drill mast 44, slow rotations of the sonic drill bit 46
and sonic drill rods 48 with the sonic drill head 42, and application of sonic vibrations of up
to 150 Hz, specifically applied in many circumstances to be adjusted to a resonant frequency
of the sonic drill rods 48.
During some initial testing of the sonic-powered HDD process conducted by
the inventors and referred to above, a generally horizontal bore path d 8 to 10 feet
underground was successfully cut along over a 900 foot path length using the sonic drill rig
40, with at least two turns in the bore path as viewed in the example of . In this
testing, the accurate positioning and on of the sonic drill bit 46 was verified in some
locations by digging a small trench to locate the current position of the sonic drill bit 46, but
this confirmation of sonic drill bit position was only performed in testing because the
downhole tracking elements (sonde) are not presently capable of reliably functioning in the
t of sonic energy ng applications. The bore path in testing was cut using sonic
drilling and therefore no drilling ?uid was necessary for the cutting/boring process. Thus, the
use of a sonic powering by a sonic drill rig allows for successful HDD operations without as
much equipment and space being necessary. In addition, several ms associated with
use of ng ?uids in HDD are avoided, including less environmental damage caused by
”frac outs” of drilling ?uid at points between the entry and exit points of the desired path, and
no issues presented with regard to sourcing the ?uid, high consumption rates and recycling of
the ?uid, and/or ng of ?uids in certain drilling environments. Furthermore, the use of
sonic energy causes forward ement of the sonic drill bit faster than conventional HDD
processes and rigs. These increases in speed reduce the overall time each pass of the sonic
drill head along the drill mast takes, ng for quicker installation and ng of the bore
hole.
Each of the sonic drill bit 46, the sonic drill rods 48, the sonic drill casings 49,
and sonic drill head 42 in these examples is custom-tailored sonic equipment that is made to
withstand the vibrations and use in this g. For example, the sonic drill bit 46 is threaded
onto the sonic drill rods 48 and the sonic drill rods 48 are threaded together with connection
threads that can transmit sonic energy and not be aged unintentionally by such
vibrational energies. The sonic drill bit 46 as shown most clearly in the schematics of FIGS.
5A-5C and 7 includes a front face with carbide cutting tips and a tapered cylindrical e
behind the front face, but it will be iated that this sonic drill bit 46 is just one design for
accomplishing the sonic HDD process.
In summary, the use of a sonic drill and/or sonic energy assist on a HDD
operation greatly improves the efficiency and predictability of using HDD logy for
installation of utility ). The sonic powered HDD s causes less environmental
harm, via both reduced consumption and fouling of water and/or drilling ?uid as well as
eliminating the risk of frac outs, while avoiding the need for additional equipment and pits at
the jobsites associating with handling the drilling ?uids. That reduces the space required
while also lowering costs and makes drilling jobsites safer overall. The sonic powered HDD
process successfully and quickly penetrates through many different types of underground
ions and transitions between formations that may be encountered, especially along
particularly long desired bore paths. With at least these technical benefits in combination,
utility and drilling companies can better predict costs and timing of projects so as to avoid
ssary disruptions to project timelines and the local area around the installation site.
While the invention has been illustrated by a description of various
ments, and while these embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is
not the intention of the Applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended
claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those
skilled in the art. The invention in its r aspects is therefore not limited to the specific
details, representative apparatus and methods, and illustrative examples shown and bed.
Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the scope of
the Applicant’s general inventive concept.
Claims (16)
1. A sonic-powered method for horizontal directional ng, comprising: oning a drilling apparatus proximate to an entry site at one end of a desired path for a generally horizontal bore to be formed, the drilling apparatus including a sonic drill head movably mounted on a drill mast and a sonic oscillator operatively engaged with the sonic drill head; attaching a sonic drill bit and a sonic drill rod to the sonic drill head; advancing the sonic drill bit and the sonic drill rod into and through the ground along the desired path by advancing the sonic drill head to move along the drill mast, wherein the sonic oscillator applies sonic energy defined by high frequency vibrations to the sonic drill rod and the sonic drill bit to cause the sonic drill bit to penetrate through an underground formation in front of the sonic drill bit along the desired path; attaching further sonic drill rods to the sonic drill head and to at least one previouslyadvanced sonic drill rod(s) and repeating the advancing of the sonic drill head to continue forming a generally horizontal bore by ntal directional drilling along the desired path until the sonic drill bit s at an exit site at an te end of the desired path, wherein the generally horizontal bore formed by the ing along the desired path defines a pilot bore for installing a line or conduit along the d path; attaching a sonic drill casing to the sonic drill head, the sonic drill casing being larger in er than the sonic drill bit and sonic drill rods; advancing the sonic drill casing into and through the ground so that the sonic drill casing surrounds the sonic drill rods and the pilot bore as the sonic drill casing is installed, wherein the sonic oscillator applies sonic energy defined by high frequency vibrations to the sonic drill casing to cause the sonic drill casing to penetrate through the underground formation(s) in front of the sonic drill casing; and attaching further sonic drill casings to the sonic drill head and to at least one usly-advanced sonic drill casing(s) and repeating the advancing of the sonic drill head to continue casing the pilot bore, thereby stabilizing the walls of the pilot bore to prevent collapse of the pilot bore and/or to prevent escape of any drilling fluids used in the pilot bore, wherein the sonic drill head alternates between advancing one sonic drill rod and then one sonic drill casing such that the majority of the pilot bore is stabilized and cased behind the sonic drill bit during the horizontal directional drilling, and wherein the sonic drill head ndently and separately applies the sonic energy to the sonic drill rods or to the sonic drill casings.
2. The method of claim 1, n the advancing of the sonic drill bit and the sonic drill rods into and through the ground is performed without a continuous circulation of a drilling fluid to the sonic drill bit and along the pilot bore.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the advancing of the sonic drill bit and the sonic drill rods into and through the ground is performed without circulating any drilling fluid to the sonic drill bit or along the pilot bore.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein no fluid collection trench or water recycling equipment is provided at either of the entry site or the exit site during the horizontal ional drilling.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired path for the pilot bore travels through at least two different underground formations defined by differing materials to drill through, and the advancing of the sonic drill bit and the sonic drill rods into and through the ground further comprises: using the same sonic drill bit to penetrate through each of the differing materials in the at least two different underground formations.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein a single set of drilling equipment including the same sonic drill bit and a single set of drilling operation parameters is used for penetrating the pilot bore through each of the at least two ent underground formations.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein one of the ent underground ions is d by sand material, and the step of advancing the sonic drill bit and the sonic drill rods further ses: suspending sand grains of the sand material in space using transmission of sonic vibrations from the sonic drill bit and the sonic drill rods into the sand material, thereby generating a low friction environment for the sonic drill bit to advance through the sand material.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein another one of the different round formations is defined by clay material, and the step of advancing the sonic drill bit and the sonic drill rods further comprises: shearing the clay material surrounding the sonic drill bit and the sonic drill rods with transmission of sonic vibrations from the sonic drill bit and the sonic drill rods into the clay material, thereby reducing friction against forward movements of the sonic drill bit and the sonic drill rods.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein another one of the different underground formations is defined by rock al, and the step of advancing the sonic drill bit and the sonic drill rods further ses: percussively fracturing the rock material by applying sonic vibrations to the sonic drill bit to cause repeated impacts of the sonic drill bit into the rock material, thereby ng the rock material in front of the sonic drill bit and reducing friction against forward movements of the sonic drill bit and the sonic drill rods.
10. The method of claim 1, further sing: inserting the line or conduit into the cased pilot bore and pulling the line or conduit through the pilot bore to finalize installation of the line or conduit along the d path; and withdrawing the sonic drill casings using the drilling apparatus after the line or conduit is installed along the desired path.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the sonic oscillator produces high frequency vibrations of up to 150 Hz in the sonic drill bit and the sonic drill rods, or in the sonic drill casings.
12. The method of claim 11, further sing: adjusting output of the sonic oscillator such that a frequency of the high frequency vibrations applied by sonic energy on the sonic drill rods is a nt frequency of the sonic drill rods, or such that the frequency applied on the sonic drill casings is a resonant frequency of the sonic drill casings.
13. The method of claim 1, n advancing the sonic drill bit and the sonic drill rods further es turning a forward direction of the sonic drill bit with a bent sub such that the desired path of the pilot bore includes one or more turns along a length of the d path.
14. The method of claim 1, further comprising: after the sonic drill bit emerges from the exit site to finalize formation of the pilot bore, attaching a reamer and/or a swabber to a free end defined by the sonic drill rods; and withdrawing the sonic drill rods back through the pilot bore to advance the reamer and/or the swabber along the pilot bore, wherein the sonic oscillator of the drilling apparatus continues to apply high frequency vibrations to the sonic drill rods to assist the reamer and/or the swabber to cut through the underground formations surrounding the pilot bore and thereby expand a size of the pilot bore to fit the line or conduit to be installed along the desired path.
15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: inserting the line or conduit into the expanded pilot bore and pulling the line or t through the pilot bore to finalize installation of the line or t along the d path.
16. The method of claim 1, wherein in addition to applying sonic energy with the sonic oscillator, advancing the sonic drill bit and the sonic drill rods with the sonic drill head further comprises: applying hydraulically-generated down pressure to move the sonic drill head along a length of the drill mast towards the entry site; and slowly rotating the sonic drill bit and the sonic drill rods with the sonic drill head during movement of the sonic drill head along the length of the drill mast. ._.m_< _ mm._.<>> oz_|_o>om_m 2m._.w>m mOEn. .OE ._.m_< mOEn. .o_n_ ._.m_< mm mOEn. .o_n_ ._.m_< 0N mOEn. .o_n_ /ZZOZ 6IZ9SO/IZOZS?/JDJ .o_n_ 10/12 1
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US202063104231P | 2020-10-22 | 2020-10-22 | |
PCT/US2021/056219 WO2022087387A1 (en) | 2020-10-22 | 2021-10-22 | Sonic-powered methods for horizontal directional drilling |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
NZ799105A NZ799105A (en) | 2023-11-24 |
NZ799105B2 true NZ799105B2 (en) | 2024-02-27 |
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