Dual-Trench and HDD Strategy Delivers 44-Mile West Texas NGL Pipeline
A. OLSEN, Vermeer Corp., Pella, Iowa (U.S.)
West Texas-based company, 2 Stone Industries, has showcased its contracting capabilities on a 44-mi (70.8-km), 30-in. natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline for Kinetik. This pipeline stretched from Toyah to Kosa in West Texas. The project required many construction methods, along with a demanding completion timeline of just three and a half months. Success depended on the smart use of a strong fleet of trenchers and horizontal directional drilling (HDD), shown in FIG. 1.
"We started in 2016 with a little utility drill," Oscar Pena, one of the owners of 2 Stone, explained. "We didn't get our first pipeline job until 2018. The growth since then? I guess you give God the credit because I don't know how we did it, to be honest."
Kinetik Pipeline Project
The Kinetik pipeline project featured a typical West Texas landscape: vast stretches of open country interspersed with hard rock, multiple road and railway crossings, existing utility corridors and environmentally sensitive areas, such as creeks. To minimize surface disruption, especially in washout-prone zones, the client preferred boring in many areas.
"This project had a bit of everything," Joseph Barrera, General Superintendent with 2 Stone, explained. "We had long open stretches perfect for our trenchers, but also nearly 30 to 36 bores that required a careful approach with our HDD fleet." Because the project needed to be mechanically complete and ready to flow in under four months, the pressure was intense.
Two-Pronged Attack
To meet the deadline, the company created a strategy that used the strengths of both open-cut trenching and HDD. Approximately 36 mi (57.9 km) of the pipeline were planned for open-cut methods. Here, their fleet of trenchers—including the Vermeer T855, T1055 and T1155 models—were used to quickly handle the varied terrain (FIG. 2).
"We work around a lot of rock in all of West Texas," Pena noted. "This highlighted the need for powerful trenching equipment. The Vermeer track trenchers, designed for digging in tough conditions like hard rock, were perfect for this project. These machines efficiently cut through the challenging soil and rock formations."
Junior Marroquin, General Superintendent with 2 Stone, explained, "That's a great thing about those trenchers. When they hit rock, they produce fine material instead of chunks. We can lay this material on top of the pipe before backfilling. Creating usable padding material directly from the trenched spoils saved us time and resources."
While track hoes were used for tie-ins and specific line crossings, Barrera confirmed that, "90% of the open cut was trenched."
At the same time, the HDD crews tackled the crossings. Their strategy often involved a team approach with their Vermeer D100x140 S3 rig and the larger D220x500 S3 unit. Pena explained their process, "On that 30-in. (76.2-cm) project, when we were in a lot of hard rock with the D100x140 S3 drills, the bigger reamers were struggling to turn. So, we used the D100x140 S3s to drill the pilots and ream out to a 24-in. hole. Then the D220x500 S3 would come in, go back through the hole, ream it out to the 42-in. diameter needed for the 30-in. pipe, and then pull the pipe. That process really worked well for us."
This efficiency was vital. The company owns four D100x140 S3 drills and two D220x500 S3 units. Their first D220x500 S3 was acquired in 2022, initially rented for a large project and later purchased after proving its worth. The second D220x500 S3 features a rod stager, a configuration they prefer. Peter Scharlau, a project manager with 2 Stone, stated, "We really liked the rod stager. On most projects, we find it to be a lot more productive than the catwalk, and we were glad we decided to go with it."
Navigating Crossings with Precision
One of the most demanding bores on the Kinetik project was the Interstate 20 and parallel railroad crossing. "That one was certainly challenging because of the railroad," Barrera said. "You have to cross at a 90° angle, and we had to be straight across and level when we crossed them—not just the railroad itself, but their entire right-of-way also."
The bore was reamed to 42 in. for the 30-in. pipe. The annular space within the railroad's right-of-way had to be filled with flowable fill or grout to prevent any future sinking. "They didn't want anything to get sunk down," Barrera explained. The bore was approximately 20 ft–25 ft deep under the crossing.
The decision to invest heavily in Vermeer equipment comes from positive experiences. A significant advantage they highlighted is the common control system across different Vermeer drill models. Pena noted, “It makes a huge difference. Our operators jumped from the D100x140 S3s to the D220x500 S3s, and everything's so similar. It's a very easy transition."
The equipment is reliable and backed by responsive support from Vermeer Texas-Louisiana, according to operators. "Someone always answers the phone when you call them, and if they don't have an immediate answer, they'll research it and get back to us promptly. They never leave us in the dark," said Marroquin.
Beyond the machines, successful projects depend on people. Many of the company’s key personnel and crew members have worked with the owners for nearly 18 yrs–20 yrs. This fosters a deep sense of loyalty and shared expertise. "All these crews that have been working for 2 Stone, I've been carrying these guys for 18, 20 years," Ramon Garcia, owner with 2 Stone Industries, shared.
"Most of our crews are top crews, so we have the liberty to say on our bids that we will finish a project that somebody else would bid in 10 days—we can finish in five," Scharlau stated. This confidence is earned. It comes from doing everything in-house and ensuring that everyone, including the owners, is willing to be "boots on the ground."
"We all rely on each other as a company and as a team to help get these projects done," said Marroquin. "Numerous times I've been on the phone with Ramon at 11 o'clock at night. Oscar was out there with me at one or two o'clock in the morning while we were still pulling a bore. Just because they're owners it doesn't put them above anybody else. They're still out there with us."
AMY OLSEN is the Brand Experience Lead at Vermeer Corporation, Pella, Iowa.