Drilling Expertise & Engineering Prowess
Reclamation and Groundwater Remediation
Acid Mine Drainage Remediation
Acid mine drainage is often associated with historic abandoned mines, and in certain situations impounded water is a significant risk both in terms of safety and the environment. Traditionally, vertical holes may be installed into a mine pool to pump down the water level prior to re-entering the mine for remediation, but the drill site development and pumping requirements can be cost prohibitive in remote or high-volume sites. Horizontal directional drilling provides a useful alternative. Through steered borehole and controlled wellheads, REI sets up below the water level and intentionally intercepts the abandoned mine to create a gravity drain system. By utilizing gravity drainage, REI can lower long-term operational costs for your operation and minimize the amount of piping and trenching that must be installed to the treatment area. Call us to see if horizontal drilling is a good alternative for your acid mine drainage remediation project.
Acid mine drainage schematic
Acid Mine Drainage execution
Groundwater Plume Remediation
Horizontal directional drilling provides an effective approach to monitor and control groundwater contamination plumes. Rather than installing and array of vertical boreholes and maintaining multiple pumps along the perimeter of the plume, horizontal wells can be drilled within the targeted strata layer and intercept a vertical production well. Water is collected along the horizontal lateral and directed to the vertical well. A similar approach can be used for air sparging and soil vapor extraction remediation.
Horizontal drilling plume control and monitoring schematic