In many respects, drill pipe is the unsung hero of a horizonal directional drilling (HDD) project. The pipe is the first thing that goes in the ground, creating the hole in which the product pipe and reamers and other tooling traverse through. Once the drill pipe goes in the ground, its job is done and gone from sight. Sounds simplistic but its significance to an HDD project can't be overstated - drill pipe is an expensive invest- ment for a contractor to make because if it fails, the project cannot get off the ground at all. Broussard, Louisiana-based Hunting Trenchless has been making these invaluable sticks of pipe for the drilling industry for more than 40 years, pioneering the one-piece forged drill pipe that is now the industry standard for HDD and copied around the globe. The company's origins are found in the oilfield industry but when the oil and gas markets hit a rough patch during the mid-1990s, the facility turned its focus to making drill pipe for HDD projects.
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