Directional Drilling in a Megaslide

La Conchita community is located on the western edge of Ventura county near the border with Santa Barbara county. This area and above are notorious for slides and qualifies as a megaslide. A 14" diameter pipeline needed to be replaced in this area. Alternatives to cross the deep coastal canyon included using cables to suspend the pipeline, a long bridge at the top, a shorter bridge near the bottom, going around the canyon in a conventional dig and install method, etc. The matrix showed that the best possible economical solution to this crossing would be drilling under the ravine. Cost of such underground crossing would be about half that of the nearest alternative. Both sides of the canyon are the property of a private ranch of avocadoes and lemons. Although work under the canyon would not be visible, a complete biological survey was conducted due to the potential of a frac-out during the construction. Geotechnical investigation revealed that the bedrock type material is traversing at 35 feet below the flow line. This meant that the shallowest cover on the pipeline crossing would be 35'. Using 180 continuous angles the alignment was calculated and drawings were prepared. Easements were prepared for the land owner's approval. A pipeline contractor used an HDD sub to start construction; both are local. Drilling started with 6" pilot hole. Unexpected rocks in the boring somewhat delayed the project but was overcome by the contractor using additional drilling mud and a different drill bit. Once the pilot hole was completed, several sizes of reamers were passed through the borehole to enlarge the size. Finally, a barrel (pig) 28" in diameter was attached to the largest reamer, at the bottom of which the previously fused and disinfected HDPE pipeline was attached and pulled through the hole.

Mohammed Hasan is the Principal Engineer and Owner of Hasan Consultants, a civil and environmental engineering firm in Ventura. For the past 29 years, his company has been providing services to both private and public sectors in design, specifications, reports, expert witness, permitting, monitoring, and client consultation for water, wastewater, drainage, roads and transportation, infrastructure rehabilitation, remediation, land development and construction management.

He served as the Utilities Superintendent of the city of Oxnard and was a civil engineer at Ventura Regional Sanitation District. He received two Masters degrees from the University of Iowa, in Environmental and Transportation engineering. His undergraduate degree is in Civil engineering.

He is a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Public Works Association, and a Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow. He is a Distinguished Life member of American Water Works Association and has a teaching credential for California Community Colleges. He speaks six languages.

His community involvement spans 39 years in Ventura County, including President and Board member of several charitable organizations. Hasan currently offers free community classes. Originally from Bangladesh, he lives in Ventura with wife JoAnn. They have two daughters.