Halliburton Drills Oversized Borehole in Texas for Nuclear Waste Canister Demonstration
Halliburton is undertaking a unique drilling operation at its Deep Borehole Demonstration Center near Cameron, Texas. This project, initiated by Deep Isolation Nuclear, involves drilling a well that is approximately 22 inches wide at depth, significantly larger than the typical 8-inch diameter of oil wells. The purpose is to demonstrate the feasibility of lowering and retrieving a 5,000-pound nuclear waste canister into a deep, horizontally drilled borehole. The site, located in a cow pasture, is strictly for mechanical demonstration, with no radioactive materials present. The drilling process involves using an oversized bit and then a 'hole opener' tool to achieve the required diameter. This operation also includes a gradual bend in the well, turning about four degrees every hundred feet, to achieve a horizontal section. Halliburton describes this as a combination of individually routine problems that, when combined, present a challenge they are unsure has been done before. 
