SITUATION: Construction of an alternative emergency communications fiber optic network linking five of the Hawaiian Islands required seven ocean launch horizontal directional drilling (HDD) bores. This network is designed to minimize environmental, cultural and visual impacts by installing the terrestrial portion of the network underground, and landing the undersea portion on each island by boring rather than trenching. The completed network will be independent of any existing communication system.

 

METRICS: Some 57 terrestrial miles of conduit and fiber optic cable (48-strand single mode fiber) will link the five islands (Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui and Hawaii). Seven offshore bores will involve drilling a six-inch steel pipe from the beach landing area of each island into the Pacific, and exiting the ocean floor at a depth of at least 60 feet and distances from shore of 2,000 to 4,000 feet. The telecommunications network has land and sea segments, with the ocean portion projected to cost more than $100 million. The land portion has cost several hundred million to date, and is scheduled to be completed sometime in 2009.

 

CONTRACTOR: Clearcom, Inc., a Native Hawaiian-owned and operated rural telephone company, is the general contractor for the Department of Hawaiian Homelands’ project. Henkels & McCoy, Inc. has been subcontracted to install miles of fiber optic cable on the islands as well as along the ocean floor between them.

 

OWNER: Sandwich Isle Communications

 

CHALLENGE: Environmental Crossings, Inc. (ECI) was selected by Henkels & McCoy to perform the boring portion of the project linking the five islands. With more onshore to offshore experience than any other driller in the world, ECI has a natural selection. A primary concern are the delicate coral reefs that ring the islands. Directional drilling at the different beach landing sites will bore conduit holes under beaches and reefs. The bore will emerge several thousand feet offshore and at depths of 60 feet or more.

 

 

 

 

 

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Occasionally in the worldwide HDD construction marketplace, ECI finds itself with a project that’s made to offer. The Hawaiian Island fiber optic emergency communications network proved to be such an opportunity.

 

“For many years our focus was on drilling bores for fiber optics,” notes Philip Andrus, ECI President. “Our crews have done hundreds of these projects throughout the world.”

With demand waning in the late 90’s and early 2000’s for greater online band width, the company’s focus switched to oil and natural gas pipeline work, and public utilities. “So when this project came along, we knew it was a perfect fit.”

 

And indeed, it was.

 

ECI work crews started in November of 2007, and by May 2008 had successfully completed the last of seven bores. Once completed, the bores are ready for divers to secure the end of the pipe while waiting for the inter-island sea cable to be installed inside. 

 

ClearCom Inc. management publicly lauded ECI’s drilling superintendents and team, noting that “this type of project is definitely a collaborative effort. It would not have worked without the equipment, experience and expertise of the ECI team. Hats off for a job well done and ahead of schedule!”