Research on Casing Techniques for Horizontal Drilling in Fractured Strata During Water Conveyance Tunnel Exploration

Authors

  • Changyou Dai

    Yellow River Engineering Consulting Co., Ltd., Zhengzhou 450003, China; Shenzhen Xianhe Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering Co., Ltd., Shenzhen 518001, China
  • Zijia Ge

    Yellow River Engineering Consulting Co., Ltd., Zhengzhou 450003, China; Shenzhen Xianhe Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering Co., Ltd., Shenzhen 518001, China
  • Shulei Zhang

    Yellow River Engineering Consulting Co., Ltd., Zhengzhou 450003, China; Shenzhen Xianhe Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering Co., Ltd., Shenzhen 518001, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v8i3.13239
Received: 11 January 2026 | Revised: 23 February 2026 | Accepted: 28 February 2026 | Published Online: 19 March 2026

Abstract

The most common aspect of water conveyance tunnel construction is the use of horizontal and sub-horizontal exploration drilling of headings of a tunnel to predict geology and groundwater conditions. The instability of boreholes, extreme loss of circulation, and high-head inflow are also common in fractured strata, which often inhibit completion of probe holes and the reliability of coring, packer testing, and grouting tests. Casing, consequently, is a significant enabling technology to stabilize fractured intervals and has a hydraulic isolation under coupled mechanical and hydrogeological disturbances. The review is a synthesis of research and engineering experience on methods of casing to be used in horizontal drilling of fractured rock masses used in the exploration of water conveyance tunnels. The geological and working environment is initially outlined with a focus on fracture-adaptable instability processes and the special goings on of underground drilling, such as the restricted workspace, cuttings difficult to move, and fast movement of the competent and crushed regions. Types of casing systems are then listed, including both standard threaded steel strings and telescopic programs, and more specialized casing system types, including expandable casing, swellable sealing elements, and external casing packers. Special focus is made on the sealing of annulus in horizontal holes, wherein slurry loss, gravity segregation, and non-uniform borehole geometry usually worsen isolation. Lastly, the article suggests adaptive choice of strategy according to real-time drilling reaction, and research priorities, such as tunnel-specific performance measurements, coupled hydro-mechanical modelling, and field trials of sophisticated sealing material and data-driven choice making.

Keywords:

Horizontal Exploration Drilling; Fractured Strata; Casing Techniques; Annulus Sealing; Water Conveyance Tunnel

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How to Cite

Dai, C., Ge, Z., & Zhang, S. (2026). Research on Casing Techniques for Horizontal Drilling in Fractured Strata During Water Conveyance Tunnel Exploration. Journal of Environmental & Earth Sciences, 8(3), 154–168. https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v8i3.13239

Issue

Vol. 8 , Iss. 3 (March 2026)

Article Type

Review

License

Copyright © 2026 Changyou Dai, Zijia Ge, Shulei Zhang

Creative Commons License

This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.

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