IN 2006 THE CHESAPEAKE Energy Corporation, of Oklahoma City, and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) formed a team to produce natural gas from the Barnett Shale, a geological formation in the northern part of central Texas. What resulted was the Chesapeake Energy DFW Gas Gathering Pipeline Project, an $80-million fast-tracked effort that included the design and construction of 80 mi of pipelines for gas and water along the perimeter of the airport. Of these pipelines, a total of 15 mi were bored by means of horizontal directional drilling (HDD). Because the project was carried out at the world's third-busiest airport in terms of takeoffs and landings, the design and construction of these pipelines had to overcome several challenges, including space limitations, alignment restrictions, depth requirements, and limitations associated with existing infrastructure.
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