Directional drilling, sometimes referred to as horizontal or slant drilling, is the practice of drilling non-vertical wells.  Here at Big Sky Utilities, we use directional drilling as a trenchless method of installing underground pipe, conduit, or cable.  In addition to being more cost effective, directional drilling can be utilized when trenching or excavating may not be practical, such as under a road, through landscaping, or across rivers.  

Although directional drilling has been in place since the 1920s, here at Big Sky Utilities we use cutting edge technology where the tip of the drill holds a beacon that sends out signals to a trained location technician standing on ground level. Similar to an avalanche beacon, this allows us to control the angle and depth of the drill bit, even around delicate utilities and difficult terrain. Utilizing a curved drill bit, the drill operator can adjust the direction of the drill based on signals received from the beacon and location technician.