EIL sets world record with longest HDD crossing for PNCPL project

New Delhi: Engineers India Limited (EIL) has achieved a historic global milestone by successfully completing the world’s longest Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) crossing for a 26-inch pipeline, marking a major engineering feat in India’s energy infrastructure development.

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The record-setting HDD crossing spans 4,058 metres beneath the Brahmaputra River, surpassing EIL’s own previous world record of 4,027 metres, achieved earlier under the same Paradip–Numaligarh Crude Oil Pipeline (PNCPL) project during the Ganga River crossing. The latest achievement reinforces EIL’s capabilities in executing complex engineering projects in challenging geological and hydrological conditions.

The milestone was accomplished with the successful pullback of the pipeline, a critical and technically demanding phase of HDD operations. Industry experts consider the achievement a benchmark in large-diameter pipeline construction globally.

The PNCPL project, a 1,635-km strategic crude oil pipeline being developed for Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL), will transport imported crude oil from Paradip Port in Odisha to Numaligarh in Assam. The pipeline passes through Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, and several northeastern states, forming a vital energy corridor for the country.

Once operational, the pipeline is expected to significantly enhance India’s energy security, support NRL’s refinery expansion plans, and contribute to economic development across eastern and northeastern regions through improved infrastructure and employment generation.

EIL said the successful execution of the Brahmaputra crossing represents a major step in the timely delivery of a project of national importance. The company acknowledged the support of NRL, executing contractors, and other stakeholders for enabling the completion of the complex engineering task.

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