Pipeline Construction

With pipe for the Wilmot Pipeline placed into the trench yesterday, there were two excavators at the cabin property working to back-fill the trench.

At first glance the buckets on these excavators were different ...



Bottom view of the excavator buckets showed several rows of slotted rollers.



Inside view of buckets.



These buckets are able separate rocks from the dirt by rotating the rollers. The loose, rock free dirt is spread directly over the pipe and the removed rock are placed near the top of the trench and not in contact with the pipe.

Pipeline Construction

Sections of the Wilmot Pipeline south of Bliss Road were placed in the trench today. Multiple excavators were spaced out along the pipeline and gently place the pipeline on sandbags placed in the trench.



Lifting a section of pipe, north of our cabin driveway, into the trench.



Pipe in the trench.


A section of the pipeline near our woods is in the trench and sandbags are placed on top of the pipe to control water movement in the trench.


Sections of the Wilmot Pipeline on both sides of the wetlands on our property are in the trench but the wetlands crossing section hasn't been installed yet.



Pipeline workers walk along the pipeline near the wetlands crossing.

Pipeline Construction

Wesauking Pipeline

Work started today on the access road to the east end of the Wesauking Pipeline where it intersects with the Wilmot Pipeline on our property.

A CAT D6 dozer is grading back the topsoil in the road right-of-way. In the background are 4 excavators parked on the Wilmot Pipeline near our cabin (far right in photo).



The Wesauking Pipeline access road will connect to the current access road at the stream crossing.


An excavator works at the east end of the Wesauking Pipeline where the access road and Wilmot Pipeline meet. In the background (across the valley) is our barn property.



A view from the Wesauking Pipeline looking east at the intersection with the Wilmot Pipeline. The green pipe of the Wilmot Pipeline can be seen in the background along with the CAT D6 dozer working on the access road. There will be a valve site installed at the location where the two pipelines connect.



Wilmot Pipeline
No activity at the Wilmot Pipeline today but excavators were working on the pipeline trench near the wetlands crossing (next to cabin) and will be placing the pipe in the ground soon.

Pipeline Construction

Wilmot Pipeline

A section of the Wilmot Pipeline, that crosses Jason and Mary Abell's property north of Bliss Road (top of photo) , has been placed in the trench and is being back-filled with dirt.

Trenching activity has started on the south side of Bliss Road as an excavator works its way toward the driveway to our cabin.


Another excavator works on the pipeline trench to the south of our cabin.






Wesauking Pipeline

A CAT D6 dozer works to clear topsoil along the Wesauking Pipeline route along our woods, near its intersection with the Wilmot Pipeline.



Trenching activity on the Wesauking Pipeline as it passes through the woods on the east side of our wetlands crossing.



Two excavators work on placing timber mating on a section of the Wesauking Pipeline between Joyce Road (south side) and the wetlands crossing (bottom of photo).

Pipeline Construction

Wilmot Pipeline
The pipeline trench has been dug and sand bags placed in the trench on the north side of Bliss Road.


Yellow mating (cushioning) has been placed around the pipe. View of the pipeline looking north from the top of the hill at Jason and Mary Abell's.


View of the pipeline on north side of hill. The Hayward well pad is across the valley.


Wesauking Pipeline

I'm not sure if the local deer will obey the sign.


The trees and stumps have been removed and chipped along the wooded section of the Wesauking pipeline on our cabin property. A CAT D6 dozer completes the grading near the wetlands crossing. A view of the pipeline route looking west toward our barn.


View of the wetlands crossing looking east.


View of timber mating crossing the wetlands area.

Pipeline Construction

The gas pipeline construction on our property has moved from the Wilmot Pipeline to the Wesauking Pipeline. Within the last week crews have completed the timber cutting and are working on the clearing and grading of the pipeline route.

View of the Wesauking pipeline route where it crosses a wetland on our cabin property.



View of timber mating being placed at the wetlands crossing.



Chipping of brush along the pipeline route behind our barn.

Pipeline Construction

It's hard to drive around without finding pipeline construction. Three different pipelines are being constructed in our neighborhood at the same time.



Wilmot Pipeline
The Wilmot pipeline is the main north/south pipeline running through the neighborhood. The welding operation on the Wilmot pipeline has moved from our property to Jason and Mary Abell's.

Looking north on the Wilmot pipeline from our cabin property toward Abell's.


Looking south, toward our cabin, on the Wilmot pipeline from Abell's.



Pipe welding at Abell's.


Wesauking Pipeline

Work is just getting started on the Wesauking pipeline. The Wesauking pipeline connects to the Wilmot pipeline on our cabin property and will run west.

A view of the Wesauking pipeline route where it crosses Joyce Road near our barn property.


Clearing and grading of the Wesauking pipeline route has just started and the local turkeys are inspecting the work.


Zion Pipeline

The Zion pipeline connects to the Wilmot pipeline near Jason and Mary Abell's house and runs east.

A view of the Zion pipeline from Taylor Hill Road looking west. The clearing and grading of this section of the Zion pipeline is complete from Taylor Hill Road to the Wilmot pipeline and section of pipe are being placed in position.


View of the Zion pipeline looking east from Taylor Hill Road.

Pipeline Construction

The welding of the 20 inch pipe on our cabin property is nearly complete except for the sections of the pipeline route that cross the wetlands and our driveway.

A view of the pipeline looking southeast from the "food plot" near the cabin. In the background, to the right of the main section of pipeline, is the section of pipe for the wetland crossing.



All welds along the pipeline were inspected and repaired if needed.


Once the welded joint passes inspection the area is sandblasted and a protective coating is applied.


Other messages on the pipe.

Spring Cleaning

With Spring just around the corner it will soon be time for the bluebirds to return and start looking for nesting locations. I took advantage of today's warm weather and cleaned some of the bluebird houses at the barn property.



Several of the nesting boxes were packed full of nesting materials. This nesting box was full of fiberglass insulation, which makes for a warm winter home, but not a bluebird nest.


The current residents were not happy about the spring cleaning and their eviction notice.

Pipeline Construction

The activity on the Wilmot gathering pipeline continues to move at a rapid pace and the welding crew was on site today.



One of the first steps in preparing the pipe for welding is to heat the steel pipe. This heating conditions the pipe to prevent stress in the pipe welds.


An internal alignment tool is positioned in the end of one pipe prior to the placement of the second section of pipe.


With the two sections of pipe in place multiple welding teams start welding.


The pipe is "tack" welded and then a full bead of weld is applied around the internal edge of the pipe joint.


After the first team of welders completes the internal pipe weld the next team cleans and grinds the outer surface of the first weld.



Grinding the weld.


After grinding, a second exterior weld is applied over the first weld.





Making use of our clay soil. "Mud man"


Touch-up welding