The drilling machine is set up at one end of the bore path with the drill inclined downward pointing into the soil. The drill head is advanced into the ground by pushing and rotating the drill string. Drilling mud is pumped through the drill string and drill head into the formation.
The drillhead is directed downward along a pre-planned path so that at the desired location the well screen portion of the borehole is flat or inclined at a specified grade. The borehole is advanced along the well screen portion and then back to the surface.
Once the drill head has re-emerged at the surface, it is removed from the drill string and replaced with a reamer. The reamer is designed to enlarge the borehole to accommodate the well materials. Typically the well materials are attached directly behind the reamer and pulled into the borehole.
