Unit 01-03-1st Ed. RDS (IADC-PETEX) - Drill String and Drill Collars

ROTARY DRILLING SERIES
Unit I: The Rig and Its Maintenance

Lesson I: The Rotary Rig and Its Components
Lesson 2: The Bit
Lesson 3: Drill String and Drill Collars
Lesson 4:
Lesson 5:
Lesson 6:
Lesson 7:
Rotary, Kelly, Swivel, Tongs, and Top Drive
The Blocks and Drilling Line
The Draww_orks and the Compound
Drilling Fluids, Mud Pumps, and Conditioning Equipment
I
Lesson 8: Diesel Engines and Electric Power

Lesson 9:
Lesson 10:
The Auxiliaries
Safety on the Rig
c
Unit II: Normal Drilling Operations VI

Lesson I: Making Hole FiJ
Lesson 2: Drilling Fluid

Lesson 3: Drilling a Straight Hole For
Lesson 4: Casing and Cementing

Lesson 5: Testing and Completing
Unit III: Nonroutine Operations

Lesson I: Controlled Directional Drilling
Lesson 2: Open-Hole Fishing
Lesson 3: Blowout Prevention
Unit IV: Man Management and Rig Management
Unit V: Offshore Technology

Lesson I: Wind, Waves, and Weather
Lesson 2: Spread Mooring Systems
Lesson 3: Buoyancy, Stability, and Trim
Lesson 4: Jacking Systems and Rig Moving Procedures
Lesson 5: Diving and Equipment
Lesson 6: Vessel Maintenance and Inspection
Lesson 7: Helicopter Safety and Survival Procedures
Lesson 8: Orientation for Offshore Crane Operations
Lesson 9: Life Offshore
Lesson TO: Marine Riser Systems and Subsea Blowout Preventers
ROTARY DRILLING SERIES
Drill String
and Drill Collars
Unit I, Lesson 3
First Edition
Formerly The Drill Stem
By S. T. Horton
Published by
FE lEX: PETROLEUM EXTENSION SERVICE
The University of Texas at Austin
Continuing Education
Austin, Texas
in cooperation with
••••
.. INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION
•
: OF DRlLLING CONTRACTORS
Houston, Texas
1995
Figures v
Foreword VII
Contents
Acknowledgments IX
Units of Measurement X
Introduction I
Drill Collars 3
Drill String 4
Drill Collars 5
Standard Design 5
Special Designs 7
Spiral Collars 7
Square Collars 8
Other Special Features 9
Functions IO
Weight on Bit 10
Holding the Drill String Straight 12
Providing a Pendulum Effect 14
Stabilizing the Bit 16
Failures 18
Making a Good Connection 19
Failures with Good Connections 20
Making a Bad Connection 20
Failures with Bad Connections 22
API-Recommended Torque 24
Care and Handling 26
Handling the Collars on the Rack 26
Handling the Collar during Makeup and Breakout 28
Inspection 30
Visual Inspections 30
Magnetic Inspections 3 I
To Summarize 32
Drill String 33
Standard Design 33
ToolJoints 34
API-Recommended Sizes 36
Grades of Drill Pipe 36
Drill String Operating Limits 38
Notch Failure 41
Bent Pipe 44
Corrosion Fatigue 45
Sulfide Stress Cracking 46
III
Care and Handling of the Drill String 49
Thread Protectors 49
Cleaning 50
Inspection 50
Lubricating 54
API-Recommended Torque 55
Making a Good Connection 56
Making a Bad Connection 57
To Summarize 61
Heavy-Walled Drill Pipe 63
Design 63
Function 65
In Transition Zones 65
In Directional Drilling 66
In Straight-Hole Drming in Soft Formations

67
To Summarize 68
Drill String and Drill Collar Auxiliaries 69
To Summarize 73
Appendix: Quick Guide to Problem Solving 74
Glossary 79
Review Questions 99
Answers 104
IV
I.
2.
The drill stem and circulating system
Box and pin ends of collars 3
Figures
3· Tool joints 4
4. Stabbing the pin of one collar into the box of another 5

T
5. The last engaged thread on the pin and the box 6
T
6. Spiral drill collars 7
T
7· Differential sticking 7
8. Square drill collar 8
9. Collar with recess for use with slips and elevators 9
10. Hardbanding on collars 9
11. Two collars with the same inside diameters but different outside
diameters 10
12. The drill string is kept in tension by two opposing forces. 13
13. Gravity pulls the bit to the low side of the hole, producing a
pendulum effect. 15
14- A packed bottomhole assembly 17
15. Tension and compression on drill collars during drilling 18
16. The shoulders form the seal between the two collars. 19
17. If the seal between collar shoulders is broken, drilling fluid leaks
out. 2I
18. Swelled box and swallowed pin 22
19· Galled threads 23
20. Table: Recommended make-up torque 25
2I. Thread protector on collar 27
22. Thread protectors with bails (handles) 27
23· Lifting sub 27
24. A safety clamp is attached to a smooth collar before elevators are
released. 29
25. a. Drill collar slips, b. Slips holding collar in rotary 29
26. A profile gauge is used to check threads on pin. 3 I
27· Pipe upset 34
28. Drill pipe joint 35
29. Drill pipe fatigue 38
30. In a curved well bore, more stress is put on drill pipe. 39
31. A notch or pit concentrates drilling stresses. 41
32. Two types of stress risers 42
33. Drill pipe slips 43
34· Pin and box thread protectors 49
35. Checking the tool joint shoulder for flatness 5I

36. Pin and box benchmarks 52
37· Swelled tool joint box 55
38. A loose joint can allow drilling fluid to leak across threads and
shoulders. 57
v
39· Broken pin 58
40. Fin on pin shoulder 59
41. a. Measuring the number of threads per inch; b. Measuring the
diameter of the bore 60
42. Standard drill pipe joint and heavy-walled drill pipe joint with
center wear pad 63
43. Two types of heavy-walled joints 64
44. Three-point wall contact 66
45· A bit sub 69
46. Stabilizers 71
47. A reamer-stabilizer 7 2
VI
Foreword
F or many years, the Rotary Drilling Series has oriented new

personnel and further assisted experienced hands in the rotary
drilling industry. As the industry changes, so must the manuals in
this series reflect those changes.
The revisions to both text and illustrations are extensive. In
addition, the layout has been "modernized" to make the information
easy to get; the study questions have been rewritten; and each major
section has been summarized to provide a handy comprehension
check for the student.
PETEX wishes to thank industry reviewers-and our read
ers-for invaluable assistance in the revision of the Rotary Drilling
Series. Also, we wish to thank the International Association of
Drilling Contractors (IADC) for their endorsement of the project.
On the PETEX staff, Deborah Caples designed the layout; Doris
Dickey proofread innumerable versions; and Ron Baker served
as content editor for the entire series. Kathy Bork did her usual
superlative job in editing the material.
Although every effort was made to ensure accuracy, this
manual is intended to be only a training aid; thus, nothing in it
should be construed as approval or disapproval of any specific
product or practice.
Sheryl Horton
VII
Acknowledgments
.....
.....
.....
S pecial thanks to Ken Fischer, director, Committee Opera

tions, International Association of Drilling Contractors, who
reviewed this manual and secured other reviewers, and to Kathy
Glass, who kept track of the review process. John Altermann,
Reading & Bates Drilling Company; Tom Smith, Smith Consult
ing Services; Jim Arnold, Salem Investment; and Joey Hopewell,
Delta Drilling Company, provided invaluable suggestions on the
content and language. Without their assistance, this book could
not have been written. In addition, special thanks toJonell Clardy,
who clarified the sometimes diffiicult text with wonderful new
drawings, and to Terry Gregston, for her excellent black and white
photographs.
Sheryl Horton
IX
Units of Measurement
hroughout the world, two systems of measurement dominate:

T the English system and the metric system. To.day, the United
States is almost the only country that employs the English
system.
The English system uses the pound as the unit ofweight, the
foot as the unit of length, and the gallon as the unit of capacity. In
the English system, for example, 1 foot equals 12 inches, 1 yard
equals 36 inches, and 1 mile equals 5,280 feet or 1,760 yards.
The metric system uses the gram as the unit of weight, the
metre as the unit of length, and the litre as the unit of capacity.
In the metric system, for example, 1 metre equals 10 decimetres,
100 centimetres, or 1,000 millimetres. A kilometre equals 1,000
metres. The metric system, unlike the English system, uses a
base of 10; thus, it is easy to convert from one unit to another. To
convert from one unit to another in the English system, you must
memorize or look up the values.
In the late 1 970S, the Eleventh General Conference on Weights
and Measures described and adopted the Systeme International
(SI) d'Unites. Conference participants based the S1 system on
the metric system and designed it as an international standard of
measurement.
The Rotary Drilling Series gives both English and 51 units.
And because the 51 system employs the British spelling of many of
the terms, the book follows those spelling rules as well. The unit
of length, for example, is metre, not meter. (Note, however, that
the unit of weight is gram, not gramme.)
To aid U.S. readers in making and understanding the conver
sion to the 51 system, we include the following table.
x
English-Units-to-SI-Units Conversion Factors
Quantity Multiply To Obtain
or Property English Units English Units By These 51 Units
Length, inches (in.) 254 millimetres (mm)

depth, 2·54 centimetres (cm)
or height feet (ft) 0.3 04 8 metres (m)
yards (yd) 0.9 1 44 metres (m)
miles (mi) 1609.344 metres (m)
1.61 kilometres (km)
Hole and pipe diameters, bit size inches (in.) millimetres (mm)
Drilling rate
feet per hour (ftIh) metres per hour (rnfh)
Weight on bit
pounds (lb) decanewtons (dN)
Nozzle size
32nds of an inch 0.8 rnillimetres (mm)
barrels (bbl) 0.159 cubic metres (m l )
159 litres (L)
gallons per stroke (gal/stroke)

0.00379 cubic metres per stroke (m 3/stroke)
ounces (oz)
29·57 millilitres (mL)
Volume
cubic inches (in. 3)
16.387 cubic centimetres (cm 3)
cubic feet (ft3)

28,3 169 litres (L)
0. 028 3 cubic metres (m 3)
quarts (qt)
0.9464 litres (L)
gallons (gal)
3-7 8 54 litres (L)
gallons (gal)
0.00379 cubic metres (m 3)
pounds per barrel (lb/bbl)

2.895 kilograms per cubic metre (k /m 3)
barrels per ton (bbl/tn)

0.175 f
cubic metres per tonne (m It)
gallons per minute (gpm)

0.00379 cubic metres per minute (m 3/min)
Pump output
gallons per hour (gph)
0.00379 cubic metres per hour (m 3/h)
and flow rate

barrels per stroke (bbl/stroke)
0.159 cubic metres per stroke (m l/stroke)
barrels per minute (bbllmin)

0.159 cubic metres per minute (m 3/min)
Pressure
pounds per square inch (psi)
6.895 kilopascals (kPa)
0. 0068 95 megapascals (MPa)
OF - 32
Temperature
degrees Fahrenheit (oF) degrees Celsius (0C)
1.8
Thermal gradient
1°C per 33 metres
ounces (oz)
28·35 grams (g)
Mass (weight)
pounds (lb)
453·59 grams (g)
0453 6 kilograms (kg)
tons (tn)
0.9 0 7 2 tonnes (t)
pounds per foot (lb/ft)

1488 kilograms per metre (kg/m)
Mud weight
pounds per gallon (ppg)
kilograms per cubic metre (kg/m 3)
pounds per cubic foot (lb/ft 3)

kilograms per cubic metre (kg/m 3)
Pressure gradient
pounds per square inch
per foot (psi/ft)

22.621 kilopascals per metre (kPa/m)
Funnel viscosity
seconds per quart (s/qt)
1.°57 seconds per litre (slL)
Yield point
pounds per 100 square feet (lb/roo ft2)
pascals (Pa)
Gel strength
pounds per 100 square feet (lb/roo ft2)
pascals (Pa)
Filter cake thickness

3211ds of an inch
0.8 millimetres (mm)
Power
horsepower (hp)
0·75 kilowatts (kW)
square inches (in. 2)
645 square centimetres (cm 2)
square feet (ft2)
0.09 29 square metres (m 2)
Area
square yards (yd 2)
0.83 61 square metres (m 2)
square miles (mi 2)
2·59 square kilometres (km 2)
acre (ac)
04 0 hectare (ha)
Drilling line wear
ton-miles (tnemi)
14·317 megajoules (M])
1459 tonne-kilometres (t ekm)
Torque
foot-pounds (ftelb)
newton metres (N em)
Introduction
I n rotary drilling, a crew rotates a bit that drills ahole through the
earth in search ofoil or gas. The crew attaches the bit to a hollow
length of pipe that serves two purposes: it provides the weight to
make the bit dig into the earth's formations, and it provides a pas
sageway to circulate a fluid-drilling mud-to the bit as it rotates.
This drilling mud cools and lubricates the bit and carries the rock
cuttings from the bottom of the hole to the surface (see fig. r).
Surface equipment removes the cuttings and recirculates the clean
mud back down the pipe. As the crew drills deeper into the earth,
crew members add more pipe to that which is connected to the
bit. Before a well is completed, this drill stem may be thousands
of feet long.
Because the drill stem serves two purposes, it consists of,
among other things, two basic types of pipe: the drill string and
the drill collars. These two types ofpipe are similar in that they are
hollow lengths joined together to make one long conduit from the
surface to the bottom of the hole. They are constructed somewhat
differently, however, because they fulfill different functions.
I
SURFACE EQUIPMENT
REMOVES CUTIINGS
Figure [. The drill stem and circulating system
2
INTRODUCTION
Drill collars are heavy-walled metal mbes, usually made ofsteel, that Drill Collars
the crew positions directly above the bitin order to guide, stabilize,
and put weight on it (commonly referred to as WOE-weight on
bit) and to make hole. Manufacmrers cut threads into each end
of a drill collar so that it can be joined with another collar. The
end with the threads cut on the inside, the female end, is called
the box, and the end with the threads cut on the outside, the male
end, is called the pin (fig. 2). The number of drill collars screwed
together and placed on top of the bit depends on the weight
needed to make hole efficiently, the type offormations to be drilled
through, the weight of each drill collar, and other variables. After
the crew attaches the required number of drill collars to the bit,
crew members attach additional pipe to continue the conduit from
the top of the drill collars to the surface; they use the drill string
for this purpose.
BOX PIN
Figure 2. Box and pin ends ofcollars
3
DRILL STRING AND DRILL COLLARS
Drill String Drilling crews use drill string to transmit the rotation of the rotary
table or top drive to the bit and to serve as a conduit for the drilling
fluid. Though the drill string completes the connection between the
drill collars and the surface, the crew does not use it to put weight
on the bit. Since the drill string is not used to put WOE (unless
drilling horizontally, where it is used in compression to push the
bit horizontally through the formation), the pipe body is lighter
and much thinner than the drill collars. The metal wall of the drill
pipe is usually less than halfan inch (12.7 millimetres) thick and too
thin for threads to be cut directly into it. Manufacturers, therefore,
produce short, thick, heavy pieces of pipe called tool joints (see
fig. 3) with threads cut on either the outside or the inside. These
thicker-walled joints are welded to each end of the drill pipe so
that the crew can join the pipes together (see fig. I).
The term "drill string" refers to the coluITU1 of drill pipe with
attached tool joints. The "drill stem" refers to both the drill string
and the drill collars as well as the swivel, kelly, stabilizers, and vari
ous specialty items used for rotary drilling. The drill stem is one
of the most expensive, integral pieces ofrotary drilling equipment.
Consequently, handling it properly and maintaining it in good
condition are priorities for any crew.
Figure 3. TOoljoints
4
Drill Collars
Standard Design
M anufacturers design drill collars for guiding, stabilizing, and
providing weight on the bit. Drill collars are heavy, thick-
walled, metal tubes usually made of steel. They range in weight
from 16 pounds to 379 pounds per foot (2 3.81 kilograms to 564.01
kilograms per metre). Most drill collars are round and are 30 or
}1 feet (9.14 or 945 metres) long. Drilling crews join the required
number of collars by stabbing the pin end of one collar into the
box end of another and screwing them together (fig. 4).
BOX ....
Figure 4. Stabbing the pin of

one collar into the box ofanother
5
The well planner determines how many drill collars are needed
above the bit by taking into consideration how much weight is
needed to drill efficiently and how much each drill collar weighs.
Generally, the bigger a drill collar's outside diameter, the more it
weighs. For example, a 30-foot (9.I4-metre) drill collar with an
outside diameter (OD) of6 inches (I 52-4millimetres) and an inside
diameter (ID), or bore diameter, as it's also called, of 214 inches
(57.15 millimetres) weighs 2490 pounds (1,129 kilograms). On
the other hand, a 3o-foot (9.I4-metre) drill collar joint with an
OD of I I inches (279-4 millimetres) and an ID of 3 inches (76.2
centimetres) weighs 8,843 pounds (4,011 kilograms).
Drill collar ID varies from 2 inches (50.8 centimetres) to 3
inches (76.2 centimetres), but the OD ranges from 4 inches (101.6
centimetres) to I I inches (279-4 centimetres). The well planner
selects the correct OD based on the size of the wellbore, and then
determines the number ofdrill collars needed to provide the proper
weight-on-bit to make hole.
An important factor to consider when connecting collars is the
relationship between the pin and the box. Engineers have learned
to compare the bending strength of the pin near its base (near the
last engaged pin thread, or LET) to the bending strength of the
box near its bottom (near the LET-fig. 5)' In good design, the
bending strength of the box should be 2.5 times greater than the
bending strengtl1 of the pin. (For more information on why this
ratio is important, see pages 18-22.)
DRILL
COLLAR
LAST
ENGAGED
THREAD
DRILL ON PIN
COLLAR
CONNECTION LAST
ENGAGED
THREAD
ON BOX
Figure 5. In a drill
collar connection, the last
engaged thread on the the
pin and the box
6
DRILL COLLARS
Although most collars are round, engineers design some collars to Special Designs
counteract specific problems that can develop while drilling. For
instance, some collars may have spiral grooves machined into the Spiral Collars
outside surface (fig. 6). Drillers sometimes use spiral drill collars in
holes in which the clearance between the drill collar and the wall of
the hole is small and in directional drilling, where the collars will
likely contact the side of the hole, to minimize differential sticking.
Collars with spiral grooves help prevent differential sticking by
reducing the amount of drill collar surface area that contacts the
sides of the hole. Differential sticking is a condition in which the
drill stem becomes stuck against the wall of the wellbore because
of the difference in pressure between the drilling fluid in the well-
bore and that of a permeable formation. The pressure is higher
in the wellbore. Thus, the differential pressure forces some of the
liquid part of the drilling fluid into the permeable formation. This
leaves a layer of concentrated mud solids on the side of the hole.
This layer of mud solids is called filter cake. The lower formation
pressure creates suction that holds the collar against the side of
the hole (fig. 7)' If the pressure differential between the wellbore
and the formation is sufficient and the clearance between the drill
collar and the hole is small, it is easy for the collar to contact the
filter cake and get stuck.
PERMEABLE MUD SOLIDS

FORMATION OR FILTER
CAKE
DRILL
COLLAR
FORMATION
PRESSURE
Figure 6. Spiral drill collars Figure 7. Differential sticking
7
Square Collars Drillers use square drill collars (fig. 8) in an effort to keep the well
bore on as vertical a path as possible. In straight-hole drilling, the
driller attempts to keep the wellbore as vertical as possible until the
target is reached. One phenomenon that assists the driller is the
pendulum effect, or the tendency of the drill stem to hang in a vertical
position because of the force of gravity pulling on the weight of the
drill collars. The heavier the drill collars, the greater the pendulum
effect. Square drill collars have more steel and are thus stiffer and
heavier than round ones. They tend to give, or bend, less than round
collars and produce a greater amount ofpendulum force. Also, each
corner of a square drill collar touches or nearly touches the wall of
the hole as the drill stem rotates. This contact (or near contact) acts
to stabilize the collar, or keep it stiff and straight. With no wobble,
the collar keeps the bit drilling on course.
Figure 8. Square drill collar
8
DRILL COLLARS
In addition to square and spiral drill collars, manufacturers produce Other Special Features
other varieties of drill collar with special features. These special
features include such items as recesses for slips and elevators (fig.
9) and hard banding (fig. 10).
Figure 9. Collar with

recess for use with slips and
elevators
Figure ro. Hardbanding

on collars
9
Functions Astring ofdrill collars-including two or three collars in some areas

or ten times that many in others-performs the following tasks:
I. It provides weight on the bit for drilling.
2. It maintains weight to keep the drill string from being

subjected to buckling forces.
3. It helps provide the pendulum effect which causes the bit
to drill a more nearly vertical hole.
4. It helps support and stabilize the bit so that it will drill
new hole that is aligned with the hole already drilled.
Weight on Bit As already noted, drill collars provide weight on the bit in order
to make the bit gouge into the earth and make hole. The amount
of weight required depends on several factors. The well planner
considers the kind of formations being drilled, the diameter of
the hole, the kind of bit being used to drill, the buoyant effect of
the drilling fluid, the tendency of the hole to deviate from a true
vertical path, and other variables. The correct amount of weight
on the bit helps make for efficient drilling of the hole. The weight
of each drill collar depends on the OD and the ID, or bore, of the
pipe. For example, in figure II, two drill collars have the same ID
but different OD. In this case, the drill collar with the larger OD
is the heavier collar (per foot or metre).
Figure I I. Two collars with

the same inside diameters
but different outside
diameters
10
DRILL COLLARS
The weight or force needed on the bit may be as little as a

few thousand pounds (decanewtons) in the case ofasmall-diameter
hole being drilled with a small bit; the amount may rise to 100,000
pounds (44,5°0 decanewtons) or more in a large-diameter hole
being drilled witl1 a large bit.
The buoyant effect of the drilling fluid in the hole must be
taken into consideration when determining WOB. Just as a boat
floats on water, the drill stem floats in drilling fluid, thereby reduc
ing the amount ofweight on the bit. The denser the drilling fluid,
the greater the buoyant effect, so more drill collars are needed to
provide the same weight on the bit. Drilling crews often use ad
ditional collars to offset this buoyancy. For example, a common
range of WOB is from 30,000 pounds (13,35° decanewtons) to
60,000 pounds (26,700 decanewtons). Acommon drilling fluid used
weighs 10 pounds per gallon (ppg) (1,198.20 kilograms per cubic
metre). A ro-ppg (1,198.2O-kilogram-per-cubic metre) drilling
fluid has a buoyancy factor of 0.847. To account for the buoyant
effect of the drilling fluid, the operator takes the required WOB
and divides it by the buoyancy factor of the mud to arrive at the
air weight ofthe drill collars. For example, suppose that the opera
tor determines that the WOB should be 60,000 pounds (26,700
decanewtons). Further suppose that the crew is drilling with a
10-ppg (1,198.2O-kilograms-per-cubic-metre) drilling fluid. To
determine the weight needed to overcome buoyancy, the operator
would divide 60,000 by 0.847. The quotient (70,838) represents
the air weight of the drill collars needed to put 60,000 pounds of
WOB in 10-ppg drilling fluid.
In SI w1its the operator would divide 26,700 decanewtons by
0.847 to geq 1,52 3.0. Thus, to overcome buoyancy in 1,198.2O-ki
lograms-per-cubic-metre drilling fluid and put 26,7°0 decanewtons
of force on the bit, the collar section in air would have to exert
31,523.0 decanewtons.
The amount of deviation in the wellbore must also be taken
into consideration when determining WOE. The more the hole
deviates from vertical, the greater is the reduction in effective
WOE. For example, in a hole that deviates from vertical by 60°,
the reduction in effective WOB can be as much as 50%. So, de
pending on how much the hole deviates from vertical, the well
planner must increase the number of drill collars to provide the
required WOE.
II
DRILL STRJNG AND DRILL COLLARS
Holding the Drill String In addition to putting weight on the bit to make hole efficiently,
Straight drilling crews must also use the weight of the collars to keep the
drill string above the collars from bending or buckling. If the drill
string is kept in tension, it will not bend or buckle. The drill string
is kept in tension by two opposing forces-the weight of the drill
collars pulling on it from below and the drawworks and drilling
line pulling on it from the surface (fig. 12).
Under normal conditions, the drill pipe string wears more
rapidly near the center of each joint. Bending or buckling increases
the metal fatigue in the center of the joint-that is, bending in
creases the stress factors in the pipe's weakest area. Bending also
forces the drill string to rub against the wall of tl1e hole, which
abrades the sides of the pipe.
Sometimes the driller uses extra weighton the collars to make
sure that the drill string stays straight. When using additional
weight to hold the drill string straight, tl1e driller usually uses
drill collars having a buoyed weight 10% to 30% greater than the
amount needed just to make hole. Providing this extra weight will
help keep the drill string relatively straight as it is rotated.
12
.....- ' r - - - DERRICK
DRILLING
.-+toI';~-:'I--\:--- LINE
DRILL COLLARS
Figure 12. The drill string
is kept in tension by two
opposing forces-the weight
ofthe collars and the pull
ofthe drawworks and the
drilling line.
Providing a Pendulum Drill collar weight also provides a pendulum effect to cause the
Effect bit to drill a more nearly vertical hole. In straight-hole drilling,
the most efficient drilling is that which produces a nearly vertical
path to the target. Any deviation from vertical tends to increase the
cost of the well. Of course, no hole is absolutely vertical from the
surface to completion. Different forces cause the hole to deviate
from vertical. The job of the drilling crew is to keep the wellbore
as vertical as possible.
As stated previously, one phenomenon that assists the driller in
straight-hole drilling is the pendulum effect. The pendulum effect is
the tendency of the drill stem to hang in a vertical position because
of the force of gravity pulling on the drill collars. The heavier the
pendulum, the stronger is its tendency to remain vertical and the
greater is the force needed to cause the drill stem to deviate from
vertical. If the drill stem deviates from a true vertical path, the
force of gravity tends to pull it back toward vertical (fig. 13)' The
bit and drill collars tend to drill on the low side of the hole as they
seek a more nearly vertical path.
The length of the pendulum is that section of the drill collar
string between the bit and the lowest-point tangent to the side of
the hole. The lowest-point tangent to the side of the hole is the
point at which the drill collars first touch the side of the hole or
at which the first stabilizer touches the side of the hole. The drill
ing crew tries to keep this point as high as practical so that the
pendulum will be as long as possible. The longer the pendulum,
the greater is the tendency for the drill stem to seek a vertical posi
tion. There is a limit, however, on the spacing between the bit and
the first stabilizer. If the distance is too great, the drill collars may
buckle. Tables are available to assist in selecting the appropriate
spacing in relation to hole size, drill collar OD and ID, and the
angle of the hole.
The weight, the length, and the stiffness of the pendulum
are important in straight-hole drilling. A stiff drill collar assembly
has a higher point of tangency than a limber one. To achieve both
weight and stiffness, crews use large, heavy drill collars. Undersized
and relatively limber drill collars, with a large clearance between
the OD of the collar and the wall of the hole, make it harder to
keep the hole vertical. Relatively limber drill collar strings tend
to bend or flex near the bit; this bending shortens the pendulum
considerably and increases the deviation from vertical.
Figure 13. Gravity pulls
the bit to the low side ofthe
hole, producing a pendulum
effect.
Stabilizing the Bit Drilling crews use large, heavy, round drill collars with stabilizers
to help stabilize the bit when drilling. They use these collars and
stabilizers to create what is called a packed bottomhole assembly (BHA)
(fig. 14). This term refers to the fact that the round drill collars
with stabilizers in the lower part of the drill collar assembly are
almost the same OD as the bit. In addition, the stabilizers are no
more than Vs inch (3. I 8 millimetres) smaller in diameter than the
hole. In a packed BHA composed of a bit and round drill collars
with three or more stabilizers above it, the crew places the first
stabilizer immediately above the bit, followed by a short, large
diameter drill collar and a second stabilizer. The third stabilizer
is located farther up in the drill collar string.
The use of a packed bottomhole assembly is sometimes re
ferred to as a gun-barrel approach because when the crew uses this
assembly, the bit tends to drill straight ahead in spite of forces
trying to prevent it from doing so. In other words, the assembly
assures that the new wellbore is being drilled in line with the hole
that has already been drilled; it is as straight as the barrel of a gun.
Using a packed bottomhole assembly, or the gun-barrel approach,
keeps the bit from wobbling, or walking, on the bottom ofthe hole.
This approach also keeps the pressure on the cutting structure of
the bit uniform, thereby forcing the bit to cut evenly through the
formation. A bit that is not connected to a packed bottomhole
assembly may drill an oversized hole, produce unusual bit wear,
and slow the rate of penetration. In general, bits drill faster and
last longer when well stabilized.
16
Figure 14. A packed bottomhole assembly
Failures Although drill collars are heavy and stiff, they can fail. A single
8-inch (203.2 millimetre) drill collar on the rack may appear to
be so heavy and stiff that it cannot bend, but when three of the
collars are screwed together and standing in the derrick, a definite
bend is noticeable. In the hole, twenty of these collars may be
stacked into a long and relatively limber column that bends when
compressed by the weight of the entire column. During drilling,
rotational force puts even more stress on the collars. In fact, the
tension and compression put on collars during drilling can result
in cracks and breaks.
In any string of drill collars, the metal fibers on the outer side
of a bend are under tension while the fibers on the inner side of
a bend are under compression (fig. 15)' If the collars are rotated
one-half turn, the fibers that were under tension are put under
compression. In every drill collar rotated in the hole, this continu
ous movement from tension to compression takes place with each
rotation of the drill stem.
In a drill collar, there are two main areas of stress concen
tration-one in the pin, and one in the box (fig. 5). Drill collars
usually fail in the threaded connections because most of the bend
ing stress is concentrated at this point. If the surface of any drill
stem component is cracked, the crack tends to enlarge every time
it comes to the tension side of the bend. Such cracks are called
fatigue cracks.
iz
o
z
o
iii
CJl
w
iii a:
z
w Q.
~ :a
o
u
t
Figure IS. Tension and
PIN
compression on drill collars
during drilling
18
DRILL COLLARS
In order to reduce the number ofdrill collar failures, crew members Making a Good
should make up a drill collar joint correctly-that is, they should Connection
make a goodconnection. They should use the proper torque (the proper
amount of turning force needed to screw the two collars together
as published in API RP 7G Recommended Practices for Drill Stem
Design and Operating limits, 15th ed. and Chapter B of the Interna
tional Association Drilling Contractors (lADC) Drilling Manual,
lIth ed.), proper procedures, and the correct amount oflubricant,
also called thread compound, or dope. In a good connection, tlle
shoulders of the collar support the pin so that it is rigidly held by
the box (fig. 16). In a good connection, the only seal between the
two joints is made between the shoulders of the pin and the box.
The pin and the box serve as a simple screw jack pulling the two
shoulders together very tightly. Unlike the threads in tubing and
casing, which produce a continuous seal, the threads of the collars
do not form a pressure seal. In a good connection, the shoulders
on the collars must be connected with adequate preload, or proper
makeup torque, to produce a seal that will hold even under the
tension and compression put on the drill collars during drilling.
.....,~!!!--- DRILL COLLAR
SHOULDERS MEET
HERE TO FORM SEAL
~;;i;;\----PIN
<;;,.;JIi:._-- BOX
Figure 16. In a drill collar

connection, the shoulders
fo1'7JZ the seal between the
two collars.
failures with Good Even when the crew makes up the drill collars correctly, the drill
Connections collars can sometimes fail. The weakest section in a good connec
tion (fig. 5) may be the narrow cross section in the bottom of a
badly worn box, or a box with low bending strength near the end
of the pin. As mentioned earlier, the bending strength of the box
should be 2V2 times greater than the bending strength of the pin
to withstand the stresses during drilling. During drilling, rotation
of the drill collars puts high cyclic stress on the bottom of the box.
A small crack may form, which can result in a box failure.
Making a Bad A crew can make a bad connection by using too little torque, too
Connection much torque, an inadequate amount of the proper lubricant, or
improper procedures. ~en crew members use too little torque,
tension in drilling can cause an opening between the shoulders of
the pin and the box. As the drill collar above the shoulders bends
to one side, it puts a severe tension load on one side of the collars
and compression on the other. As the drill collar rotates one-half
turn, the side that was in compression is now in tension; the side
that was in tension is now in compression. If the collars were not
made up to the proper torque, this rocking back and forth may
cause a leak between the shoulders. Every time the seal breaks,
drilling fluid passes across the shoulder (fig. 17)'
20
DRILL COLLARS
If drilling fluid passes across the shoulder, three things hap

pen: (I) the lubricant, or dope, between the shoulders washes out;
(2) the surface of the shoulders begins to erode; and (3) if enough
fluid moves through the seal, the lubricant is washed away from
the threads as well as from the shoulders. The crew can recognize
a loose joint when breaking out drill collars because the pin is dry
(no lubricant is present).
FLUID OUT
FLUID OUT
t
z
0
!z
en
z
0
w en(/)
I W
a:
~
c.
2
0
(,)
\
Figure I7. If the seal between collar shoulders is broken, drillingfiuid
leaks out.
21
Failures with Bad "When drilling with an undertorqued connection, failures normally
Connections occur in the first or second thread near the base of the pin (fig. 5);
this thread is often referred to as the last engaged thread, or LET.
Occasionally, however, the box fails-not at the bottom, but 1 V2 to
2 inches (38.1 millimetres to 50.8 millimetres) from the shoulder
at about the third or fourth thread. Such failures occur when the
box cross sections are relatively weak compared to the pin.
Too little torque causes more failures than too much torque,
but too much torque, especially with smaller-sized collars, may
result in failures also. Failures caused by overtorquing occur in
the weaker member-in the LET near the base of the pin or in
the box if the shoulder is small. If the crew makes up the pin and
the box together with too much torque, something will break. The
tongs break, the pulling line breaks, or the box swells (fig. 18) as
the overtorqued pin pushes against it. The pin may actually screw
through the box. Sufficient torque must be used to make a good
connection, but too much torque causes failure.
The shoulder area can be too small to form a good connec
tion because the pin or box has been improperly machined or
because the outside diameter of the box has been severely worn. In
either case, the box shoulder cannot support the bending stresses
imposed on it by the pin because it has a small contact area. This
means that the connection cannot long withstand the forces placed
on it during drilling. The high bending stresses on the box near
the mouth cause the shoulder to shear off and the box to bell and
swallow the pin. (fig. 18).
Figure 18. Swelled box

and swallowed pin
22
DRILL COLLARS
When rotating downhole, drill collars tend to overtighten

when drilling torques are high-that is, they tend to screw together
even more tightly than when they were made up. The result may
be a belled box. Slick thread compounds aggravate this problem
by allowing the connection to be overtorqued more easily. Box
failures of this type are rare if the joint has a good balance between
pin size and the outside diameter of the box. If drill collars with
narrow shoulders must be used, the driller should make sure the
joints are made up to the proper torque, avoid high torques while
drilling, and use a high-quality drill collar thread lubricant.
High stress loads on mating threads and shoulders and in
adequate or improperly applied thread compounds may lead to
galling. Galling occurs when two mating steel surfaces, such as
metallic zinc or copper, not protected by a film oflubricant, freeze
together. When the connection is broken out, the metal is torn
apart and the threads and shoulders are damaged (fig. 19). Galling
at its worst can destroy one or both makeup shoulders and can wipe
out all the threads in a pin or a box. Galling is more frequent on
newly machined surfaces.
Figure 19. Called threads

API-Recommended API RP 7G lists recommended makeup torques for various sizes

Torque of drill collars and types of connections. A common error in deter
mining the makeup torque for a given size and type of drill collar
is to fail to take into account the true outside diameter of the drill
collar after it has worn somewhat. A new drill collar with API NC
56 connections that is 7V2 inches OD x 21'Y16 inches (bore) (190.5
millimetres OD x 71.46 millimetres bore) requires a minimum of
48,22 I foot-pounds (64,414 newton metres, or Nem) of makeup
torque (fig. 20). If it is worn down, however, to a 714-inch (184. I 5
millimetres) OD, the makeup torque should be reduced to a mini
mum of 4°>498 foot-pounds (54,9°7 Nem).
Another common error is to use tool jointspecifications instead
ofdrill collar specifications. AnAPINC46 tool joint that is 6 inches
OD x 31,4 inches bore (152-4 millimetres OD x 82.55 millimetres
bore) requires a minimum of 20,175 foot-pounds (27,353 Nem).
The same-sized thread llsed on a 6 inch x 213/16-inch bore (152-4
millimetres x 71.44 millimetres) drill collar requires a minimum
of 22,426 foot-pounds (30)405 N em) of makeup torque.
API RECOMMENDED PRACTICE 7G
Table I4-Recommended Make-up Torque for Rotary Shouldered Drill Collar Connections
Connection Minimum Make-up Torque, ft-Ib

Size, OD, Bore of Drill Collar, inches
Ill. Type m. 11,4 IY2 1% 2 2lA 2Y2 2L YJ6 3 33,4
4 Y2 Extra Hole 5% *17,73 8 *17,73 8 *17,73 8 *17,73 8

API NC 46 6 *23>4 22 *23>4 22 22,4 26 20,3 I I
4 API IF 6lA 28,021 25,67 6 22,4 26 20,3 I I
4 Y2 Semi IF 6Y2 28,02 I 25,67 6 22,4 26 20,3 I I
5 Dbl. Streamline 634 28,021 25,67 6 22>4 26 20,3 I I
4Y2 Mod. Open
Source: API RP 7G, 15th ed.January 1, 1995. Reprinted courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
RECOMMENDED PRACTICE FOR DRILL STEM DESIGN AND OPERATING LIMITS
Table lo-Recommended Minimum OD and Make-up Torque of Weld-on Type Tool]oints
Based on Torsional Strength of Box and Drill Pipe
(I) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8)

(9) (10) (II) (12) (13)
Premium Class Class 2
Min Min
Box Box
Shoulder Make-up Shoulder Make-up
Drill Pipe Min with Torque Min with Torque
Type New Tool]oint Data aD Eccen for Min on Eccen for Min
Nom Nom Upset New New Make-up Tool tric on Tool Tool tric on Tool
Size Wt and on In Torque Joint Wear Joint Joint Wear Joint
JJ1. lblft Grade Conn. 111. m. ft-lb m. m. ft-lb JJ1. m. ft-lb
4 14.00 IV 105 NC4° 5 V2 2'l"16 18,068 P 5 %2 12,5 69 429/32 lY64 10,768
7 7/
14-°0 EU l0S NC46 6 3I,4 20, I75 P 5 / 16 32 12,8 I 3 51Y32 1%4 10,647
14.00 IV 105 4 H9° 5V2 213/16 2I,224 P 5Y32 7/32 12,481 51/ 32 ¥i6 Il,065
Source: APT RP 7G, 15th ed.January I, 1995. Reprinted courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
RECOMMENDED PRACTICE FOR DRILL STEM DESIGN AND OPERATING LIMITS
Table 14-Recommended Make-up Torque for Rotary Shouldered Drill Collar Connections
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)
Connection Minimum Make-up Torque ft-Ib

Size OD, Bore of Drill Collar, inches
In. Type In. zlA ZY2 Z13/16 3 3lA 3Y2 334
API NC 56 7 JA *4°,49 8 *40,49 8 *4°>49 8 *4°>49 8
7Y2 *49,060 *48,221 *45,680 *4 z ,05 8
734 *SZ, JI 5 *48,22 I *45,680 *4 z ,05 8
8 *5 Z ,115 *48,221 *45,680 *4 z ,05 8
Source: API RP 7G, 15th ed.January 1, 1995. Reprinted courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
Figure 20. Table: Recommended make-up torque

Care and Handling Because collars are such an expensive part of the drilling equip
ment, the crew must keep them in good condition and handle
them properly to lengthen their life. Crew members must treat
the collars with care not only when they are making them up and
breaking them out, but also when they are storing them and mov
ing them about the rig.
Handling the Collars Drill collars are heavy and awkward to move around the rig. The
crew must be very careful to prevent damage to the threaded ends
and shoulders. Putting the heavy collars down on unprotected
threads or knocking the threads with another collar can easily
damage them. Crew members should keep thread protectors (fig.
2I) on both ends of the collar when they move the collars around
the rack and across the catwalk. Some thread protectors have bails,
or handles (fig. 22), which make it easier for crew members to pick
up the collar. Regardless of how collars are moved, the thread
protectors should be in place first.
VVhen crew members are ready to move the collars through
the V-door, they use a lifting sub or nipple (fig. 23) screwed onto
the collars if the collars do not have recesses. Unless manufactured
with recesses, collars require either subs or nipples to provide a
place for the elevators to attach. Before using subs or nipples,
however, crew members should check the threads and the shoulder
on the subs or nipples to be sure they are clean and that they fit
the collar.
Before a drill collar can be made up to another one, crew
members should make sure that the threads are clean and dry and
that they are not rusted. Keeping the threads clean increases the
life of the connections by eliminating any abrasive materials that
can damage the threads. Crew members should also inspect the
collar to make sure that it is not damaged. A damaged drill collar
should never be run into the hole. The drilling crew should regularly
inspect the collars to make sure they are in good condition. Even
slight damage can cause problems downhole. (For more details on
inspecting the drill collars, see Inspection in this book.)
Figure 2I. ThTead protectoT on col/aT
Figure 22. Thread protectors with bails Figure 23. Lifting sub
(handles)
Handling the Collar After crew members have made sure that a collar is clean and in good
during Makeup and condition, they can make it up to the bit or to another collar. They
Breakout should apply a good coating of thread compound, or dope, to the
threads and shoulders. This lubricant, normally a soft metallic com
ponent like copper or zinc in a grease base, lubricates and separates
mating threads and shoulders in spite of the high stresses put on them
during makeup and while drilling. It also makes it easier to screw the
two joints of collar together. Crew members should never dilute or
thin the thread component because this will reduce the percentage
of metallic component and thus increase the chances of galling the
threads. Because many cleaning fluids used on the collars can dilute
the lubricant, crew members should make sure that the collar threads
are completely dry before applying the compound.
The crew should take great care not to damage the threads
or shoulder when stabbing the pin into the box. Dropping the pin
onto the box shoulder or jarring the threads during makeup can
cause severe damage.
After stabbing the pin of one collar into the box of another,
crew members hand-tighten the two collars together by "walking
in" the one on top while the rotary keeps the lower one stationary.
Hand-tightening the collars before making them up to final torque
helps preserve the threads. The crew should hand-tighten the col
lars using the chain tongs rather than the spinning chain because
the spinning chain would spin too fast and possibly gall the threads.
Also, the collars are so big and heavy that it is easier for the crew to
hand-tighten them by holding the top collar with tongs and walk
ing around the rotary turning the top collar until it is screwed into
the bottom collar. On some rigs the crew uses a spinning wrench
to make up the collars hand-tight. The crew can use the spinning
wrench only on collars tha tare not over 9Va inches (242.3 millimetres)
in diameter. If the outside diameter of the collar is larger than 9Ys
inches (242.3 millimetres), the wrench will not fit around it.
To make up the drill collars to the final recommended torque,
the crew uses the breakout tongs and the cathead. The drill collars
are so heavy that they require a great deal ofpulling force to be made
up to proper torque. The breakout cathead uses a very strong cable
attached to the end of the breakout tongs. Cable is stronger than
chain and is therefore less likely to break. In addition, the breakout
cathead and cable are located well away from the driller. Thus, if
there is a break in the cable, the driller will not be in danger. If crew
members used the makeup cathead and tongs, they would be using a
chain instead ofa cable and would be much closer to the driller-too
close for safety. Drill collar connections should never be made up
28
DRILL COLLARS
or broken out by turning the rotary because the rotary spins the
collars with too much force and the collars can be damaged. After
crew members have broken a connection using the tongs, they may
then use the rotary to finish spinning it out.
After crew members make a connection, they are ready to
lower the collar into the hole and attach another one. They attach
the elevators to a lifting sub that is made up to the top of the col
lar that is above the rotary table and lower the collar through the
rotary. If the outside of the collar is smooth, crew members attach
a safety clamp to the collar before releasing the elevators (fig. 24).
The clamp holds the collar in the rotary should the slips fail. If
the collar has slip recesses, the clamp is not needed. The slips are
used to hold the collar in the rotary (fig. 25). Once the collar is
secure, crew members are ready to repeat the process until all the
collars are connected.
Figure 24. A safety clamp is attached to

a smooth collar before elevators are
released.
b. Slips holding collar in rotary

Hgure 25.
Inspection Special contractors and inspection crews inspect drill collars for
damage on aregular schedule. Carefully performed field inspections
can help minimize downhole failures. The frequency ofinspection
depends on the type of drilling being done. Experience is the best
teacher for how frequently the inspection crew should inspect the
drill collars. Once a month is a fairly typical inspection schedule,
but the schedule can be adjusted depending on the number ofcracks
found or the number of failures occurring. If the inspection crew
finds from one to three cracks each inspection, then once a month
is frequent enough. If more than three are found, they should in
spect more frequently. Crew members can also make unscheduled
inspections when the collars have been used long enough to form
fatigue cracks or any other damage that may be worsened downhole
during drilling and cause the collar to fail.
Visual Inspections API RP 7G, section la, gives recommendations for drill collar
inspection. The collars should be inspected to determine overall
condition and obvious damage. Inspection crew members should
then measure the outside and inside diameters of both ends to
determine whether the outside of the collar is worn. Remember,
the drilling crew must know the exact aD, ID, and style of con
nection (the type, size, and pitch of the threads) before looking up
the recommended makeu p torque in API RP 7G. The drilling crew
must also know the OD, ID, and style of connection to determine
if the shoulders are adequate to form a good seal between the drill
collars and to make sure that the bending strength ratio between
the box and the pin has not fallen below 2.50.
The inspection crew should use a profile gauge to make sure
the threads on the pin have not been stretched or worn (fig. 26).
Stretched or worn threads may not hold the shoulders together
well enough to form a good seal during drilling.
Inspection crew members should also make sure that the box
diameter is not swollen and that the box and pin shoulders are flat
and free from any damage. The inspection crew can repair slight
damage to shoulders by refacing and beveling shoulders. If exten
sive damage is found, however, the drill collar must be repaired
in a machine shop.
3°
DRILL COLLARS
Figure 26. A profile

gauge is used to check
threads on pin.
In addition to visually inspecting the pin and box for any signs Magnetic Inspections
of damage, the inspection crew should inspect the drill collars
magnetically. Magnetic inspection can find cracks not easily seen.
The inspection crew magnetizes the collar with an electric coil.
Next, crew members spray the ends of the magnetized collars with
a fluid containing fine iron filings coated with a fluorescent dye.
The filings are attracted to any notch or crack. The inspection
crew then uses an ultraviolet (black) light under a hood to see if
any cracks or notches are present.
Remember, the inspection crew can repair slight damage to
shoulders by refacing and beveling them. If extensive damage is
found, the collar must be repaired in a machine shop.
31
To summarize-
Main functions ofdrill collars
• To put WOB in order to make hole
• To keep the drill string from buckling
• To provide the pendulum effect in straight-hole drilling
• To force the bit to drill a hole that is aligned with the hole already
drilled
1Jpes ofdrill collar design
• Standard-30- or 3I-foot (9.144- or 9.44-metre) steel pipe with
ends threaded in either a box or a pin configuration
• Special-square collars for extremely crooked hole drilling; spiral
collars to prevent differential sticking; collars with recesses for
slips and elevators
Causes ofdrill collar failures
• Using the improper amount of torque
• Using collars with damaged threads
• Using collars with shoulder size inadequate for a good con
nection
• Using inadequate amount or incorrect type oflubricant
• Using improper procedures during makeup or breakout
• Improper cleaning
• Not using protectors on collars when moving them about the
rIg
• Not handling the collars properly when moving them about
the rig
Steps in visual inspection ofdrill collars
• Measure the outside and inside diameters of both ends
• Measure the OD to determine wear, and measure OD and ID
to check for proper makeup torque and bending strength ratio
• Measure threads on pin to determine whether they have been
stretched and, if so, how much
• Check the outside diameter of the box to make sure it is not
swollen or damaged
• Reface and bevel the shoulder if only slightly damaged
Steps in magnetic inspection ofdrill collars
• Magnetize collar with electric coil
• Spray ends with fluid containing fine iron filings coated with a
fluorescent dye
• Use an ultraviolet light under a hood to see if any cracks or
notches are present
T
T
32
Drill String
U nlike drill collars, the drill string is not ordinarily used to put
weight on the bit. (The drill string is, however, sometimes
used to putweighton the bit in horizontal drilling.) The drill string
is made of steel or aluminum and is normally used for two basic
purposes: to serve as a conduit, or conductor, for the drilling fluid;
and to transmit the rotation of the rotary table or top drive to the
bit on bottom. Since it is not exclusively used to put weight on
the bit, the drill string' is smaller and lighter than the drill collars.
In addition, in straight-hole drilling, it is suspended in the hole
under tension, not compression. It is kept in tension by two op
posing forces-the weight of the collars pulling on it from below
and the hoist, line, and blocks pulling on it from the surface (fig.
12). Keeping the drill string in tension prevents it from bending
and buckling and prolongs its life.
Manufacturers design the drill string so that it can withstand some Standard Design
of the most complex stresses encountered during drilling. Relative
to a drill collar, the drill string is small and thin, yet it can withstand
powerful forces. Basically, the drill string is a column, or string,
of drill pipe with attached tool joints. Most drill pipe is steel that
is forged into a solid bar and then pierced to produce a seamless
tube. Because the wall of the tube is relatively thin, usually less
than Y2 inch (12.7 millimetres) thick, the manufacturer cannot cut
threads into it. To solve the problem of providing threaded ends
so that the pipes can be screwed together, manufacturers produce
tool joints.
33
Tool Joints The tool joint is a separate piece of metal welded onto the seamless
drill pipe to produce the characteristic bulge at each end (fig. 3).
The wall of the tool joint is thick enough to have the pin or the box
cut into it.
To prepare the drill pipe for welding, the manufacturer first
heats the ends of the pipe and then strikes the heated end force
fully. These heavy end-on blows thicken the hot steel in the pipe
ends. Manufacturers call the thickened ends "upsets." The pipe
maker thickens the last 3 to 6 inches (76.2 to 1524 millimetres)
of each end of the pipe to make it stronger.
Manufacturers produce drill pipe with different types of
upsets. Some have an internal upset; that is, the bore of the drill
pipe is reduced. Viewing the pipe from the outside reveals no
thickened areas. Smaller pipes have an external upset. These pipes
have increased outer diameters (fig. 27). The internal diameter, or
bore, of the pipe is not reduced. Most drill pipe comes with both
internal and external upsets.
LARGER PIPE SMALLER PIPE
( . . - - - - BOX - - - 4 " " ' ,

JOINT
TOOL
JOINT
TOOL BOX
JOINT
BOX
~ 1B·ELEVATOR
SHOULDER
EXTERNAL
+- OUTSIDE _ - - UPSET
INTERNAL DIAMETER
UPSET
INTERNAL
- - - - - DIAMETER ----Ht-~
(BORE)
Internal upset External upset
Figure 27. Pipe upset
34
DRILL STRING
Once the ends ofthe drill pipe are upset, the manufacturer
welds the cylindrical tool joints to the upset ends by spinning 18° ELEVATOR
SHOULDER
the tool joint at a high rate of speed on a flywheel while the
joint is touching the upset end of the pipe. Placing the upset
end of the pipe against the spinning tool joint creates enough
heat to weld the two together. This type ofwelding is referred
to as friction welding, or inertia welding.
The wall ofthe tool joint is about 2 inches (So millimetres)
thick and about a foot (a third of a metre) long. Each tool joint
pin and box includes the tong area and the elevator shoulder.
The tong area refers to that part of the joint to which drill
ing crews attach the tongs that make up or break out the tool ! HARDFACING
joints. Pipe manufacturers machine and shape the tool joint

and cut threads into it to make one end of the pipe a pin and
the other end a box (fig. 28).
Manufacturers produce some tool joints with hardfacing
on the joint's exterior (fig. 28). When correctly applied, hard
facing may greatly increase tl1e life of a tool joint. 1001 joints
tend to wear more rapidly when rotating through a dogleg
or a curved portion of the hole. An abrasive formation can
reduce the size of the tool joint and weaken it. The hardfac
ing on the tool joint can withstand abrasive wear much better
than ordinary steel surfaces can and thus can prolong the life
of the tool joint.
Manufacturers also produce tool joints with tapered eleva
tor shoulders so that the pipe can more easily slide past doglegs
and curves in the wellbore. Figure 28 indicates the tapered
shoulders of a box and pin. Normally, the shoulder of the box
has an 18° taper. Years ago API recommended that the pin
shoulder should also be tapered to 18°. Producing this gradual
taper on the pin, however, increased the pin length. Adding to /
the length of either the pin or the box increases the cost of the PIN
TONG
joint. For years, the industry agreed that only the box needed ] AREA
the 18° taper. Thus, API recommended a compromise taper
of 35° for pin shoulders. With more horizontal drilling tak
ing place and extended-reach wells getting longer and longer,
however, the need for an 18° pin shoulder has become more
apparent. Pin shoulders with this degree of taper reduce the 35° ELEVATOR
SHOULDER
drag on drill pipe during trips out of the hole. API has now
agreed to make 18° pin shoulders an acceptable option.
Figure 28. Drill pipe joint
35
API-Recommended Sizes Each piece ofdrill pipe (excluding the tool joint) mayhave an outside
diameter ranging from 2318 to 6V!l inches (6.03 centimetres to 16.83
centimetres). Not only does the aD of drill pipe vary, but also the
length of the pipe. Manufacturers make drill pipe in one of three
API-recommended ranges of lengths. Range I lengths vary from
18 to 22 feet (5-49 to 6.71 metres). If a pipe measures, for example,
20 feet (6 metres) long, it would be range I length. Range 2 lengths
fall within 27 to 30 feet (8.23 to 9.14 metres). Range 3 lengths are
from 38 to 45 feet (II'58 to 13.72 metres). Manufacturers produce
these three ranges of lengths because derrick heights vary. The
drilling contractor must be able to buy drill pipe lengths that make
into stands of a height that fit inside the derrick. For example, in a
156-foot (48-metre) derrick, the drilling crew can nm three-joint
stands ofdrill pipe (called thribbles) which total around 90 feet (27-4
metres). The drilling crew needs plenty of height above the stand
to be able to manipulate it in the derrick. The contractor would, in
this case, choose range 2 drill pipe, since range 2 pipe is from 27 to
30 feet (8.23 to 9.14 metres) long. The most commonly used length
of drill pipe is the range 2 length. Most derricks are from 125 to 150
feet (38.1 to 45.72 metres) tall, which allows a three-joint stand of
30-foot (about 9-metre) joints to fit into the derrick.
Grades of Drill Pipe Manufacturers produce drill pipe according to API specifications
concerningyield and tensile strengths. Minimum yieldstrength refers
to the specific value at which the pipe will permanently distort.
Minimum tensile strength refers to a specific value at which the
pipe will snap, or pull apart. Drilling contractors determine what
type drill pipe tl1ey need based on the conditions they expect to
encounter downhole. The depth of the hole is the primary factor
for determining what grade drill pipe is needed. Other factors
include whether or not the hole is straight or directional and the
type of formations being drilled.
Most present-day seamless drill pipe falls into one of four
API grades
£-75, with a minimum yield strength of 75,000 psi (517.125
megapascals-MPa), a maximum yield strength of
105,000 psi (723.975 MPa), and a minimum tensile
strength of 100,000 psi (689,5 MPa);
X-95, with a minimum yield strength of 95,000 psi (655.025
MPa), a maximum yield strength of 125,000 psi (86 1.875
MPa), and a minimum tensile strength of 105,000 psi
(723.975 MPa);
DRILL STRING
G-105, with a minimum yield strength of 105,000 psi

(723.975 MPa), a maximum yield strength of 135,000
psi (93°.825 MPa), and a minimum tensile strength of
II 5,000 psi (792.925 MPa); and
5-135, with a minimum yield strength of 135,000 psi

(93°.825 MPa), a maximum yield strength of 165,000
psi (II 37.675 MPa), and a minimum tensile strength of
145,000 psi (999.775 MPa).
"What these grades tell the drilling crew is the force at which
the drill pipe will be damaged in some way. The standard grades of
pipe have a range of yield strengths (minimum to maximum) but
only one minimum tensile strength. E-7 5 includes all drill pipe with
a minimum yield strength falling somewhere between 75,000 psi
(517.125 MPa) and 105,000 psi (723.975 MPa), but whose mini
mum tensile strength is 100,000 psi (689,5 MPa). If drill pipe has
a minimum yield strength of say, 85,000 psi (586.075 MPa) and a
minimum tensile strength of 100,000 psi (689,5 MPa), it would be
classified as E-7 5 pipe. If, however, it had a minimum yield strength
of 100,000 psi (689.5 MPa) with a minimum tensile strength of
105,000 psi (72 3.975 MPa),itwould be classified asX-95. Obviously,
the higher grade steel pipes have higher yield and tensile strengths
and can withstand much more force than the lower grades.
Because of deeper drilling and higher stress levels, a non
standard (i.e., non-API) higher strength drill pipe has been de
veloped-V-150 with a minimum yield and tensile strength of
15°,000 psi (1°34.25 MPa).
In addition to yield and tensile strength, API also provides
tables reflecting the torsional yield strength, burst strength, and col
lapse strength of the four standard grades of pipe. The torsional
yield strength of drill pipe is the amount of twisting force a pipe
can withstand before twisting off-that is, twisting until it snaps
apart. The torsional strength of the pipe itself is usually less than
that of the tool joints except when a high-strength drill string is
used (all grades above E-75 are considered high-strength).
The burst strength of drill string is the amount of internal
pressure that a pipe can withstand before it bursts or springs a leak.
The bursting pressure on a drill string in a well is the sum of the
pump pressure applied at the top of the string and the hydrostatic
pressure developed by the liquid inside the pipe at a particular
depth. Ifthe drill string is open at the bottom, hydrostatic pressures
inside and outside the pipe are balanced at any depth.
The collapse strength of drill string is the amount of external
pressure that a pipe can withstand before it collapses or caves in.
37
Drill String Even though the drill string is manufachlred according to certain
tested yield and tensile strengths, it is well known that the metal in
Operating Limits
the pipe is subjected to greater stresses under dynamic conditions
in the well than under the static conditions of the lab. Steel has,
however, the capability of absorbing cycles of stress for an infinite
number of reversals if the stress is kept under a certain limit. This
limit is referred to as the endurance or fatigue limit of the steel. If the
stress never exceeds that point, any number of cycles will not cause
the pipe to fail. It is difficult to measure precisely the fatigue limit
of drill pipe because of the various stresses that can be encountered
while drilling. It is, however, presumed to be approximately one
third to one-half the minimum tensile strength of the pipe.
Drilling beyond the fatigue or endurance limit will, depend
ing on the number of cycles of stress, eventually cause the pipe to
fail. To illustrate this point, consider bending a wire coat hanger
back and forth with your hands. If you bend it only slightly, you
can bend it forever without breaking the wire. Repeatedly bending
it back and forth to a much greater degree will cause this wire to
deform and eventually to break, however.
The fatigue in any metal is progressive. Alternating stresses
create heat in the section ofmeta1that is moving back and forth and
reduce the strength of the metal. Submicroscopic cracks form that
eventually unite until a crack becomes visible. The crackisnormally
90° to the stress. Thus, drill pipe fatigue failures are circumferential
or transverse-that is, they go around tl1e pipe (fig. 29).
Figure 29. Drill pipe

fatigue
,
DRILL STRING
Rotating the drill string in a straight hole normally keeps

the pipe well under the fatigue limit. But drill pipe is subjected to
cyclical stresses of tension, compression, and torsion, particularly
in doglegs and deviated holes. In fact, the major factor in fatigue
related failures is cyclic bending, which occurs when pipe is rotated
in a hole that changes direction. Bending the pipe and rotating it at
the same time in a curved hole submits the pipe to alternate cycles
of bending or compression and tension. With each rotation, the
side of the pipe that was under tension is put under compression
and the side that was under compression is under tension (fig. 30).
Obviously, the greater the curve in the hole, the greater the levels
of stress on the drill string.
MOST STRESS
ON DRILL STRING
HERE (UPSET
RUNOUTj
TOOL
JOINT
z
o
z
en
CJ)
o w
enz IX:
c..
w :2:
I o
U
Fig;ure 30. In a curved

wellbore, more stress is put
on drill pipe. The greater
the curve, the greater the
amount oftension and
compression.
39
The maximum stress on the drill pipe occurs at the upset

runout, that is, where the upset ends and the nominal wall of the
pipe meet. The tool joint is strong so the most bending occurs in
the relatively thin pipe wall.
The amount of fatigue damage to the pipe depends on several
factors:
1. the tensile load in the pipe at the dogleg. Tensile load
refers to the amount of tension, or pull, on the pipe;
2. the severity of the dogleg (usually expressed as degrees
per 100 feet);
3. the number of cycles (number of rotations) in each dog
leg;
4. the dimensions and properties of the pipe; and
5. the corrosibility of the environment. A very corrosive
drilling fluid will drastically shorten pipe life.
Ifdrill pipe is damaged while rotating through a dogleg, the damage
is permanent. Repetitive stresses accumulate and will eventually
cause failure. Drill pipe may be damaged on one hole but not fail
immediately. The failure can occur later and far from the position
in the drill string where the trouble started, or the drill pipe may
fail in subsequent wells.
In addition to the pipe's failing as a result of metal fatigue,
factors such as imperfections in the steel and bent pipe can increase
the likelihood of failure.
DRILL STRING
Surface imperfections in the drill pipe metal greatly affect the Notch Failure
fatigue limit of the metal. Imperfections can be mechanical ( i.e.,
notches or pits) or metallurgical (defects in the steel itself). Anotch
or pit concentrates the stresses encountered during drilling and
speeds the breakdown of the metal structure (fig. 3I). They are,
therefore, referred to as stress risers, or stress concentrators. "Where
the notch or pit appears on the drill pipe determines how much it
will affect tlle fatigue limit of the pipe. If a notch is on a portion
of drill pipe not subject to stress, the notch has little effect. If a
notch is within 20 inches (50.8 centimetres) of a tool joint (in the
pipe's upset runout), where maximum bending takes place, it can
form the nucleus of an early fatigue break.
~I---- DRILL STRING
NOTCH
OR
PIT
\-+----UPSET RUNOUT
TOOL JOINT
Figure 3 I. A notch or pit

concentrates drilling stresses.
The shape and type of notch or scratch is also important. A

longitudinal notch (fig. 32), an extensive saucer with a rounded
bottom, will distribute the stress and be relatively harmless whereas
a minute scratch with a sharp bottom will act as a stress riser and
lead to failure.
Some steel is more sensitive to notches than other steel;
notched brittle steel fails more quickly than ductile steel.
Various surface dents and scratches that can cause eventual
drill pipe failure include the following:
I. tong marks;
2. slip marks, cuts, and scratches;
3. spinning chain marks and scratches;
4. stencil markings;
5. hammer marks;
6. corrosion grooves caused by rubber protectors;
7. electric arc burns; and
8. downhole notching caused by formation and junk cuts.
V SHAPED LONGITUDINAL
STRESS NOTCH
RISER LESS
MORE HARMFUL
HARMFUL
Figure 32. Two types of

stress risers: notched (left)
and longitudinal (right)
DRILL STRING
Of all these defects, tong marks, although rare, are probably the
most damaging marks produced on drill pipe in the field. They are
long, deep, and frequently sharp. Because such notches are longi
tudinal, they may not lead to notch failure. Even a slight deviation
from vertical in the wellbore, however, can change the stress on
the pipe and longitudinal notches can become stress concentrators.
A change in the wellbore from vertical alters the stress along the
defect from longitudinal to transverse. Tongs, therefore, should
be applied to the tool joint, never to the body of the drill pipe,
because the tool joint is thicker and more resistant to failure than
is the pipe itself. In addition, applying tongs to the drill pipe body
may crush the pipe as well as notch it.
Rotary slips are made with fine serrations (fig. 33) and are used
to hold the pipe in place and to prevent it from slipping down into
the hole when a connection is being made or broken out. The slips
can, however, score the pipe if they are misu"eated, worn, or care
lessly handled. Slips with worn, mismatched, incorrectly sized, or
improperly installed gripping elements (called dies) can allow one
or two teeth or portions of the teeth to catch the full load of the drill
string, thereby causing deep notching and potentia] failure.
Figure 33.
..
" :
a. Drill pipe slips
b. Slips holding drill

string in the hole
43
Inasmuch as any transverse mark can be a dangerous stress

concentration point, it is not surprising that steel stencil marks
can be the start of fatigue when parts of the letter are transverse
to the pipe and the steel stamp is in the wrong place. Never steel
stencil on the drill pipe tube.
Corrosion at the top of rubber drill pipe protectors can pro
duce a circumferential groove. These grooves can lead to failure.
Modern protectors are designed to minimize this risk. Because the
protectors usually produce the grooves when they are left on the
pipe while the pipe is in storage, the International Association of
Drilling Contractors (lADC) recommends removing them before
placing pipe in storage.
Welders sometimes attach the ground lead to the pipe rack
instead of to the material being welded. This action is particularly
dangerous in that the subsequent arcing between the rail and the
drill pipe goes unnoticed. This arcing pits the pipe. Though these
pits are small, they are surrounded by a wide band of burned metal
that is as hard as glass and very prone to rapid fatigue failure.
Bent Pipe It is very important that the drilling crew not run bent or crooked
pipe into the hole. A crooked joint of pipe is always a potential
failure. A crooked kelly can cause bending in the first joint of drill
pipe below the rotary table. If the stress is great enough, failure will
occur. Having a crown block off center because the mast or derrick
is not plumb can also cause pipe failure because the off-center block
throws bending stresses into the kelly and the drill string.
44
DRILL STRING
Corrosion is the alteration and degradation of material caused Corrosion Fatigue

by its environment. Corrosion fatigue, or metal failure due to a
corrosive environment, is a common cause of drill stem failures.
With water-based drilling fluid, the chief corrosive agents of drill
pipe are dissolved gases (oxygen, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen
sulfide), dissolved salts, and acids.
Most modern drill pipe is made with a thermally baked
plastic coating applied to the inner surface to minimize corrosion
pitting. Wirelines and tools in the drill string bore tend to rupture
or destroy the plastic coating that protect the pipe.
Among the many factors affecting corrosion rates of drill
pipe are the following:
I. pH. pH is a scale for measuring the hydrogen ion con
centration of a particular environment. The pH scale is
logarithmic; that is, each pH increment of 1.0 represents
a tenfold change in hydrogen ion concentration. The pH
of pure water is 7.0. pH values below 7 are increasingly
acidic, and pH values greater than 7 are increasingly al
kaline. In the presence of dissolved oxygen, the corrosion
rate of steel in water is relatively constant between pH
4.5 and 9.5· The corrosion rate increases rapidly at lower
pH values and decreases slowly at higher pH values. In
drilling, the pH level rarely falls below 7. Most problems
occur at pH levels between 7 and r o. 5.
2. Iemperature. In general, corrosion rates increase with
increasing temperature.
3. Velocity. In general, corrosion rates increase with higher
rates of fluid flow through the pipe.
4- Heterogeneity. In general, the more uniform the grain
structure of a pipe, the less will be the corrosive effect of
the environment. Localized variation in composition or
microstructure of the metal-that is, corrosion in small,
well-defined areas-may increase the corrosion rates.
5. High stresses. Highly stressed areas may corrode faster
than areas of lower stress. The highest bending stresses
occur in doglegs, where the tension is highest.
45
Corrosion can take many forms and may combine with

other destructive processes-erosion, abrasive wear, and notch
failures-to cause severe damage. Several forms of corrosion may
occur at the same time, but one type will usually predominate.
The following forms of corrosion are most often encountered
with drill pipe:
I. Uniform, or general, attack. In this type of corrosion, the
pipe corrodes evenly, usually leaving a coating of corro
sion products (e.g., iron oxide, or rust).
2. Pitting, or localized, attack. In this type of corrosion, the
pipe corrodes in small, well-defined areas, causing pits
to form. These pits may vary in number, depth, and size;
they may also be obscured by corrosion products. A drill
stem inspection crew can detect pitting with magnetic
inspection (see section on magnetic inspection for de
tails). Pits can serve as points of origin for fatigue cracks
and lead to washouts. A washout is a place where a small
opening has occurred in the pipe, usually as a result of
a fatigue crack's penetrating the pipe wall and allowing
drilling fluid through it.
3. Corrosion fatigue. In a corrosive environment, no fatigue
limit exists, since failure will ultimately occur from cor
rosion, even in the absence of cyclic stress. The cumula
tive effect of corrosion and cyclic stress is greater than
the sum of the damage from each. The endurance limit,
or fatigue threshold, will always be lower in a corrosive
environment, even under mildly corrosive conditions that
show little or no visible evidence of corrosion.
Sulfide Stress Cracking When drilling through HzS environments, sulfide stress cracking
(SSC)-a form of hydrogen embrittlement-is a frequent cause
of drill stem failure (see appendix figs. 56, 57)' Both stress and the
absorption of hydrogen in the presence of hydrogen sulfide are
involved in this type of failure.
Atomic hydrogen, the smallest of atoms, is a product of most
corrosion reactions. !tcan be absorbed byand diffused through steel
and other metals. Normally, the hydrogen atoms quickly combine to
form molecular hydrogen, which is too large to be absorbed by the
metal and bubbles off as a gas. In the presence of sulfide, however,
the hydrogen remains in tl1e atomic form for a considerably longer
time and therefore has a greater probability of being absorbed by
the pipe. After being absorbed, the hydrogen tends to accumulate
DRILL STRING
in the area of maximum stress and, when a critical concentration

is reached, a small crack forms. The hydrogen accumulates at the
top of the crack and the crack grows. This process continues until
the remaining metal cannot sustain the applied load and a sudden
brittle fracture occurs.
The degree of tl1is effect on a piece of steel is determined by
the concentration of hydrogen, the strength of the steel, applied
stress on the steel, and the time of exposure:
I. Strength ofthe steel. Generally, the higher the strength
(grade) of the steel, the greater is its susceptibility to SSe.
The lowest strength drill pipe capable of withstanding the
required drilling conditions should be used.
2. IOtal tensile load (stress) on the steel. The higher the total
tensile load on the pipe, the greater is the possibility
of failure by SSe. Each grade of steel has a critical, or
threshold, stress below which SSC will not occur; how
ever, the higher the grade, the lower the threshold stress.
3. Amount ofatomic hydrogen and HzS. The higher the
amount of atomic hydrogen and HzS present, the shorter
the time before failure.
4- Time. Time is required for atomic hydrogen to be ab
sorbed and diffused in the steel to the critical concentra
tion required for a crack to begin and failure to occur.
By controlling the factors in the previous three listings,
the time before which failure occurs may be sufficiently
lengthened to permit the use of marginally susceptible
steels for a short duration.
5. Temperature. The severity of SSC is greatest in normal
atmospheric temperatures; it decreases as temperature
increases. Operating at temperatures in excess of 135°F
(57°C) allows marginally susceptible materials to be used
in potentially embrittling environments. The greater the
hardness of the material, the higher the required safe
operating temperature. Drillers must be careful, however,
because sse failure may occur when the material returns
to normal temperature after it is removed from the hole.
47
To minimize the risk of SSC in water-based drilling fluids,

drillers should-
I. control the drilling fluid pH. "When practical, given other
functions of the drilling fluid, the driller should maintain
a pH of 10 or high,er. In drill strings containing aluminum
drill pipe, the pH should not exceed 10.5 because alumi
num pipe tends to corrode more than steel at a high pH
level.
2. limit gas-cutting and formation fluid invasion of the
wellbore by maintaining proper drilling fluid weight. Hy
drogen sulfide invades the wellbore from the formations
being drilled.
3. chemically treat the drilling fluid for HzS inflows from
formations, preferably prior to encountering the sulfide.
4. use the lowest-strength drill pipe capable of withstanding
the required drilling conditions.
5 use care in tripping out of the hole after exposure to an
HzS environment and avoid sudden shocks and high
loads.
6. remove absorbed hydrogen from the pipe after exposure
to an HzS environment by aging the pipe in open air for
several days to several weeks, depending on the exposure
conditions, or bake it at 400° to 600°F (204°C to 316°C)
for several hours. Plastic-coated drill pipe should not be
heated above 4oo°F (204°C).
7. limit drill stem testing in H 2S environments to as brief a
period as possible, using operating procedures (using HzS
inhibitors, for example) that will minimize exposure to
SSC conditions.
Corrosion and SSC can be minimized by the use of oil-based
drilling muds. Corrosion does not occur if metal is completely
enveloped by an oil environment tha t is electrically nonconductive.
Therefore, under drilling conditions that cause serious problems
of corrosion damage, erosion-corrosion, or corrosion fatigue, drill
stem life can be greatly extended by using an oil mud.
DRILL STRING
Because the drill string is such an expensive part of the rig and Care and Handling
its components, it must be handled with care. The tool joints, in
of the Drill String
particular, are susceptible to damage and yet have to hold up to
extreme pressures, rotations, torque, bending, and other downhole
stresses of drilling-.
Thread protectors will prevent most of the tool joint damage that Thread Protectors
occurs in moving and racking the pipe. A thread protector is a device
that is screwed into the box or onto the pin ofa tool joint to keep the
threads and shoulders from being damaged while the pipe is moved
or stored. The protectors fit over the pin and box and are available
in pressed steel, cast steel, or plastic (fig. 34). men not in use, the
protectors can be screwed together to protect their threads from
damage that could later damage mating tool joint threads.
THREAD
~:--PROTECTOR
Figure 34.
49
Cleaning Some drilling crews thoroughly clean the pin and box threads and
shoulders before making up tool joints. Cleaning them pays off
in three ways:
I. It removes foreign material and allows for proper makeup
with other tool joints. Proper makeup helps the tool joint
perform in a trouble-free manner.
2. It permits better inspection of the threads and shoulders.
3. It increases the life of the joints by eliminating abrasive
materials.
Drilling crews should clean new boxes and pins with a suitable
solvent and a soft bristle brush because a wire brush might remove
the antigalling treatment applied by the manufacturer. The crew
should make sure the threaded joints are completely clean and dry
before inspecting and applying thread compound. Solvents can
dilute the thread compound used during makeup and increase the
chances of metal-to-metal contact and galled threads.
Inspection After cleaning or before making up one tool joint to another, the
crew should carefully inspect the threads and shoulders ofeach joint.
A damaged joint should never be made up to another joint and run
into the hole. Even slight damage can cause improper makeup of
the two joints and will likely cause wobbling or leaking connections.
Some damage can be repaired in the field-slight crowning (high
spots) on the shoulders, slight cups (low spots), dents or upsets,
fins (sharp ridges around the box or pin shoulder), and minor galls.
More serious damage requires repair in a machine shop.
5°
DRILL STRING
All shoulders not obviously in need ofrepair should be checked

for flatness with a test ring. Before using the ring, a crew member
should make sure the shoulder is clean and dry. The crew member
holds the ring against the shoulder by applying pressure with the
fingers at two diametrically opposed points (fig. 35) and tries to
make the ring rock. The crew member then repeats the procedure
at points 90° from the first points of pressure. If the ring rocks at
all, the shoulder is either rough or crowned and should be faced
off flat, or smoothed until flat, with a shoulder dressing tool.
Figure 35. Checking the tooljoint shoulder for flatness

The crew should take great care when facing) or dressing) a

shoulder. It is easy to take off too much of the shoulder. It is good
practice to remove no more than V32 inch (.80 millimetre) at anyone
facing and never more than V16 inch (2132 inch) or 1.6 millimetres)
cumulatively on each shoulder. The crew should use the box or
pin benchmark to gauge the total amount of facing (fig. 36). The
benchmark for the pin is on the base of the pin-Vs inch (3.20 mil
limetres) from the shoulder. The benchmark for the box is on the
inside of the box-Vs inch (3.2 millimetres) from the shoulder. To
make measuring-easier) the crew may want to convert all fractions
to the same denominator-the Vs inch measurement to 0/32 inch
( 3.20 millimetres) and the V16 inch to 2/32 inch (1.6 millimetres»)
for example.
After facing a pin shoulder for the first time) the distance from
the benchmark to the pin shoulder should be no more than 5/32
inch (+0 millimetres). The cumulative distance for all pin refacings
should be no more than 0/32 inch (+8 millimetres).
PIN BOX
SHOULDER
BASE lil1j"'llr- PIN BENCHMARK
SHOULDER)
(Va" FROM
BOX BENCHMARK
(Ya" FROM SHOULDER
INSIDE BOX)
Figure 36. Pin and box benchmarks

DRILL STRING
After facing a box shoulder for the first time, the distance from
the shoulder to the benchmark should be no less than 3132 inch (2.4
millimetres). The cumulative total for all box refacings should be
no less than ¥32 inch (1.6 millimetres) cumulatively.
The box's outside diameter and the pin's inside diameter should
be measured in order to determine the proper amount of torque
required during makeup. The crew should measure the OD at a
distance of I inch (25 millimetres) from the box shoulder. Once
crew members know the OD, they look in the correct API table
to determine the proper torque for this particular tool joint.
An independent inspection crew should check the tool joint
threads with a thread profile gauge to make sure they have not been
stretched, worn, or damaged in any way not easily seen (fig. 26).
If the inspection crew finds evidence of pin stretching, it should
perform a magnetic particle inspection of the entire threaded
area of the pin, especially the last engaged pin thread (fig. 5), to
determine if cracks are present. (For a description of how this
inspection is performed, see "Magnetic Inspections" under Drill
Collars). In addition, the inspection crew checks the OD of the
drill pipe tube, performs an end-area magnetic test, and performs
an electronic magnetic inspection (EMI) test of the entire tube
length to check for cracks.
53
Lubricating When making up joints ofdrill string, the crew should apply a good
coating of the proper thread compound, called dope or lubricant,
to the tool joint threads and shoulders. This lubricant, normally
a soft metallic component like copper or zinc in a grease base,
prevents metal-to-metal contact and protects the threads from
galling. It also makes it easier to screw the two joints together. The
crew should never thin or dilute the compound lubricant because
this will reduce the percentage of metallic component and thus
increase the chances of galling the threads and shoulders. Some
cleaning fluids will dilute the compound and keep it from adhering
properly to the surfaces it is meant to protect. For this reason, the
crew should make sure the pin and box threads and shoulders are
completely clean and dry after cleaning with a solvent and before
applying the thread compound.
IADe and API recommend compounds containing from 40%
to 60 % byweight offinely powdered metallic zinc for drill pipe and
drill collar connections. Thread compounds, such asAPI-modified,
are made especially for tubing and casing and should not be used
on tool joints. These lubricants are slick and will allow the joint to
be overtightened with a low torque application. Tool joints can be
severely damaged if tubing or casing lubricants are used.
54
DRJLL STRING
Just as using the proper amount of torque is important when con API-Recommended
necting drill collars, using the correct amount oftorque is also very Torque
important when connecting the drill string. Inadequate torque
during makeup can cause leaks, wobbles, washouts, and galls. Too
much torque applied during makeup can also cause problems, in
cluding swelled or split tool joint boxes and stretched pins (fig.
37)' API recommends proper makeup torque for both drill collars
and tool joints. Tables for these values are available in API RP 7G.
This information is also available in the IADC Drilling Manual,
11th ed., section B. This section of the IADC manual also details
procedures for handling new pipe, tripping in and out of the hole,
and moving pipe around the rig. All of these procedures are de
signed to protect the pipe and keep it in good condition.
Figure 37. Swelled tooljoint box
55
Making a Good In order to reduce the number ofdrill string failures, crew members
Connection should make up tool joints correctly-that is, they should make
a good connection. They should use the proper torque (the proper
amount of turning force needed to screw the tool joints together
as determined by API RP 7G), proper procedures, and adequate
lubricant, or dope. In a good connection, the shoulders of the tool
joints support the pin so that it is rigidly held by the box. In a good
connection, the seal between the two joints is made between the
shoulders of the pin and the box. The pin and the box serve as a
simple screw jack to pull the two shoulders together very tightly.
Unlike the threads in tubing and casing, where the threads pro
duce a continuous seal, the threads of the tool joints do not form
a pressure seal. In a good connection, the shoulders on the tool
joints must be connected with adequate preload, or proper makeup
torque, to produce a seal that will hold even under the tension and
compression put on the tool joints during drilling.
DRILL STRING
A crew can make a bad connection by using too little torque, too Making a Bad
much torque, an inadequate amount oflubricant, or improper pro Connection
cedures. Anyone of these practices can damage the tool joint.
When crew members use too Ii ttle torque, tension in drilling
can cause an opening between the shoulders of the pin and the
box. Once this opening occurs, the tool joint connection is said
to wobble. A loose joint, or wobble, breaks the seal between the
shoulders. Every time the seal breaks, drilling fluid passes across
the shoulder (fig. 38).
If drilling fluid passes across the shoulder, three things hap
pen: (r) the lubricant, or dope, between the shoulders washes out;
(2) tlle surface of the shoulders begins to erode; and (3) if enough
fluid moves through the seal, the lubricant is washed away from
the threads as well as from the shoulders. The crew can recognize
a loose joint when breaking out drill pipe because the pin is dry
(no lubricant is present).
FLUID OUT
Figure 38. A loose joint

can allow drillingfiuid
to leak across threads and
shoulders.
57
Drilling fluid coming out through the shoulders causes threads

to erode in a wobble. If this situation goes unchecked, it can result
in a complete washing away of the threads and the beginning ero
sion of the body of the box itself.
High stress loads on mating threads and shoulders and
inadequate or improperly applied thread compounds may lead
to galling. Galling occurs when two mating steel surfaces, not
protected by a film of lubricant (such as metallic zinc or copper)
freeze together. \iVhen the connection is broken out, the metal is
torn apart and the threads and shoulders are damaged (fig. 19)'
Galling at its worst can destroy one or both makeup shoulders and
can wipe out all the threads in a pin or box. It occurs frequently
on newly machined surfaces.
Too much torque on the tool joint can cause the pin to stretch
or the box to bell. Stretching the pin too far can break it (fig. 39),
resulting in a lost drill string and an expensive fishing job.
Figure 39. Broken pin

DRILL STRING
Bad stabbing practices can also lead to drill string failure.

\iVhen a joint has been cleaned, checked, and lubricated, it is ready
to be made up to another tool joint and lowered into the hole. The
crew must be sure that one joint does not strike against the rig
or any other piece of equipment. Pounding or dropping the tool
joint will damage it. \iVhen stabbing the pin into the box, the .crew
should do so carefully so the pin does not hit the box shoulder.
The crew should make sure that the shoulders of the box and
the pin match. Using different-width shoulders can produce fins,
which are thin, sharp ridges around the box or pin shoulders (fig. 40)'
Figure 40. Fin on pin shoulder
59
To make sure that the shoulder and the tool joint threads match for
a connection, the crew should measure them with a gauge called a
tool joint identifier. This tool measures the number of threads per
inch and diameter of the rotary shouldered connection (fig. 41).
a. Measuring the number b. Measuring the diameter ofthe bore

ofthreads per inch
Figure 4 r.
60
DRILL STRING
To summarize-
Main functions ofthe drill string
• To serve as a conduit, or conductor, for the dl-illing fluid
• To transmit the rotation of the rotary or top drive to the
bit on bottom
Components ofthe drill string
• A pierced, seamless tube of forged steel or extruded alu
mmum
• Tool joints attached to each end of the seamless tube
Characteristics oftooljoints
• Separate pieces of metal attached to the seamless tube to
produce a characteristic bulge at each end of the drill pipe
• Thick enough to have a pin or box cut into them
• Provide the connections for drill string
Manufacturing specifications ofdrill pipe
• API-recommended sizes so that the industry has standard
SIzes
• API-recommended grades, depending on the specific
yield and tensile strengths required so that drilling
contractors can determine the right type of pipe for the
specific drilling situation
Operating limits ofdrill string
• Can withstand infinite cycles of stress if the stress is kept
under the endurance or fatigue limit of the steel
• Drill string failure if operating beyond the fatigue limit
• Several factors increase the stress on the drill string:
rotating drill string in curved holes; corrosive environ
ments; hydrogen sulfide; notches, pits, scratches, tong
marks, electric arc burns, etc.
Care and handling ofdrill string
• Inspect the threads and shoulders of each joint to make
sure damaged tool joints are not joined together
• Check the threads with a thread profile gauge to make
sure they have not been stretched, worn, or damaged in
any way not easily seen
61
• Perform a magnetic particle inspection of the entire pin

and box threaded areas to determine if cracks are present
• Check the drill pipe tube with an electronic magnetic
inspection to determine if cracks are present
• Measure the outside diameter of the tool joint to de
termine the proper amount of torque required during
makeup
• Apply a good coating of thread compound to tool joint
threads and shoulders
• Use the API-recommended amount of torque when mak
ing up tool joints
• Use the proper procedures when picking up and lay
ing down drill string, or making up or breaking out drill
string so that it is not jarred, scratched, or damaged in any
way.
....
....
....
62
Heavy-Walled
Drill Pipe
T
T
T
Design
H eavy-walled (heavy-weight) drill pipe is manufactured with
walls that are thicker than those in standard drill pipe. The
heavier-walled tube is attached to special extra-length tool joints.
The extra length ofthe tool box allows room for recutting connec
tions when the original ones are damaged and reduces the rate of
wear on the OD of the tube by keeping the wall of the tube away
from the side of the hole. The OD of the tube is also protected
from abrasive wear with a center wear pad (fig. 42).
4---BOX
TOOL
JOINT--_*
CENTER
WEAR ----)101'
PAD
STANDARD HEAVY-WALLED Figure 42. Standard drill

DRILL PIPE DRILL PIPE pipe joint and heavy-walled
JOINT JOINT
drill pipe joint with center
wear pad
Some drilling calls for a specially designed heavy-walled drill

pipe. This heavy pipe is spiraled-much like the spiral drill collar.
Figure 43 compares the spiral heavy-walled pipe and the conven
tional heavy-walled pipe. Both have extra-length tool joints but
the spiral pipe does not have a center wear pad.
SPIRAL CONVENTIONAL
HEAVY-WALLED HEAVY-WALLED
DRILL PIPE JOINT DRILL PIPE JOINT
Figure 43. Two types of

heavy-walledjoints
T
i
HEAVY-WALLED DRJLL PIPE
Heavy-walled pipe is frequently used in the drill stem just above Function
the drill collars, in the transition zone between the stiffer collars
and the more limber drill string, and in place of some drill collars
to apply weight on the drill bit in small-diameter holes.
Fatigue failures often occur in the first few joints above the drill In Transition Zones
collars. This area of the drill string is referred to as the transition
zone. The rigid, heavy collars do not bend as much as the more
limber drill string. Most of the bending stress is placed on the first
few joints of drill string immediately above the drill collars. To
reduce the number of failures, drillers continually move the first
joint of drill string from this high-stress location to another spot
higher in the drill string. Moving these joints to other locations
in the string does not correct the cumulative fatigue damage,
however; it only postpones the time until fatigue failure occurs.
Using five to seven joints of heavy-walled drill pipe above the
collars will provide a graduated change in stiffness in this section
of the drill stem, thus greatly reducing the fatigue damage in this
transition zone.
In Directional Drilling Drillers often use heavy-walled pipe in conjunction with fewer
drill collars in high-angle drilling. It is less rigid than drill collars
and has much less hole or wall contact. Its three-point wall contact
(fig. 44) helps solve two serious problems in directional wells-drill
stem wear and tear and differential sticking. Heavy-walled pipe can
also be run through hole angle and direction changes with fewer
connection and fatigue problems than with collars.
TOOL JOINT
TOOL
JOINT
Figure 44- Three-point

wall contad allows heavy
walled pipe to help solve two
problems-drill stem wear
and tear and differential
sticking.
66
HEAVY-WALLED DRILL PIPE
Heavy-walled pipe is used

• in high-angle drilling
• in compressive service-a type of drilling in which the
drill stem configuration downhole is in the following or
der: the bit, heavy-walled drill pipe, and collars. In com
pression drilling, the heavy-walled drill pipe is not held in
tension but rather is being compressed by the weight of
the drill collars above it
• in the transition zone between conventional collars and
standard drill pipe.
For more information on directional drilling and drilling un
der compression, see Rotary Drilling Series, Unit III, Nonroutine
Operations, Lesson I: Controlled Directional Drilling.
Drilling crews use heavy-walled drill pipe or spiral-shaped heavy In Straight-hole Drilling
walled pipe to replace some of the collars when drilling vertically in Soft Formations
in soft formation. Using these heavier pipes solves some problems _
that using collars cannot. Using heavy-walled pipe
1. allows the crew to reduce torque in high-rpm deep
drilling by reducing the amount of contact between the
outside diameter of the pipe and the wall of the hole.
2. reduces the amount of time it takes to trip in and out of
the hole by eliminating the need to attach lifting subs to
the collars. The elevators can be directly attached to the
heavy-walled pipe.
3. eases the handling and transportation duties from one
location to another because the pipe is lighter and easier
to maneuver than collars are.
To summarize-
Design of heavy-walled drill pipe
• Heavier walls and longer tool joints than standard drill
pipe, and a center wear pad
• Heavier walls and longer tool joints than standard drill
string, and spirals instead of a center wear pad
Functions of heavy-walled drill pipe
• Used in the transition zone between the collars and the
drill string to prevent drill string buckling
• Used in directional drilling and compression drilling
• Used in place of drill collars to prevent differential stick
mg
T
T
68
Drill String and
Drill Collar Auxiliaries
A drilling crew installs additional pieces of equipment, or tools,

in the drill string when required. These tools include subs,
pup joints, stabilizers, reamers, and special valves. A sub, which
BOX
is short for substitute, is a fitting crew members insert into the

string to perform a special function. One commonly used sub is a
short fitting with different-sized threads on each end. It allows the
crew to screw together components of the drill string that have
different-sized or -style threads.
For instance, the crew sometimes uses a bit sub between the
bit and the drill collar. Bits come with a pin rather than a box; the
pin screws into a box. The crew runs drill pipe and drill collars
into the hole with the pins pointing down and the boxes facing
up to make it easier for the rotary helpers to stab pins into boxes.
The crew therefore cannot directly connect the bit to the drill
collar, because two pins face each other. A bit sub has a box con
nection at each end (fig. 45). The crew stabs the drill collar's pin
into the box of the bit sub, then the bit's pin into the sub's box.
(Many contractors use a special bottomhole drill collar that has a
box connection on each end. The box connection on the bottom
of the collar allows the crew to directly stab the bit's pin into the
collar without having to use a sub.) BOX
Rig crews often use a crossover sub to connect the last joint of
the drill string to the first drill collar in the drill stem, since the Figure 45. A bit sub;
drill string's pin threads usually do not fit properly into the drill drawing shows a quarter
collar's box threads. Using the sub helps facilitate a good connec section taken out to show
tion between the drill pipe string and the drill collars. box threads inside the sub.
Another common sub is a lifting sub (fig. 23). The crew makes
it up on the end of a drill collar. A lifting sub gives a drill collar an
elevator shoulder like the ones found on drill string tool joints.
Whether on a tool joint or a lifting sub, a shoulder provides a place
to latch elevators. The elevators hang from the traveling block.
They come into play when the crew sets the kelly back to trip the
drill stem in or out of the hole. When the crew latches the eleva
tors onto the shoulder of a tool joint, the traveling block can lift
the drill stem. A lifting sub provides a place for the crew to latch
the elevators onto the drill collar.
A pup joint is a length of drill pipe or casing that is shorter
than range I. Any joint of pipe shorter than 18 feet, or 5.5 metres,
is therefore a pup joint. Crew members may need to make up a pup
joint when a special procedure requires them to suspend the drill
stem to an exact depth in the hole. For example, assume that they
have to test a formation that is at a particular depth. To position
the test tool at the exact depth, the crew may need a pup joint.
Sometimes even a range I joint is too long.
The crew places stabilizers at various points in the drill collar
string to keep the hole straight or to intentionally curve it from
vertical (fig. 46). Blades on the stabilizer contact the wall of the
hole as the drill string rotates. This contact helps keep the hole on
course. In many cases, the crew tries to drill the hole as straight
as it can. In other cases, however, the crew deviates the hole from
vertical. Offshore, for example, a platform is very small when com
pared to the size of a reservoir, so the crew drills many directional,
or curved, wells that tap different areas of the reservoir. Stabilizers
help keep the hole straight or help deviate it, depending on where
the crew places them in the string.
b. Stabilizers
Figure 46. Stabilizers

In some cases, hard, abrasive formations grind down the sides

of a bit to a size smaller than its manufactured diameter. Drillers
say such a bit is "undergauge." Undergauge bits drill undergauge
hole-that is, hole smaller in diameter than the manufactured
size of the bit. Full-gauge bits (bits whose diameters are full size)
and other full-gauge tools can get stuck in undergauge hole. To
minimize undergauge hole, the crew sometimes runs reamers
or reamer-stabilizers (fig. 47). Special cutters on the reamers or
reamer-stabilizers contact the formation and enlarge the hole to
full size, or gauge.
Figure 47- A reamer-stabilizer

DRILL STRING AND DRILL COLLAR AUXILIARIES
To summarize-
Additional equipment used with the drill string and drill collars
• Subs-used as connectors between different drill string,
or drill string and drill collar, or bit and drill collar
• Pup joints-a length of the drill string that is shorter than
range I and used to suspend the drill string to an exact
depth in the hole
• Stabilizers-used to keep the hole straight or to inten
tionally curve the hole from vertical
• Reamers-used to enlarge the hole to full gauge
73
Appendix
Quick Guide to Problem Solving
T
Figure 48
Problem: Undertorquing wobble
Effect: Downhole pin failure
Possible repenussions: String separation,
fishing, lost time
Possible solutions: Check API torque
tables; repair joint, if possible.
Figure 49
Problem: Improper torque or
lubrication
Effect: Swelled box
Possible repercussions: Distorted
connection, loss of seal, improper
mating with pin
tables; recut box, if possible; use
recommended tool joint lubricant; use
thicker tool joint.
74
APPENDIX
Figure 50
Problem: Undertorquing
Effect: Severe pin erosion
Possible repercussions: Reduced mud
pressure, leaking seals, lost string
tables; recut or reface connection, if
possible; keep thread protectors on as
much as possible; clean and lubricate
shoulders before makeup; use only
pipe jack with wide area of contact.
Figure 51
Problem: Mismatched shoulders
Effect: Fins
Possible repercussions: Erosion, washout,
leaking seal, connection wobble, bad
shoulder connection
Possible solutions: Remove fins by
beveling; handle pipe with thread
protectors.
Figure 52
Problem: Undertorquing
Effect: Erosion
Possible repercussions: Reduced mud
pressure, leaking seals, lost string, bad
connection
tables; recut or reface connection, if
possible; clean and lubricate shoulders
before makeup.
75
Figure 53
Problem: Stress
Effect: Fatigue crack and washout
Possible repercussions: String separation,
pipe loss, need for fishing
Possible solutions: Avoid critical rotary
speeds; use vibration dampeners;
dampen stress; minimize rate of hole
deviation; use lowest-strength pipe
possible; prevent H 2S in flow.
Figure 54
Problem: Dropped slips
Effect: Slip cuts where edge of slip opening
caught OD of pipe
Possible repercussions: Stress concentration,
surface notching, fatigue cracks, lost string
Possible solutions: Use backup tongs; set slips
carefully; improve slip and bowl maintenance.
APPENDIX
Figure 55
Problem: HzS, water, or salt corrosion
Effect: Corrosion pits
Possible repercussions: Body-wall loss, surface
notching, stress concentration, washout
Possible solutions: Dampen stress; keep
mud pH above 9.5; use plastic coating,
inhibitors, and oxygen scavengers; clean
pipe ID and aD; use corrosion test rings.
Figure 56
Problem: Cyclic stressing, hydrogen
embrittlement, boles in pipe
Effect: Fatigue cracking and necking down
Possible repercussions: Pipe loss, washout or
twistoff, string separation
Po~-sible solutions: Minimize surface
notching; avoid critical rotary speeds; bring
bottomhole pipe up hole on trips; use shock
subs; dampen stress; avoid HzS in flow;
choose lowest-strength drill pipe possible;
minimize rate of hole deviation.
Figure 57
Problem: HzS, water, or salt corrosion
Effect: Corrosion pits
Possible repercussions: Body-wall loss, surface
notching, stress concentration, fatigue cracks
Possible solutions: Dampen stress; keep
mud pH above 9.5; use plastic coating,
inhibitors, and oxygen scavengers; clean
pipe ID and aD; use corrosion test rings.
77
Figure 58
Problem: Cyclic stressing, hydrogen
embrittlement, holes in pipe
Effect: Fatigue cracking
Possible solutions: Minimize surface notching;
avoid critical rotary speeds; bring bottomhole
pipe up hole on trips; use shock subs; dampen
stress; avoid H 2S in flow; choose lowest
strength drill pipe possible; minimize rate of
hole deviation.
Figure 59
Problem: Stress bending downhole
Effect: Fatigue cracking
Possible solutions: Minimize surface
notching; avoid critical rotary speeds; bring
bottomhole pipe up hole on trips; use shock
subs; dampen stress; avoid H 2 S in flow;
choose lowest-strength drill pipe possible;
minimize rate of hole deviation.
Figure 60
Problem: Ring corrosion
Effect: Corrosion and pitting
Possible repercussions: Stress concentration,
grooving and notching of tubular goods, fatigue
cracks
Possible solutions: Periodically remove protector
and clean pipe, including area under protector.
Glossary
T
T
T
abrasion n: wearing away by friction. A

acid brittleness n: see hydrogen embrittlement.
acidity n: the quality of being acid. Relative acid strength ofa liquid is measured
by pH. A liquid with a pH below 7 is acid. See pH.
air weight n: the weight of an object in air as opposed to the weight of an object
suspended or floating in liquid. Compare buoyant weight.
American Petroleum Institute (API) n: oil trade organization (founded in
1920) that is the leading standardizing organization for oilfield drilling and
producing equipment. It maintains departments of transportation, refining,
and marketing in Washington, DC. It offers publications regarding standards,
recommended practices, and bulletins. Address: 1220 L St., NWj Washington,
DC 20005; (202) 682-8000.
annular adj: pertaining to the annulus. The annulus is sometimes referred to

as the annular space.
annular space n: the space between two concentric circles. In the petroleum
industry, it is usually the space surrounding a pipe in the wellbore; sometimes
termed the annulus.
API abbr: American Petroleum Institute.
API-certified adj: said of a tool that meets the American Petroleum Institute's
minimum standards.
auxiliaries n pI: equipment on a drilling or workover rig that is not a direct part
of the rig's drilling equipment, such as the equipment used to generate electricity
for rig lighting or the equipment used to mix drilling fluid.
backup tong's n pI: the tongs used to back up the drill pipe as it is being made B
up into or taken out of the drill stem. See breakout tongs, makeup tongs.
backup wrench n: any wrench used to hold a pipe or a bolt to prevent its turning
while another length of pipe or a nut is being screwed into or out of it.
BRA abbr: bottomhole assembly
bit n: the cutting or boring element used in drilling oil and gas wells. The bit
consists of a cutting element and a circulating element. The cutting element
is steel teeth, tungsten carbide buttons, industrial diamonds, or polycrystalline
diamond compacts (PDCs). These teeth, buttons, or diamonds penetrate and
gouge or scrape the formation to remove it. The circulating element permits
the passage of drilling fluid and utilizes the hydraulic force of the fluid stream
to improve drilling rates. In rotalY drilling, several drill collars are joined to the
79
bottom end of the drill pipe column, and the bit is attached to the end of the
drill collars. Drill collars provide weight on the bit to keep it in firm contact with
the bottom of the hole. Most bits used in rotary drilling are roller cone bits, but
diamond bits are also used extensively.
bit breaker n: a heavy plate that fits in the rotary table and holds the drill bit
while it is being made up in or broken out of the drill stem. See bit.
bit drift n: the tendency of the bit to move other than vertically, caused by an
interaction between the rotation of the bit and the varying resistance of the
formation being drilled.
bit sub n: a sub inserted between the drill collar and the bit. See sub.
bore n: 1. the inside diameter of a pipe or a drilled hole. 2. the diameter of the
cylinder of an engine. v: to penetrate or pierce with a rotary tool.
borehole n: a hole made by drilling or boring; a wellbore.
bottomhole assembly n: the portion of the drilling assembly below the drill
pipe. It can be very simple-composed of only the bit and drill collars-or it
can be very complex and made up of several drilling tools.
box n: the female section of a connection. See tool joint.
box and pin n: see tooljoint.
box threads n pi: threads on the female section, or box, of a tool joint. See tool
joint.
break out v: I. to unscrew one section of pipe from another section, especially
drill pipe while it is being withdrawn from the wellbore. During this operation,
the tongs are used to start the unscrewing operation. 2. to separate, as gas from
a liquid or water from an emulsion.
breakout cathead n: a device attached to the catshaft of the drawworks that is
used as a power source for unscrewing drill pipe; usually located opposite the
driller's side of the drawworks. See cathead.
breakout tongs n pi: tongs that are used to start unscrewing one section of
pipe from another section, especially drill pipe coming out of the hole. See lead
tongs, tongs.
brittleness n: the state of having rigidity but little tensile strength. Compare
toughness.
buckling stress n: bending of pipe that may occur because of hole deviation.
Pipe may bend because of the angle of the hole or because of an abrupt devia
tion such as a dogleg.
buck up v: to tighten up a threaded connection (such as two joints of drill pipe).
buoyancy n: the apparent loss of weight of an object immersed in a fluid. If the
object is floating, the immersed portion displaces a volume of fluid the weight
of which is equal to the weight of the object.
buoyant effect n: see buoyancy.
buoyant weight n: the weight of the drill stem in a mud-filled borehole. Buoy
ant weight is less than the weight of the drill stem in air because of the buoyant
effect of the mud on the drill stem.
80
GLOSSARY
burst pressure n: the amount of internal pressure, or stress, required to burst

casing or other pipe. When the pipe's internal pressure is greater than its external
pressure, the pipe bursts.
burst rating n: the pressure at which a manufacturer has determined that a pipe
or vessel will burst from internal pressure.
burst strength n: a pipe or vessel's ability to withstand rupture from internal
pressure.
cake n: see filter cake. C
cake consistency n: the character or state of the drilling mud filter cake. Ac
cording to API RP I3B, such notations as "hard," "soft," "tough," "rubbery,"
and "firm" may be used to convey some idea of cake consistency.
cake thickness n: the thiclmess of drilling mud filter cake.
cathead n: I. a spool-shaped attachment on the end of the catshaft, around which
rope for hoisting and moving heavy equipment on or near the rig floor is wound.
2. an automatic cathead. See breakout cathead, makeup cathead.
chain tongs n pi: a hand tool consisting of a handle and chain that resembles the
chain on a bicycle. In general, chain tongs are used for turning pipe or fittings of
a diameter larger than that which a pipe wrench would fit. The chain is looped
and tightened around the pipe or fitting, and the handle is used to turn the tool
so that the pipe or fitting can be tightened or loosened.
chase threads v: to clean and deburr the threads of a pipe so that it will make
up properly.
circulate v: to pass from one point throughout a system and back to the start
ing point. For example, drilling fluid is circulated out of the suction pit, down
the drill pipe and drill collars, out the bit, up the annulus, and back to the pits
while drilling proceeds.
circulating components n pi: the equipment included in the drilling fluid
circulating system of a rotary rig. Basically, the components consist of the mud
pump, rotalY hose, swivel, drill stem, bit, and mud return line.
cold-work v: to work metal without the use of heat. Compare fire bending.
collapse pressure n: the amount of force needed to crush the sides of pipe until
it caves in on itself. The pipe collapses when the pressure outside it is greater
than the pressure inside it.
collapse resistance n: the ability of the wall of a pipe or vessel to resist collapse.
collapse strength n: the amount of external pressure that a pipe can withstand
before it collapses or caves in.
collar n: I. a coupling device used to join two lengths of pipe. A combination
collar has left-hand threads in one end and right-hand threads in the other. 2.
a drill collar. See drill collar.
collar pipe n: heavy pipe used between the drill pipe and the bit in the drill
stem. See drill collar.
8r
come out of the hole v: to pull the drill stem out of the wellbore to change the
bit, to change from a core barrel to the bit, to run electric logs, to prepare for a
drill stem test, to run casing, and so on. Also called trip out.
compression drillingn: the practice ofusing the drill stem to push the bit through
the formations, usually done in high angle or horizontal drilling. In normal
drilling, the drill stem is kept in tension by the drawworks and drilling line.
connection n: 1. a section of pipe or fitting used to join pipe to pipe or to a
vessel. 2. a place in electrical circuits where wires join. 3. the action of adding a
joint of pipe to the drill stem as drilling progresses.
controlled directional drilling n: see directional drilling.
corrosion n: any of a variety of complex chemical or electrochemical processes,
e.g., rust, by which metal is destroyed through reaction with its environment.
corrosion fatigue n: metal fatigue concentrated in corrosion pits. See fatifSUe.
corrosion inhibitor n: a chemical substance that minimizes or prevents corro
sion in metal equipment.
corrosion test n: one of a number of tests to determine qualitatively or quan
titatively the corrosion-inducing compounds in a product.
corrosiveness n: the tendency to wear away a metal by chemical attack.
corrosive product 17: a hydrocarbon product that contains corrosion-inducing
compounds in excess of the specification limits for a sweet product.
coupling n: I. in piping, a metal collar with internal threads used to join two
sections of threaded pipe. 2. in power transmission, a connection extending
longitudinally between a driving shaft and a driven shaft. Most such couplings
are flexible and compensate for minor misalignment of the two shafts.
crew n: I. the workers on a drilling or workover rig, including the driller, der
rickman, and rotary helpers. 2. any group of oilfield workers.
critical weight 17: weight placed on the bit that results in tension on the drill
string, which causes the drill string to vibrate at the rotary speed being used. A
drill stem operating with critical weight and at the critical speed for that weight
will have stresses develop that cause very rapid failure.
crooked hole country n: an area in which particular subsurface formations make
it difficult to keep a drilled hole straight.
crossover sub n: a sub that allows different sizes and types of drill pipe to be
joined.
cross-thread v: to screw together two threaded pieces when the threads of the
pieces have not been aligned properly.
crown 17: 1. the crown block or top of a derrick or mast. 2. the top of a piston.
3. a high spot formed on a tool joint shoulder as the result of wobble.
cup n: a low spot formed on a tool joint shoulder as the result of a wobble or
as a result of the tool joint being connected to another damaged tool joint. See
wobble.
cyclic stressing n: stress that occurs on a pipe, vessel, or machine in cycles, such
as the sucker rod string.
82
GLOSSARY
deviation n: departure of the wellbore from the vertical, measured by the hori D
zontal distance from the rotary table to the target. The amount of deviation is a
function of the drift angle and hole depth. The term is sometimes used to indicate
the angle from which a bit has deviated from the vertical during drilling.
diameter n: the distance across a circle, measured through its center. In the
measurement of pipe diameters, the inside diameter is that of the interior circle
and the outside diameter that of the exterior circle.
directional drilling n: I. intentional deviation of a wellbore from the vertical.
Although well bores are normally drilled vertically, it is sometimes necessary or
advantageous to drill at an angle from the vertical. Controlled directional drill
ing makes it possible to reach subsurface areas laterally remote from the point
where the bit enters the earth. It often involves the use of deflection tools. 2. a
technique of river crossing in pipeline construction in which the pipe is buried
under the riverbed at depths much greater than those of conventional crossings.
With this technique, a hole in the form of an inverted arc is drilled beneath the
river, and the made-up pipeline is pulled through it.
directional hole 7l: a wellbore intentionally drilled at an angle from the vertical.
See directional drilling.
dogleg 71: 1. ,In abrupt change in direction in the well bore, frequently result
ing in the formation of a keyseat. 2. a sharp bend permanently put in an object
such as a pipe.
dope 71: a lubricant for the threads of oilfield tubular goods. Also called thread
compound. v: to apply thread lubricant.
double n: a length of drill pipe, casing, or tubing consisting of two joints screwed
together. Compare fOUTUlf, singlf, thribble.
double board 71: the name used for the working platform of the derrickhand
(the monkeyboard) when it is located at a height in the derrick or mast equal to
two lengths of pipe joined together. Compare fourble board, thribble board.
downhole acij, adv: pertlining to the welJbore.
drawworks 71: the hoisting mechanism on a drilling rig. It is essentially a large
winch that spools off or takes in the drilling line and thus raises or lowers the
drill stem and bit.
dressing a shoulder v: in drilling, using a shoulder dressing tool to cut or grind
the shoulder of a collar or tool joint until it is smooth and flat. Also called fac
ing, or refacing.
drift angle n: the angle at which a wellbore deviates fr0111 the vertical, expressed
in degrees, as revealed by a directional survey. Also called angle of deviation,
angle of drift, and inclination.
drill v: to bore a hole in the earth, usually to find and remove subsurface for
mation fluids such as oil and gas.
drill bit n: the cutting or boring element used for drilling. See bit.
drill collar 71: a heavy, thick-walled tube, usually steel, placed between the drill
pipe and the bit in the drill stem. Several drill coUars are used to provide weight
on the bitand to provide a pendulum effect to the drill stem. When manufactured
to API specifications, a drill collar joint is 30 or 3 r feet (9· 14 or 9-45 metres)
long. The outside diameter of drill collars made to API specifications ranges
from 3.5 inches to I I inches (7·9 to 27.9 centimetres).
drill collar sub n: a sub made up between the drill string and the drill collars
that is used to ensure that the drill pipe and collar can be joined properly.
drill column 11.: see drill stem.

driller n: the employee directly in charge of a drilling or workover rig and crew.
The driller's main duty is operation of the drilling and hoisting equipment, but
this crew member is also responsible for downhole condition of the well, opera
tion of downhole tools, and pipe measurements.
drill floor n: also called rig floor or derrick floor. See rigfioor.
drilling crew n: a driller, a derrickhand, and two or more helpers who operate
a drilling or workover rig for one tour each day.
drilling fluid n: circulating fluid, one flJnction of which is to lift cuttings out of
the well bore and to the surface. Other functions are to cool the bit and to coun
teract downhole formation pressure. Although a mixture of barite, clay, water,
and chemical additives is the most common drilling fluid, wells can also be drilled
by using air, gas, water, or oil-base mud as the drilling mud. See mud.
drilling' line n: a wire rope used to support the drilling tools. Also called the
rotary line.
drilling mud n: a specially compounded liquid circulated through the well bore
during rotary drilling operations. See drillingfiuid, mud.
drilling rate n: the speed with which the bit drills the formation; usually called
the rate of penetration.
drilling rig 71: see rig.
drill pipe n: seamless steel or aluminum pipe made up in the drill stem between
the kelly or top drive on the surface and the drill collars on the bottom. During
drilling, it is usually rotated while drilling fluid is circulated through it. Drill pipe
join ts are available in three ranges of length: 18 to 22 feet (5.5 to 6. 7 metres), 27
to 30 feet (8.2 to 9.1 metres), and 38 to 45 feet (1 1.6 to 13.7 metres). The most
popular length is 27 to 30 feet (8.2 to 9. I metres). It is available with outside
diameters ranging from 2.9 to 5.5 inches (7.3 to J4 centimetres). Several joints
are made up (screwed together) to form the drill string.
drill pipe protector n: an antifriction device of rubber or steel attached to each
joint of drill pipe to minimize wear.
drill pipe rubbern: a rubber or elastomer disk thatis placed around a joint ofdrill
pipe and is held stationary below the rotary table. As pipe is removed from the
well, the rubber wipes mud off the outside of the pipe to minimize corrosion.
drill pipe safety valve n: a special valve used to close off the drill pipe to prevent
backflow during a kick. It has threads to match the drill pipe in use.
drill pipe slips n pi: see slips.
drill stem n: all members in the assembly used for rotary drilling from the swivel
to the bit, including the kelly, drill pipe and tool joints, drill collars, stabilizers,
and various specialty items. Compare drill string.
GLOSSARY
drill string n: the column, or string, of drill pipe with attached tool joints that
transmits fluid and rotational power from the kelly to the drill collars and bit.
Often, especially in the oil patch, the term is loosely applied to both drill pipe
and drill collars. Compare drill stem.
drill string float n: a check valve in the drill string that will allow fluid to be
pumped into the well but will prevent flow from entering the string.
ductility n: see toughness. Compare brittleness.
dynamic loading n: exerting force with continuous movement, i.e., cyclic
stressing.
effective weight on bit n: in drilling, the weight on the bit (as produced by the drill E
collars) minus the buoyant effect that the drilling mud has on the drill collars.
elevators n pi: clamps that grip a stand of casing, tubing, drill pipe, or sucker
rods so that the stand can be raised from or lowered into the hole.
endurance limit n: see fatigue limit.
environment n: I. the sum of the physical, chemical, and biological factors that
surround an organism. 2. the water, air, and land and the interrelationship that
exists among and between water, aii, and land and all living things. 3. as defined
by the US government, the navigable waters, the waters of the contiguous zone,
the ocean waters, and any other surface water, groundwater, drinking water sup
ply, land surface, subsurface strata, or ambient air within the United States.
equilibrium n: a state of balance between opposing forces or actions that is
either static or dynamic.
external upset end (EVE) n: on tubing, casing, or drill pipe, the thickening at
each end of the joint such that the internal diameter of the joint is not affected;
i.e., it remains uniform throughout the joint's length. Only the outside diameter
is enlarged at each end. Pipe is thickened, or upset, at each end to increase its
strength so that threads, couplings, or tool joints may be attached. Compare
internal upset end, internal-external upset end.
facing a shoulder v: in drilling, using a shoulder dressing tool to smooth and F
flatten the shoulder of a collar or tool joint. Also called dressing a shoulder, or
refacing a shoulder
fatigue n: the tendency of material such as a metal to break under repeated cyclic
loading at a stress considerably less than the tensile strength shown in a static test.
fatigue crack n: in drilling, a crackformed in steel as a result ofrepeated cyclicload
ing at a stress considerably less than the tensile strength shown in a static test.
fatigue limit n: in drilling, the value, or point, below which steel will not fail
even with repeated cycles of stress
fatigue threshold n: see fatigue limit.
female connection n: a pipe, coupling, or tool threaded on the inside so that
only a male connection can be joined to it.
filter cake n: I. compacted solid or semisolid material remaining on a fil tel' after
pressure filtration of mud with a standard filter press. Thickness of the cake is
reported in thirty-seconds of an inch or in millimetres. 2. the layer of concen
trated solids from the drilling mud or cement slurry that forms on the walls ofthe
borehole opposite permeable formations; also called wall cake or mud cake.
filter cake thickness n: a measurement of the solids deposited on filter paper
in thirty-seconds of an inch during a standard 3o-minute API filter test. See cake
thickness. In certain areas the filter cake thickness is a measurement of the solids
deposited on filter paper for 7.5 minutes.
fin n: a thin, sharp ridge around the box or the pin shoulder of a tool joint, caused
by the use of boxes and pins with different-sized shoulders.
fire bending n: one of the earliest methods for bending pipe. The joint was
first placed over a small bonfire and, when the heat had rendered it sufficiently
malleable, it was placed against a tree and pressure was applied until the desired
bend was achieved. Fire bends significantly weakened the pipe. A cold-work
process is less damaging.
fish n: an object that is left in the wellbore during drilling or workover operations
and that must be recovered before work can proceed. It can be anything from a
piece of scrap metal to a part of the drill stem. v: I. to recover from a well any
equipment left there during drilling operations, such as a lost bit or drill collar or
part of the drill string. 2. to remove from an older well certain pieces of equipment
(such as packers, liners, or screen liner) to allow reconditioning of the well.
fitting n: a small, often standardized, part (such as a coupling, valve, or gauge)
installed in a larger apparatus.
flash welding n: I. a form of resistance butt welding used to weld wide, thick mem
bers or members with irregular faces together, and tubing to tubing. 2. in pipeline
construction, a welding technique in which low voltage is applied to each pipe joint
while the ends are in light contact. This comact produces a rapid arcing, called flashing.
After the pipe ends have been adequately heated, the current is abruptly increased,
and the pipe joints are brought together rapidly and forcefully. The current is then
reduced, excess flash material in the pipe is cleared, and the weld is completed.
fluid n: a substance that flows and yields to any force tending to change its shape.
Liquids and gases are fluids.
fonnation n: a bed or deposit composed throughout of substantially the same
kind of rock; often a lithologic unit. Each formation is given a name, frequently
as a result of the study of the formation outcrop at the surface and sometimes
based on fossils found in the formation.
fourble n: a section of drill pipe, casing, or tubing consisting of four joints
screwed together. Compare double, single, thribble.
fourble board n: tl1e name used for the working platform ofthe derrickman, or the
monkeyboard, when it is located at a height in the derrick equal to approximately
four lengths of pipe joined together. Compare double board, thribble board.
friction n: resistance to movement created when two surfaces are in contact.

When friction is present, movement between the surfaces produces heat.
friction welding n: in drilling, the proces of adhering the tool joint to the drill
pipe by placing the tool joint on the upset end of the drill pipe while it is spin
ning, thereby creating enough heat to weld the two together.
86
GLOSSARY
gall n: damage to steel surfaces caused by friction and improper lubrication.

G
gauge n: I. the diameter of a bit or the hole drilled by the bit. 2. a device (such
as a pressure gauge) used to measure some physical property. v: to measure size,
volume, depth, or other measurable property.
go in the hole v: to lower the drill stem, tubing, casing, or sucker rods into
the wellbore.
good connection n: the process of correctly connecting two tool joints by us
ing the API-recommended amount of torque, the proper procedures, and an
adequate amount of thread compound, or lubricant.
gun-barrel approach n: a method ofdrillingusinga packed bottornhole assembly.
In this method, the new hole drilled is in line with that which has already been
drilled so that the wellbore is as straight as the barrel of a gun.
HzS form: hydrogen sulfide. H
hard banding n: a special wear-resistant material often applied to tool joints to

prevent abrasive wear to the area when the pipe is being rotated downhole.
hardfacing n: an extremely hard material, usually crushed tungsten carbide, that is
applied to the outside surfaces of tool joints, drill collars, stabilizers, and other rotary
drilling tools to minimize wear when they are in contact with the wall of the hole.
heat a connection v: to loosen a collar or other threaded connection by striking
it with a hammer. Also called warm a connection or whip a connection.
heavyweight drill pipe 11: drill pipe having thicker walls and longer tool joints
than usual and an integral wear pad in the middle. Several joints of this pipe may
be placed in the drill stem between drill collars and regular drill pipe to reduce
tlle chances of drill pipe fatigue or failure.
hoist n: I. an arrangement ofpulleys and wire rope or chain used for lifting heavy
objects; a winch or similar device. 2. the drawworks. v: to raise or lift.
hole n: in drilling operations, the wellbore or borehole. See borehole, wellbore.
hole angle n: the angle at which a hole deviates from vertical.
hole drift 11: the amount a wellbore is deflected from vertical.
horizontal drilling n: deviation of the borehole at least 80° from vertical so
that the borehole penetrates a productive formation in a manner parallel to the
formation. Asingle horizontal hole can effectively drain a reservoir and eliminate
the need for several vertical boreholes.
hydrogen embrittlement n: low ductility of a metal caused by its absorption
of hydrogen gas. Also called acid brittleness.
hydrogen ion concentration n: a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solu
tion, normally expressed as pH. See pH.
hydrogen sulfide n: a flammable, colorless gaseous compound of hydrogen and
sulfur (HzS), which in small amounts has the odor of rotten eggs. Sometimes
found in petroleum, it causes the foul smell of petroleum fractions. In dangerous
concentrations, it is extremely corrosive and poisonous, causing damage to skin,
eyes, breathing passages, and lungs and attacking and paralyzing the nervous
system, particularly that part controlling me lungs and heart. In large amounts,
it deadens the sense of smell. Also called hepatic gas or sulfureted hydrogen.
makeup tongs n pi: tongs used for screwing one length of pipe into another for
making up a joint. See lead tongs, tongs.
male connection n: a pipe, coupling, or tool that has threads on the outside so
that it can be joined to a female connection.
metre (m) n: the fundamental unit of length in the metric system. It is equal to
about 3.28 feet, 39.37 inches, or 100 centimetres.
mg abbr: milligram.
millimetre n: a measurement uni t in the metric system equal to 10-3 metre (0.00 I
metre). It is used to measure pipe and bit diameter, nozzle size, liner length and
diameter, and cake thickness.
minimum tensile strength n: a specific value at which drill pipe will snap, or
pull apart.
minimum yield strength n: a specific value at which drill pipe will permanently
distort.
rom abbr: millimetre.

mousehole n: an opemngthrough the rig floor, usually lined with pipe, into which a
length of drill pipe is placed temporarily for later connection to the drill string.
mousehole connection n: the procedure of adding a length of drill pipe or tub
ing to the active string. The length to be-added is placed in the mousehole, made
up to the kelly, then pulled out of the mousehole and subsequently made up into
the string.
mud n: the liquid circulated through the wellbore during rotary drilling and
workover operations. In addition to its function of bringing cuttings to the
surface, drilling mud cools and lubricates the bit and drill stem, protects against
blowouts by holding back subsurface pressures, and deposits a mud cake on the
wall of the borehole to prevent loss of fluids to the formation. Altllough it was
originally a suspension of earth solids (especially clays) in water, the mud used
in modern drilling operations is a more complex, three-phase mixture of liquids,
reactive solids, and inert solids. The liquid phase may be fresh water, diesel oil,
or crude oil and may contain one or more conditioners. See drillingfiuid.
mud circulation n: the process of pumping mud downward to the bit and back
up to the surface in a drilling or workover operation.
nipplen: a shan, threaded tubular coupling used for making connections between
N
pipe joints and other tools.
notch fatigue n: metal fatigue concentrated by surface imperfection, either me
chanical (such as a notch) or metallurgical (such as a defect in the metal itself).
o
oil-base mud a drilling or workover fluid in which oil is the continuous phase
n:
and which contains from less than percent and up to 5 percent water. This water
2
is spread out, or dispersed, in the oil as small droplets. Compare water-base mud.
operating company n: see operator.

operator n: the person or company, either proprietor or lessee, actually operating an
oilwell or lease, generally the oil company that engages the drilling contractor.
GLOSSARY
outside diameter (OD) n: the distance across the exterior circle, especially in
the measurement of pipe. See diameter.
oxide n: a chemical compound in which oxygen is joined with a metal or a non
metal.
packed bottomhole assemblyn: a bottomhole assembly consisting ofstabilizers p
and large-diameter drill collars arranged in a particular configuration to maintain

drift angle and direction of a hole. This assembly is often necessary in crooked
hole country. See crooked hole country.
pendulum assembly n: a bottomhole assembly composed of a bit and several
large-diameter drill collars and stabilizers placed to allow the bottom drill collar
to bend toward the vertical. The assembly works on the principle ofthe pendulum
effect and is used to decrease drift angle. See pendulum effect.
pendulum effect n: the tendency of the drill stem-bit, drill collars, drill pipe,
and kelly-to hang in a vertical position due to the force of gravity.
penneability n: 1. a measure of the ease with which a fluid flows through the
connecting pore spaces of rock or cement. The unit of measurement is the
millidarcy. 2. fluid conductivity of a porous medium. 3. ability of a fluid to flow
within the interconnected pore network of a porous medium.
penneable adj: allowing the passage of fluid. See permeability.
petroleum n: a substance occurring naturally in the earth in solid, liquid, or
gaseous state and composed mainly of mixtures of chemical compounds of car
bon and hydrogen, with or without other nonmetallic elements such as sulfur,
oxygen, and nitrogen. In some cases, especially in the measurement of oil and
gas, petroleum refers only to oil-a liquid hydrocarbon-and does not include
natural gas or gas liquids such as propane and butane. The API Measurement
Coordination Department prefers that petroleum mean crude oil and not natural
gas or gas liquids.
pH abbr: an indicator of the acidity or alkalinity of a substance or solution, rep
resented on a scale of 0-14,0-6.9 being acidic, 7 being neither acidic nor basic
(i.e., neutral), and 7.1-14 being basic. These values are based on hydrogen ion
content and activity.
pH value n: a unit of measure of the acid or alkaline condition of a substance. A
neutral solution (such as pure water) has a pH of 7; acid solutions are less than
7; basic, or alkaline, solutions are more than 7. The pH scale is a logarithmic
scale. A substance with a pH of 4 is more than twice as acid as a substance with
a pH of 5. Similarly, a substance with a pH of 9 is more than twice as alkaline
as a substance with a pH of 8.
pin n: the male section of a tool joint or drill collar.

pipe n: a long, hollow cylinder, usually steel, through which fluids are conducted.
Oilfield tubular goods are casing (including liners), drill pipe, tubing, or line pipe.
pipe protector n: prevents drill pipe from rubbing against the hole or against the
casmg.
pipe rack n: a horizontal support for tubular goods.
pipe tongs n pI: see tongs.
porosity n: I. the condition of being porous (such as a rock formation). 2. the

ratio of the volume of empty space to the volume of solid rock in a formation,
indicating how much fluid a rock can hold.
power slips n pi: see slips.
power tongs n pi: a wrench that is used to make up or break out drill pipe, tubing,
or casing on which the torque is provided by air or fluid pressure. Conventional
tongs are operated by mechanical pull provided by a jerk line connected to a
cathead.
preload n: the amount of torque required to makeup two tool joints or two
drill collars.
pressure n: the force that a fluid (liquid or gas) exerts uniformly in all directions
within a vessel, pipe, hole in the ground, and so forth, such as that exerted against
the inner wall of a tank or that exerted on the bottom of the wellbore by a fluid.
Pressure is expressed in terms of force exerted per unit of area, as pounds per
square inch, or in kilopascals.
pressure coupling n: 1. a joining device, such as a Squnch joint, in which the
force of weight is used to make the connection. 2. a pipe or line coupling that is
capable of maintaining a tight, leak-free connection under high pressures.
psi abbr: pounds per square inch.
psia abbr: pounds per square inch absolute.
psilft abbr: pounds per square inch per foot.
psi/g abbr: pounds per square inch gauge.
pup joint n: a length of drill or line pipe, tubing, or casing considerably shorter
than 30 feet (9 metres).
pure fatigue n: metal fatigue for which no cause can be determined.
R
rack n: framework for supporting or containing a number of loose objects, such
as pipe. See pipe rack.
rack pipe v: I. to place pipe withdrawn from the hole on a pipe rack. 2. to stand
pipe on the derrick floor when pulling it out of the hole.
range length n: a grouping of pipe lengths. API designation of range lengths
is as follows:
Range I (ftlrn) Range 2 (ftlrn) Range 3 (ftlrn)
Casing 16-25 feet 25-34 feet 34-48 feet
5-1.5 metres 1.5-10 metres 10-14.6 metres
Drill pipe 18-22 feet 27-30 feet 38-45 feet
5.5-6.7 metres 8.2-9.1 metres I I .6-13.7 metres
Tubing 20-24 feet 28-32 feet
6.1-7.3 metres 8,5-9.8 metres
rathole n: 1. a hole in the rig floor, 30 to 35 feet (9 to I I metres) deep, which
is lined with casing that projects above the floor and into which the kelly and
GLOSSARY
swivel are placed when hoisting operations are in progress. 2. a hole of a diam
eter smaller than the main hole and drilled in the bottom of the main hole. v:
to reduce the size of the wellbore and drill ahead.
rathole connection n: the addition ofa length ofdrill pipe or tubing to the active
string using the rathole instead of the mousehole, which is the more common
connection. The length to be added is placed in the rathole, made up to the
kelly, pulled out of the rathole, and made up into the string.
reactive torque n: the tendency of the drill string to turn in a direction op
posite that of the bit, a factor for which a driller must compensate when using
a downhole motor.
reface v: to renew or smooth a faced surface by recutting or regrinding.
rig n: the derrick or mast, drawworks, and attendant surface equipment of a
drilling or workover unit.
rig crew member n: see rotary helper.
rig floor n: the area immediately around the rotary table and extending to each
corner of the derrick or mast, that is, the area immediately above the substruc
ture on which the drawworks, rotalY table, and so forth rest. Also called derrick
floor, drill floor.
rig manager 11: an employee of a drilling contractor who is in charge of the

entire drilling crew and the drilling rig. Also called toolpusher, drilling foreman,
rig supervisor, or rig superintendent.
rig superintendent 11: see toolpusher.
rig supervisor n: see toolpusher.
rotary n: the machine used to impart rotational power to the drill stem while
permitting vertical movement of the pipe for rotary drilling. Modern rotary
machines have a special component, dle rotalY or master bushing, to turn the
kelly bushing, which permits vertical movement of the kelly while the stem is
turning.
rotary drilling 11: a drilling method in which a hole is drilled by a rotating bit
to which a downward force is applied. The bit is fastened to and rotated by the
drill stem, which also provides a passageway through which the drilling fluid is
circulated. Additional joints of drill pipe are added as drilling progresses.
rotary helpern: a worker on a drilling orworkover rig, subordinate to the driller,
whose primary work station is on the rig floor. On rotalY drilling rigs, there are
at least two and usually three or more rotary helpers on each crew. Sometimes
called floorhand, floorman, rig crew member, or roughneck.
rotary-shouldered connection 11: the threaded and shouldered joint used in
rotary drilling to join dle various components of the drill stem.
rotary speed 11: the speed, measured in rpm, at which the rotary table is operated.
rotary table n: the principal component of a rotary, or rotary machine, used
to turn the drill stem and support the drilling assembly. It has a beveled gear
arrangement to create the rotational motion and opening into which bushings
are fitted to drive and support the drilling assembly.
rotary torque n: the rotational force applied to turn the drill stem.
93
saver sub n: a device made up in the drill stem to absorb much of the wear be
5
tween frequently broken joints (such as between tl1e kelly and the drill pipe).
seamless drill pipe n: drill pipe that is manufactured in one continuous piece.
Most drill pipe is of seamless construction.
set back v: to place stands of drill pipe and drill collars in a vertical position to
one side of the rotary table in the derrick or mast of a drilling or workover rig.
Compare lay down pipe.
shoulder n: I. the flat portion machined on the base of the bit shank that meets
the shoulder of the drill collar and serves to form a pressure-tight seal between
the bit and the drill collar. 2. the flat portion of the box end and the pin end of
a tool joint; the t\vo shoulders meet when the tool joint is connected and form
a pressure-tight seal.
shoulder dressing tool n: in drilling, an instrument used to cut or grind the
shoulder of a collar or tool joint until it is smooth or flat.
single n: a joint of drill pipe. Compare double, thribble, and Jourble.
slant-hole rig n: a drilling rig used to drill directional wells. See directional
driffing.
slips n pi: wedge-shaped pieces of metal with teeth or other gripping elements
that are used to prevent pipe from slipping down into me hole or to hold pipe in _
place. Rotary slips fit around the drill pipe and wedge against tl1e master bush
ing to support the pipe. Power slips are pneumatically or hydraulically actuated
devices that allow the crew to dispense with the manual handling of slips when
making a connection. Packers and omer downhole equipment are secured in
position by slips that engage the inner surface of casing.
sour corrosion n: embrittlement and subsequent wearing away of metal caused
by contact of the metal with hydrogen sulfide.
sour crude n: see sour crude oil.
sour crude oil n: oil containing hydrogen sulfide or another acid gas.
sour gas n: gas containing an appreciable quantity of hydrogen sulfide and/or
mercaptans.
sour hole n: a wellbore or formation known to contain hydrogen sulfide gas.
spinning chain n: a Y-shaped chain used to spin up (tighten) one joint of drill pipe
into another. One end of the chain is attached to the tongs, another end to the
spinning cathead, and the third end left free. The free end is wrapped around the
tool joint, and the cathead pulls the chain off the joint, causing ilie joint to spin
rapidly and tighten up. After ilie free end of the chain is pulled off the joint, the
tongs are secured in the spot vacated by the chain and continued pull on the chain
(and thus on the tongs) by the cathead makes up the joint to final tightness.
spinning wrench n: air-powered or hydraulically powered wrench used to spin
drill pipe in making or breaking connections.
spirally grooved drill collar n: a drill collar with a round cross section mat has
a long continuous groove or flute machined helically into its outer surface. The
spiraled groove provides space between the wall of the hole and tl1e body of ilie
collar, minimizing the area of contact between the hole wall and the collar; thus
tl1e possibility of differential pressure sticking is reduced.
94
GLOSSARY
square drill collar n: a special drill collar, square but with rounded edges, used
to control the straightness or direction of the hole; often part of a packed-hole
assembly.
stab v: to guide the end of a pipe into a coupling or tool joint when making up
a connection.
stabilizer n: a tool placed on a drill collar near the bit that is used, depending on
where it is placed, either to maintain a particular hole angle or to change the angle
by controlling the location of the contact point between the hole and the collars.
stand n: the connected joints of pipe racked in the derrick or mast during a trip.
The usual stand is about 90 feet (about 27 metres) long, which is three lengths
of drill pipe screwed together (a thribble).
stiff drilling assembly n: see packed bottomhole assembly.
stress n: a force that, when applied to an object, distorts or deforms it.
stress concentrator n: a notch or pit on a pipe or joint that raises the stress level
and concentrates the breakdown of the metal structure. Also called a stress riser.
stress riser n: see stress concentrator.
string n: the entire length of casing, tubing, sucker rods, or drill pipe run into
a hole.
stringer n: an extra support placed under the middle of racked pipe to keep the
pipe from sagging.
stuck pipe n: drill pipe, drill collars, casing, or tubing that has inadvertently
become immovable in the hole. Sticking may occur when drilling is in progress,
when casing is being nm in the hole, or when the driH pipe is being hoisted.
stuck point n: the depth in the hole at which the drilJ stem, tubing, or casing is stuck.
sub n: a short, threaded piece of pipe used to adapt parts of the driHing string
tl1at cannot otherwise be screwed together because of differences in thread size
or design. A sub (i.e., a substitute) may also perform a special function. Lifting
subs are used with drill coHars to provide a shoulder to fit the drilJ pipe eleva
tors; a keHy saver sub is placed between the drill pipe and the kelly to prevent
excessive thread wear of the kelly and drilJ pipe threads; a bent sub is used when
drilling a directional hole.
sulfide stress cracking n: a form of hydrogen embrittlement. It involves stress
and the absorption of hydrogen in the presence of hydrogen sulfide. Sulfide
stress cracking is a frequent cause of drill stem failure.
sweet corrosion n: the deterioration of metal caused by contact with carbon

dioxide in water.
swelled box n: a box connection on a tool joint that has been belled by too
much torque.
take out v: to remove a joint or stand of pipe from the drill stem. T
tapered string n: drill pipe, tubing, sucker rods, and so forth with the diameter
near the top of the well larger than the diameter below.
tensile ad): of or relating to tension.
tensile load n: the amount of longitudinal stress borne by a substance.
95
tensile strength n: the greatest longitudinal stress that a metal can bear without
tearing apart. A metal's tensile strength is greater than its yield strength.
tensile stress n: stress developed by a material bearing a tensile load. See
stress.
tension n: the condition of a string, wire, pipe, or rod that is stretched between
two points.
thread n: a continuous helical rib, as on a screw or pipe.
thread compound n: see dope.
thread dope n: see dope.
threaded coupling n: a type of connector that has threads on each end, making
it possible to screw two pieces of pipe together. Compare pressure coupling. See
also coupling.
thread profile gauge n: a device to measure the amount of wear or stretch on

pipe threads.
thread protector n: a metal or plastic device that is screwed onto or into pipe
threads to protect them from damage when the pipe is not in use.
thribble n: a stand of pipe made up of three joints and handled as a unit. Com
pare double, fourble, single.
thribbJe board n: the name used for the derrickhand's working platform, the
monkeyboard, when it is located at a height in the derrick equal to three lengths
of pipe joined together.
throw the chain v: to fli p the spinning chain up from a tool joint box so that the
chain wraps around the tool joint pin after it is stabbed into the box. The stand
or joint of drill pipe is turned or spun by a pull on the spinning chain from the
cathead on the drawworks.
tong area n: the area where tongs are attached to the drill pipe and drill collars
during makeup and breakout. On the drill string, the tong area is the tool joint
rather than the drill pipe.
tong dies n pi: very hard and brittle pieces of serrated steel that are installed in
the tongs and that grip or bite into the tool joint of drill pipe when the tongs
are latched onto the pipe.
tongman n: the member of the drilling crew who handles the tongs.
tongs n pi: the large wrenches used to make up or break out drill pipe, casing,
tubing, or other pipe; variously called casing tongs, pipe tongs, and so forth,
according to the specific use. Power tongs are pneumatically or hydraulically
operated tools that serve to spin the pipe up tight and, in some instances, to
apply the final makeup torque.
tool joint n: a heavy coupling element for drill pipe. It is made of special alloy
steel and has coarse, tapered threads and seating shoulders designed to sustain the
weight of the drill stem, withstand the strain of frequent coupling and uncoupling,
and provide a leakproof seal. The male section of the joint, or the pin, is attached
to one end of a length of drill pipe, and the female section, or box, is attached to
the other end. The tool joint may be welded to the end of the pipe, screwed on,
or both. A hard-metal facing is often applied in a band around the outside of the
tool joint to enable it to resist abrasion from the walls of the borehole.
GLOSSARY
toolpusher n: an employee of a drilling contractor who is in charge of the entire

drilling crew and the drilling rig. Also called a drilling foreman, rig manager,
rig superintendent, or rig supervisor.
top drive n: a device similar to a power swivel that is used in place of the rotary
table to tum the drill stem. It also suspends the drill stem in the hole and includes
power tongs. Modem top drives combine the elevator, tongs, swivel, and hook.
torque n: the turning force that is applied to a shaft or other rotary mechanism
to cause it to rotate or tend to do so. Torque is measured in units oflength and
force (foot-pounds, newton-metres).
torsion n: twisting deformation of a solid body about an axis in which lines that
were initially parallel to the axis become helices. Torsion is produced when part
of the pipe turns or twists in one direction while the other part remains station
ary or twists in the other direction.
torsional yield strength n: the amount of twisting force that a pipe can with
stand before twisting off.
toughness n: measure of steel's ability to withstand a crack or flaw without
fracturing. It can be altered by changing chemical composition, microstructure,
and heat treatment. Also called ductility. Compare brittleness.
transition zone n: the first few joints of drill string above the drill collars.
trip n: the operation of hoisting the drill stem from and returning it to the
wellbore. v: shortened form of "make a trip."
trip in v: see go in the hole.
trip out v: see come out ofthe hole.
tripping n: the operation of hoisting the drill stem out of and returning it to
the wellbore. See make a trip.

tubing n: relatively small-diameter pipe that is run into a well to serve as a
conduit for the passage of oil and gas to the surface.
tubular goods n pi: any kind of pipe. Oilfield tubular goods include tubing,
casing, drill pipe, and line pipe. Also called tubulars.
tum to the right v: on a rotary rig, to rotate the drill stem clockwise. When
drilling ahead, the expression "on bottom and turning to the right" indicates
that drilling is proceeding normally.
twistoffn: a complete break in pipe caused by metal fatigue. v: to break something
in two or to break apart, such as the head of a bolt or the drill stem.
ultimate strength n: the greatest stress that a substance can stand under normal U
short-term experiments.
upper string n: any part of the drill stem, tubing string, or casing string that
lies in the upper part of the borehole.
upset n: thickness forged to the end of a tubular (such as drill pipe) to give the end
extra strength. v: to forge the ends of tubular products so that the pipe wall acquires
e},.tra thickness and strength near the end. Upsetting is usually performed to provide
the thickness needed to form threads so that the tubular goods can be connected.
upset ronout n: the point on a joint of drill string where the upset ends and the
nominal wall of the pipe meet.
97
v
isV-door an opening at floor level in a side of a derrick or mast. The V-door
n:
opposite the drawworks and is used as an entry to bring in drill pipe, casing,
and other tools from the pipe rack. The name comes from the fact that on the
old standard derrick, the shape of the opening was an inverted V.
w
wandering
wall cake n: also called filter cake or mud cake. See filter cake.
the tendency of the drill bit to deviate horizontally parallel to
n:
tilted strata.
washout n: I. excessive wellbore enlargement caused by solvent and erosional
action of the drilling fluid. 2. a fluid-cut opening caused by fluid leakage.
water-base mud n: a drilling mud in which the continuous phase is water. In wa
ter-base muds, any additives are dispersed in the water. Compare oil-base mud.
weight on bit (WOB) n: the amount of downward force placed on the bit by
the weight of the drill collars.
well n: the hole made by the drilling bit, which can be open, cased, or both. Also
called borehole, hole, or well bore.
wellbore n: a borehole; the hole drilled by the bit. A wellbore may have casing
in it or it may be open (uncased); or part of it may be cased, and part of it may
be open. Also called a borehole or hole.
wiper n: a circular rubber device with a split in its side that is put around drill
pipe to wipe or clean drilling mud off the outside of the pipe as the pipe is pulled
from the hole.
WOB abbr: (pronounce each letter): weight on bit.

wobble n: movement between the mating surfaces of box and pin in a tool joint.
v: to move in a rocking motion.
y yield point n: the maximum stress that a solid can withstand without undergoing
permanent deformation either by plastic flow or by rupture. See tensile strength.
yield strength n: a measure of the force needed to deform tubular goods to the
extent that they are permanently distorted.
yield value n: the resistance to initial flow, or the stress required to start fluid
movement. This resistance is caused by electrical charges located on or near the
surfaces ofthe particles. The values ofthe yield point and thixotropy, respectively,
are measurements of the same fluid properties under dynamic and static states.
The Bingham yield value, reported in pounds/roo square feet, is determined
from a direct-indicating viscometer by subtracting the plastic viscosity from the
3oo-rpm reading. Also called yield point.
z
zone n: a rock stratum that is different from or distinguished from another
stratum (e.g., a pay zone).
Review Questions
LESSONS IN ROTARY DRILLING
Identify
On the drawings below, identify the numbered parts.
6.
8.
3.
7.
4. 5.
2.
8. ,
,
1.
6.
I.
2.
3·
4·
5· 11.
6.
7·
12.
8.
9·
10.
II.
12.
99
Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blanks with an appropriate word or phrase. Pick the correct term from those
listed below.
distort or deform drill collars
pull apart drill string
pm stress
box put weight on bit
one-third to one-half nsers
directly above concentrators
tool joint stabilize the bit
bit provide the pendulum effect
hold the drill string straight
The 13. gouges and scrapes the earth to make hole.

14. are used to put weight on the bit and serve as a
conduit for the drilling fluid. 15. is also used to serve
as a conduit for the drilling fluid and to impart the rotation of the rotary or top drive
to the collars and bit. Joints of drill collars and drill pipe are connected by stabbing the
16. of one joint into the 17. _
of another joint. The 18. is a separate piece of metal
welded on to the seamless drill pipe. It has the box and pin threads cut into it so that the
joints can be screwed together. The drill collars perform four basic functions. They
19· ,20. _
21. , and 22. _
Drill pipe is manufactured in API-recommended grades depending on the specific yield

and tensile strengths required. Yield strength refers to a specific value at which the pipe
will 23. . Tensile strength refers to a specific value at which
the pipe will 24- . Drill pipe fatigue limit is estimated
to be about 25. the minimum tensile strength of the
pipe. The drill string positioned 26. the drill collars
is the most susceptible to bending in a deviated hole. The greater the bend, the greater
the 27. on the pipe. Factors that increase the stress
on drill pipe are referred to as stress 28. or stress
29· _
100
REVIE.W QUE.STIONS
Multiple Choice
Pick the best answer from the choices and place the letter of that answer in the blank
provided.
_ _ _ _ 30. Differential sticking refers to-

a. a condition in which the drill string joints are stuck together because
too much torque was used during makeup.
b. a condition in which the bit gets stuck in soft formations.
c. a condition in which the drill stem becomes stuck against the wall of
the wellbore because part of the drill stem has become embedded in
the filter cake formed on the side of the hole.
d. the process of sticking the pin into the box during a connection.
_ _ _ _ 3 I. The pendulum effect refers to-

a. the tendency of the drill string to hang in a vertical position because
of the force of gravity pulling on the weight of the drill collars.
b. the tendency of the drilling fluid to lift, or float, the drill collars.
c. the tendency of the bit to deviate from vertical when encountering
hard formations.
d. the tendency of the bit to wobble.
_ _ _ _ 32. In order to make a good connection, the drilling crew should-

a. use the amount of torque recommended by API RP 7G for a specific
collar or tool joint.
b. use adequate lubricant.
c. use the proper procedures described in API RP 7G or the IADe
Drilling Manual.
d. do all of the above.
_ _ _ _ 33. In a good connection-

a. the seal between two collars is between the threads of the pin and the
box.
b. the seal between two collars is between the shoulders of the pin and
the box.
_ _ _ _ 34. A crew can recognize an undertorqued connection when breaking out

drill collars or drill string because-
a. the pin threads are usually stretched.
b. the box is usually belled.
c. the pin is broken.
d. the pin is dry.
101
True or False
Put a T for true or an F for false in the blank next to each statement.
_ _ _ _ 35. If the connection between tool joints is loose, drilling fluid

will pass across the shoulder and cause the lubricant to wash out, thereby
increasing the chance of eroding the tool-joint shoulders and threads.
_ _ _ _ 36. If too much torque is applied when making a connection, the pin may
screw all the way through the box.
_ _ _ _ 37. If too much torque is applied when making a connection, the box may
swell.
_ _ _ _ 38. In a loose connection, the seal between the shoulders breaks and the two
joints rock back and forth, or wobble.
_ _ _ _ 39. Corrosion fatigue, or metal failure caused by a corrosive environment, is

a common cause of drill stem failures.
_ _ _ _ 40. Drilling crews can never apply too much torque when making a connec
tion.
Matching
Write the letter of the correct definition in the blank next to each term.
Terms
_ _ _ _ 41. sulfide stress cracking
_ _ _ _ 42. hydrogen embrittlement
_ _ _ _ 43. thread protector
- - - - 4 4 . torque
----45- heavy-walled drill pipe
_ _ _ _ 46. transition zone
- - - - 4 7 . packed bottomhole assembly
_ _ _ _ 48. lifting sub
- - - - 4 9 . stabilizer
_ _ _ _ 50. elevator shoulder
Definitions
a. The turning force applied to a mechanism to cause it to rotate or tend to do so
b. A metal or plastic device that is screwed onto the collar or tool joint pin or into the collar
or tool joint box to protect it from damage when the collar or drill string is not in use
102
REVIEW QUESTIONS
c. A form of hydrogen embrittlement and a frequent cause of drill stem failure

d. That part of the drill stem positioned directly above the drill collars
e. Drill pipe having thicker walls and longer tool joints than usual and an integral wear
pad in the middle
f. Low ductility of a metal caused by its absorption of hydrogen gas
g. Sloped part of the drill string where the tool joint attaches to the seamless tube
h. A bottomhole assembly consisting of stabilizers and large-diameter drill collars ar
ranged in a particular configuration to maintain drift angle and direction of a hole
1. A tool placed on a drill collar near the bit that is used, depending on where it is
placed, either to maintain a particular hole angle or to change the angle by control
ling the location of the contact point between the hole and the collars
J. A short piece of pipe screwed onto a drill collar to give the collar an elevator shoul
der like the ones found on drill pipe tool joints
r03
Answers to Review Questions
LESSONS IN ROTARY DRILLING
Unit I, Lesson 3: Drill String and Drill Collars
Identify Answers to 28 and 29 may be given in

any order
1. bit
28. nsers
2. drill collars
29. concentrators
3. drill string
4- heavy-walled drill pipe
Multiple Choice
5. spiral, heavy-walled drill pipe
30. C
6. tool joint
31. A
7. wear pad
32. D
8. elevator shoulder
33. B
9. tong area
34. D
10. hardfacing
II. pm True or False

12. box
35· T
Fill in the blanks 36. T
13. bit 37· T
14. drill collars

38. T
IS. drill string

39· T
16. pm 4°· F
17. box Matching
18. tool joint
41. C
Answers to 19 through 22 may be
4 2 . F
given in any order

43· B
19. put weight on bit

44·
A
20. hold the drill string straight
45· E
2 I. provide the pendulum effect

4 6.D
22. stabilize the bit
23. distort or deform 47· H
24. pull apart

48. J
25. one-third to one-half 49·

I
26. directly above the bit 5°· G
27. stress
105
To obtain additional training materials, contact:
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
PETROLEUM EXTENSION SERVICE
1 University Station, R8100
Austin, TX 78712-1100
Telephone: 512-471-5940
or 800-687 -4132
FAX: 512-471-9410
or 800-687-7839
E-mail: [email protected]
or visit our Web site: www.utexas.edu/cee/petex

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ROTARY DRILLING SERIES

Unit I: The Rig and Its Maintenance

Lesson 8: Diesel Engines and Electric Power

Unit II: Normal Drilling Operations VI

Lesson 2: Drilling Fluid

Lesson 4: Casing and Cementing

Unit III: Nonroutine Operations

Unit IV: Man Management and Rig Management

Unit V: Offshore Technology

Other Special Features 9

Holding the Drill String Straight 12

Providing a Pendulum Effect 14

Stabilizing the Bit 16

Making a Good Connection 19

Failures with Good Connections 20

Making a Bad Connection 20

Failures with Bad Connections 22

Care and Handling 26

Handling the Collars on the Rack 26

Handling the Collar during Makeup and Breakout 28

Grades of Drill Pipe 36

Drill String Operating Limits 38

Sulfide Stress Cracking 46

Making a Good Connection 56

Making a Bad Connection 57

Heavy-Walled Drill Pipe 63

In Straight-Hole Drming in Soft Formations

Drill String and Drill Collar Auxiliaries 69

Appendix: Quick Guide to Problem Solving 74

4. Stabbing the pin of one collar into the box of another 5

8. Square drill collar 8

9. Collar with recess for use with slips and elevators 9

10. Hardbanding on collars 9

12. The drill string is kept in tension by two opposing forces. 13

14- A packed bottomhole assembly 17

15. Tension and compression on drill collars during drilling 18

18. Swelled box and swallowed pin 22

19· Galled threads 23

20. Table: Recommended make-up torque 25

2I. Thread protector on collar 27

22. Thread protectors with bails (handles) 27

23· Lifting sub 27

24. A safety clamp is attached to a smooth collar before elevators are

25. a. Drill collar slips, b. Slips holding collar in rotary 29

26. A profile gauge is used to check threads on pin. 3 I

27· Pipe upset 34

28. Drill pipe joint 35

29. Drill pipe fatigue 38

30. In a curved well bore, more stress is put on drill pipe. 39

31. A notch or pit concentrates drilling stresses. 41

32. Two types of stress risers 42

33. Drill pipe slips 43

34· Pin and box thread protectors 49

35. Checking the tool joint shoulder for flatness 5I

37· Swelled tool joint box 55

40. Fin on pin shoulder 59

41. a. Measuring the number of threads per inch; b. Measuring the

diameter of the bore 60

center wear pad 63

S pecial thanks to Ken Fischer, director, Committee Opera

If drilling fluid passes across the shoulder, three things hap

4 Y2 Extra Hole 5% 17,73 8 17,73 8 17,73 8 17,73 8