DRILLING ENGINEERING I

(CGE577)
1

CHAPTER 2:
2.1 DRILLSTRING

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

At the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

2

Describe the functions of Drillstring

Describe Drillpipe Stresses & Failures
Describe Drillpipe Inspection

Describe the functions of BHA components

Design the Drillstring

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

Introduction to DRILLSTRING

Enjoy the video!!!

DRILLSTRING
4

Drillstring is the combination of

drillpipe, drillcollars, kelly and other
accessories used to bring and turn the
drill bit during drilling process
The drillcollars, reamers, stabillizers,
jar and other accessories just above
the drill bit is called the Bottomhole
Assembly (BHA)

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

FUNCTIONS OF DRILLSTRING
5

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

Drillpipe
6

Drillpipe is the main component of drillstring (90 -95% of the entire length of
drillstring)
It is a tubular steel pipe that is welded with threaded ends called tooljoints.
Each length of drillpipe is called the joint/ single.
Each joint of drillpipe has standard dimension specified by API.

API Range

Joint Length (ft)

(Do not include tool joint length)

18-22

27-30 (most common)

38-45

The joints is manufactured not at uniform length the exact length must be
measured at the rigsite since the only way in which the driller knows the depth of the
drillbit is by knowing the the length of the drillstring and its components.

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

Drillpipe
7

There are also variety of O.D, weights

O.D

Nominal
Weight
(lb/ft)

I.D

2 -3/8

6.65

1.815

2 -7/8

10.40

2.151

3 -

9.50

2.992

3 -

13.30

2.764

15.50

4.602

16.25

4.408

5 -

25.6

4.000

5 -

21.90

4.776

5 -

24.70

4.670

and material grades of drillpipe

The specification for drill pipe string

is written in:
[O.D, weight, grade and range]
E.g: 5 25.6 lb/ft Grade X Range 2
These specifications influence the

burst, collapse, tensile and torsional

strength of the drillpipe.

Drillpipe dimensions
9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

Drillpipe
8

Properties of drillpipe (after API-RP-7G)

Ref: Drilling Engineering, J.J Azar & G. Robello Samuel, 2007

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

Drillpipe
9
The weight and dimensions of the drillpipe given is nominal value and does not

represent the real value.

The true weight (approx. weight) of a drillpipe is a function of the connection

type, grade of the drillpipe and weight per foot of the drillpipe.
Technically, the weight of drillpipe is lower when it is immersed in the drilling

fluid (wet weight) as compared to its weight when suspended in air (weight in
air) due to buoyant force (buoyant factor <1).
The wet weight/ buoyant weight when suspended in the fluid

= Weight of pipe in air x buoyancy factor.

Buoyancy Factor (BF) = (65.5 mud weight in ppg) 65.5

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

10

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

Exercise 1
11

What is the wet weight of a joint of drillpipe (30ft)

when immersed in a drilling fluid with a density of

12 ppg. Given:
Size and
Connection

Nominal
Weight
(lb/ft)

Grade

Approx.
Weight
(lb/ft)

4-1/2 IF

19.5

G 105

21.5

Ans: 527 lbs

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

Tool Joints
12

Pin (male connection

of tooljoints)

Box

Pin

Tool joints are manufactured separately and

usually made of steel that has higher strength
of the pipe body.
They are located at each end of a length of
drillpipe.
The tool joints have the box (female
connection) and pin (male connection).
When making up connection, the rig tongs must
be engaged around tool joints instead of main
joint body.
Tool joints have greater wall thickness than
main body (ID is lesser) and can sustain high
torque during make up connection.
Frequent engagement of pins & boxes can
damage threads if done harshly. Therefore,
connections should be greased properly to
extend the lifetime.

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

Heavy Wall Drillpipe (HWDP)

13
Also called Heavy Weight Drillpipe
Has greater wall thickness than ordinary

drillpipe
Has longer tool joint to increase stiffness
of the pipe to better withstand loads acting
on drillstring.
Used at the base of the drillpipe where the
stress concentration is greatest
HWDP can absorb stresses being
transferred from the stiff drill collars to
the flexible drillpipe due to the difference
in cross section
HWDP can also absorb stresses due to
rotation and cutting action of the bit which
may result in a vertical bouncing effect
See Video

HWDP

Standard
drillpipe

Ref: Drilling Engineering, J.J Azar & G. Robello Samuel, 2007

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

Drillpipe Stresses & Failures

14

Drillstring is subjected to a few kind of

stresses and failures.

These failures tend to break the

drillstring into two parts (twist off).

When this happened, drilling has to

stop and the retrievel of the lower part

of the string is very difficult and time
consuming
The common stresses are tension,

torque and cyclic stress fatigue.

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

Drillpipe Stresses
15

Tension

Torque

The weight of the suspended

drillstring expose each joint
of drillpipe to several
thousand of tensile load and
become higher when it is
being pulled out from a
difficult hole condition.
Eg: dogleg due to overpull or
drag.

The twisting force while

the drillstring is rotated
during drilling process.
The poor borehole
condition increase the
amount of the torque or
twisting force on each
joint.

Cyclic Stress Fatigue

Happens when the point of
bending on the drillstring is
exposed to repeated tension and
compression stresses and may
cause fatigue in the wall of the
pipe especially while drilling in
deviated hole.

Fatigue due to cyclic stress

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

Drillpipe Failures
16
Corrosion on drillstring can be due to the dissolved

gases, dissolved salts and acids in the water based

mud

Hydrogen Embrittlement

The most common gases are oxygen, carbon dioxide

and hydrogen sulphide. Oxygen can cause erosion to

the drillpipe, the carbon dioxide forms the corrosive
carbonic acid and corrodes steel while the hydrogen
sulphide introduces hydrogen embrittlement.

CO2 Corrosion

The dissolved salts expedite the corrosion process

due to its conductivity whereas the organic acids

reduce the pH of the fluid and thus increase
hydrogen embrittlement.

Erosion
9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

Drillpipe Inspection
17

A joint of drillpipe will be used in a number of

wells and will undergo a some degree of wear

and will not be able to withstand the same loads
as when it is new.
The drillpipe must be inspected by time to
monitor degree of damage and predict the load
that it can withstand.
The service life of drillpipe is hard to define
because no two boreholes undergo the same
conditions.
Approximately service life of drillpipe may be
used up to 25 wells which are about 10,000 ft
deep depending on well conditions.
Longer service life for drilling soft area as
compared with hard or deviated drilling areas.

EMI Inspection

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

Drillpipe Inspection
18
The inspection method of drillpipe can be done using non-destructive tests

such as the optical, magnetic particle, magnetic induction, ultrasonic and

Gamma Ray technique to determine the degree of damage of the pipe and any
defects.

Optical - visual inspection of possible noticeable external damages eg major dents,

external corrosion, and straightness.
Magnetic particles - magnetize pipe ends / tool joint and observe attraction of ferrous
particles to fatigue cracks by UV light.
Magnetic induction - detect disturbances in magnetic flux fields by pits, notches and
cracks.
Ultra sonic - pulse echo technique used to determine wall thickness
Hardness testing - Portable Hardness Testers are utilized to perform hardness reading
on the pipe.

The pipe will be classified to its degree of damage in term of drillpipe wall

thickness after each inspection.

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

Drillpipe Inspection
19
Drill pipe is classed according to wear in the following categories:-

Class 1

New

Premium

(wall thickness not less than 80% of Class 1)

Class 2

(wall thickness not less than 70% of Class 1)

Class 3

(any imperfections or damage exceeding Class 2)

Most operators specify that their Drilling Contractors supply only Premium Pipe
Premium pipe is typically 80% as strong as new pipe and then a further factor of safety

of 85% is applied to calculate the maximum allowable pull permitted in normal Drilling
Operations
Different Grades of steel are used in the manufacture of Drill pipe with increasing
percentage of Alloy Content

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

Drillpipe
Typical New Drill pipe Properties are as follows:-

Tensile Strength Torsional Strength

(lbs)
ft/lbs
Grade

Size

Weight
lbs/ft

13.3

271,569

18,551

13.3

380,197

25,972

13.3

488,825

33,392

19.5

395,595

41,167

19.5

553,833

57,633

19.5

712,070

74,100

Exercise 2
21

In a 6 hole using 3 x 13.3 #premium drill pipe, we anticipate needing

to pull 320,000 lbs tension.
What grade of pipe do we need if company policy dictates that we can pull
85% of yield strength

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

Solution
Maximum pull on each grade of 3 x 13.3 # pipe will be:Grade

Tensile
Strength

Premium
Factor

Safety
Factor

Max Pull in lbs

Grade E

271,569

x 0.8

x 0.85

= 184,666

Grade G

380,197

x 0.8

x 0.85

= 258,533

Grade S

488,825

x 0.8

x 0.85

= 332,401

Therefore, the suitable grade to be used is Grade S Drill pipe

Bottomhole Assembly (BHA)

23

The Bottom Hole Assembly (BHA) consists of drill

collar and other types of components just above the bit

such as the reamers, stabilizers, jars etc.
Drill collars are the pipe that have wall thicker than the
drillpipe with larger O.D and smaller I.D. Typical O.D for
drill collar are 9 connected to 5 drillpipe.
The functions of the drill collar are to give additional
weight to the drillstring, keep the drillstring in
tension to reduce fatigue failures and to provide
stiffness for BHA for directional control.
Like drillpipe, most common length for a drill collar is
Range 2 (30 32 ft).
Among the special types of drill collars are Slick Drill
Collar, Flex Drill Collar, Spiral Drill Collar, Square
Drill Collar and Non-Magnetic Drill Collar. See Video.
9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

24

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

Length of Drill Collar

25

The required weight on bit (WOB) determine the required length of the drill collar for
a particular drilling process and can be calculated from;

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

Example 1
26

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

Solution
27

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

Exercise 3
28

If highest ROP for a 12- bit can be achieved when 25,000 lbs WOB

is applied to the bit, Calculate the length of drillcollars that would be

required to provide 25,000 lbs WOB and keep the drillpipe in tension
in 12ppg mud.
a) Calculate the weight in air of 10000 ft of 5 19.5 lb/ft Grade G drillpipe

with 4 IF connections = 215,000 lbs

b) Calculate the wet weight of this string in 12 ppg mud = 175, 655 lbs
c) Calculate the length of 9- x 2-13/16 drillcollars
Given:
Buoyancy factor for steel = 0.817
DF = 1.2
9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

Solution
Calculated length of drillcollar = 166 ft
Please also note that additional length is required to ensure

the drill pipe in tension when drilling in order to overcome

the buoyant force on the drill pipe.

Weight in air of drillpipe Weight in mud of drillpipe

buoyant weight per foot of drill collar.

= (215,000 175,655)/ 220.4 x 0.817 = 219 ft

Therefore, the total length of drill collars = 166ft + 219 ft = 385 ft

BHA Components
30

Stabilizers are pipe with straight or

spiral blades on the external surface

The stabilizers helps to reduce
buckling and stresses on drill
collars and prevent wall sticking.
See Video

Roller reamer is a kind of stabilizer

with rollers embedded on the

blades. Acts as stabilizers and
useful in maintaining gauge hole.
See Video

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

BHA Components
31
Shock sub (vibration dampener) is normally placed

above the bit to absorb the vibration when drilling

through hard rock.
Subs (substitutes) are crossovers pipes to connects

components which cannot be connected together

because of differences in thread type or sizes
Drilling jars are used to free pipe if it is stuck during

drilling. There are mechanical jar (downward blow at

surface) and hydraulic jar (upward blow). Normally
placed at top of drill collars. See Video1 & Video2

Shock Sub
9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

DRILLSTRING DESIGN
32

Involves determination of length, weights and grades of drillpipe for

drilling process
Depends on several factors such as hole depth and size, desired safety
factor in tension and margin of overpull, length and weight of drill
collars and desired drillpipe size and inspection class
Design criteria to choose a suitable drill string:
1. Tension
2. Collapse
3. Shock Loading
4. Torsion

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

1. Tension
33
Tension describes the pulling force exerted by each end of a string which is
opposite of compression
The greatest tension (P) on the drillstring occurs at the top joint at the
maximum drilled depth.

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

1. Tension (Contd)
34

Margin of Overpull (MOP) is defined as the additional allowed tension to be applied to

free stuck pipe.

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

1. Tension (Contd)
35

Safety Factor during drilling:

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

1. Tension Design Procedure

36

Legend:

Pt = Theoritical tension load given by the manufacturer

MOP = Margin of overpull, lbs
BF = Buoyancy factor
W dp = weight of drillpipe, lbs/ft
W dc = weight of drillcollar, lbs/ft
Ldc = Length of drillcollar, ft

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

Exercise 4
37

Tension:
A drillstring consists of 600 ft of 8-1/4 in x 2-13/16 in drill collars and

the rest is a 5 in, 19.5 lbm/ft Grade X95 drillpipe. If the required MOP
is 100,000 lbs and mud weight is 10ppg, calculate the maximum depth
of hole that can be drilled when:
a.
Using new drillpipe = 16909 ft
b.
Using Class 2 drillpipe having a yield strength of 394 600lb = 11106 ft
Please consider 90% safety factor of yield strength.
See Drillpipe properties

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

2. Collapse
38

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

2. Collapse (Contd)
39

Safety factor of 1.125 is normally used

9/30/2014 12:31:15 PM

Exercise 5
40

Collapse:
If 10,000 ft of the drillpipe in Exercise 4 is used,
a.

Determine the maximum collapse pressure that can be encountered

and the resulting safety factor. Assume maximum collapse pressure
occurs when the drillpipe is 100% empty. SF = 2.3

b.

If the fluid level inside the drillpipe drops to 6000ft below the rotary
table, determine the new safety factor. SF = 3.8

Given mud density is 10 ppg (75 pcf).

See Drillpipe properties
9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

3. Shock Loading
41

Shock loading arises whenever slips are set on moving drillpipe and can

contribute to parting of pipe in marginal design

Shock loading gives additional tensile force (Fs) on drillpipe and can be
calculated as follows:

- Wdp is the weight of drillpipe per unit length

A minimum safety factor of 1.6 should be applied to the tension loads if

shock loading is not accounted for.

If the shock loading is quantified and included in the load calculation, a

minimum safety factor of 1.3 can be used.
9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

Exercise 6
42

Shock Load:
Assuming that 10,000 ft of Grade X95 has been selected from Exercise 4,

Determine:
a. The safety factor during drilling SF= 1.83
b. The magnitude of shock loading (Fs), Fs = 62400 lb
c. The safety factor when shock loading is included, SF = 1.46

See Drillpipe properties

9/30/2014 1:15:06 PM

4. Torsion
43

9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM

Exercise 7
44

Torsion:
The following data refer to a drillstring stuck at the drill collars:

Drillpipe: 10,000 ft, 5 in. OD, 4.276 in. ID, 19.5 lb/ft, Grade E,
Class 2 having a tensile strength of 311,540 lb
DrillCollars: 600 ft, total weight 80,000 lb.
Make up torque for drillpipe tool joints = 20,000 lb-ft
100% free point = 9,900 ft

Determine the maximum torque that can be applied at the surface

without exceeding the minimum torsional yield strength of drillpipe
25468 lb-ft
See Drillpipe properties
9/30/2014 1:15:34 PM

Assignment 1
45

Design a drill string for a hole size of 8-1/2 in., to 15,000ft, given the

following additional data:

MOP = 25,000 lbs
Drill collar size: 6 in. x 3 in.; 72 lbs/ft; 720 ft
Use Class II drill pipe of E,G or higher grade
Mud weight = 12 lbs/gal
Percentage of yield = 90%
Component

Drill Collar
Drillpipe

Description

Length (ft)

Depth (ft)

Weight (lbs)

6 in. x 3 in.; 72 lbs/ft

720

15,000 - ?

? to surface

* Submission dateline: 13 October 2014 before 5pm.. Submission should be made through i-learn
course forum (CGE577)
9/30/2014 12:28:33 PM