Essential Red Book

Glossary

Absolute Volume The liquified volume of a dry substance. The volume by which a
fluid increases when a substance is added to it.
Additive A material other than cement and water which is added to a cement subsequent
to its manufacture to modify its properties.
Ambient Temperature The temperature of the medium that surrounds an object, such
as the temperature of the ground deep in a well.
Annular Volume The amount of space contained between wellbore and pipe or
between pipe strings.
Annulus The space surrounding a pipe in the wellbore, or the space between tubing and
casing, or the space between tubing and the wellbore.

Hole Annulus

Tubing, Casing,
or Drill Pipe

Body Yield Strength Load rating at which the tensile strength of pipe is exceeded
(excluding threaded connectors). The point at which the metal deforms (it will not go
back to its original shape).
Buoyancy The apparent loss of weight of an object immersed in a fluid. The tendency
to float.
Buttress Thread Heavy, flattened threads, built for extra strength in couplings, as
shown below.

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 Glossary

Casing Steel pipe placed in an oil or gas well to prevent the wall of the hole from
caving in, to prevent movement of fluids from one formation to another, and to improve
the efficiency of extracting petroleum if the well is productive. A joint of casing may be
16 to 48 ft long and from 4.5 to 20 inches in diameter.
Cement Accelerators A chemical additive that speeds up the setting time of cement.
Cement Additives A material added to cement to change its properties.
Cement Retarders A substance added to cement to prolong the setting time so that the
cement can be pumped into place.
Collapse Pressure The amount of force applied to the outside of a pipe that causes it to
collapse (cave in) on itself.
Collapse Resistance The ability of the wall of a pipe or vessel to resist collapse.
Compressive Yield Strength The maximum stress a metal, subjected to compression,
can withstand without a predefined amount of permanent deformation.
Coupling A metal collar with internal threads used to join two sections of threaded
pipe.

Cubic Foot (cu. ft, ft3, scf) An amount equal to a cube that measures one foot on all
sides.
1 ft

ft
1

1 ft

Density The mass or weight of a substance per unit volume at a certain temperature and
pressure. For example, water density is 8.33 lb/gal at 68F and 1 atmosphere pressure.
Displacement The amount of a fluid that is displaced by another object, such as pipe.
Drift Diameter In drilling, the effective hole size. In casing, the guaranteed minimum
inner diameter of the casing.

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 Glossary

Drill Collar A heavy, thick-walled tube, usually steel, used between the drill pipe and
the bit in the drill stem to provide weight to the bit.
External Upset End (EUE) On tubing, casing, or drill pipe, the outside thickening at
each end of the joint so that the internal diameter of the joint remains the same.

External Yield Pressure External pressure at which the pipe prematurely deforms.
Extreme Line Joint Threaded joints of pipe, which a pin (male) end a box (female)
end for joining the pipes, such as shown below. API integral joint premium thread (no
coupling).

Formation A geologic bed or deposit composed throughout of substantially the same

kind of rock. The type of earth surrounding a well at a particular point.
Grade Nomenclature that defines material, tensile strength, and ratio for tubular goods.
Hydrostatic Pressure The amount of pressure caused by a column of fluid, based on
the height of the fluid column and its density (weight per foot). For example, an 8.33
lb/gal fluid will exert 0.433 psi/ft.
Inner Diameter (ID or I.D.) The width across the greatest distance (middle) of the
inside of a pipe.
Integral Joint Pipe with built-in threads, with female threads on one end (box end) and
male threads on the other (pin end).

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 Glossary

Internal Upset End (IUE) On tubing, casing, or drill pipe, the inside thickening at each
end of the joint so that the external diameter of the joint remains the same.

Internal Yield Pressure Maximum internal pressure at which pipe permanently

deforms.
Joint Strength How well a joint withstands separation at the threaded connection.
Long Coupling A coupling with extra threads and length for use where extra strength
is required.
Measured Depth (MD) Length of a wellbore that is deviated at a specific angle.

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 Glossary

Outer Diameter (OD or O.D.) The width across the greatest distance (middle) of the
outside of a pipe.

OD

ID

Pipe or
Tubing

Permeability A measure at which a fluid flows through the connecting pore spaces of
rock or cement, usually reported in millidarcies.
Pipe Stretch The amount a pipe can lengthen due to weight from itself or another
source.
Pipe String A connected series of pipe that is run into a well.
PSI Pounds per square inch (psi). Common unit to show the amount of pressure on an
object.
Round Thread Rounded threads in couplings, as shown below.

Short Coupling A coupling with less threads and length for normal use.
Slurry A mixture of cement and water that is pumped into a well to harden, where it
supports the casing and provides a seal in the wellbore to prevent migration of
underground fluids.
Slurry Weight The density of a cement slurry, usually measured in pounds per gallon,
lb/gal.
Slurry Yield The volume of slurry obtained when one sack of cement is mixed with the
desired amount of water and additives.
Tensile Relating to tension, the pulling force on pipe.
Thickening Time The amount of time required for cement to reach an API-established
degree of consistency or thickness.
True Vertical Depth (TVD) The actual straight-down depth of the well, for a deviated
well (drilled at an angle instead of straight down).

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 Glossary

Torque The turning force that is applied to a shaft or other rotary mechanism to cause
it to rotate or tend to do so.

Torque
(turning
force)

Pipe or
Tubing

Tubing String A connected series of 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.
Uncased Hole The well hole drilled into the ground, which does not having any casing
(pipe) installed. Also called open hole or well bore.
Wall Thickness The actual thickness of the wall of a pipe.

Wall Thickness

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