What is drill pipe tool joint​?

Date:2024-10-08Tags:drill pipe, drill bit, drill collar
The drill pipe joint is an important part of the drill string, which is an indispensable component in the drilling process. The drill string is a key structure that connects the surface equipment to the drill bit. It transmits power and drilling fluid through the drill pipe, while the drill collar provides additional weight and stability to make the drilling operation more efficient. It consists of a series of connected pipes and components that are responsible for transmitting drilling fluid and rotational force to the drill bit to drill holes underground in the earth. The drill pipe joint plays a vital role in the entire drilling operation because it directly connects the surface drilling equipment to the drill bit while transmitting torque and axial loads.

Construction and composition of drill pipe joints

Drill pipe joints are usually made of high-strength steel materials to withstand the extreme conditions encountered in drilling operations. High-strength steel not only has the characteristics of resistance to bending and torsion, but also can withstand the test of high-pressure environments. The design and manufacture of drill pipe joints are to ensure that the connection can always maintain stability and safety under complex geological conditions. Specifically, the drill pipe joint consists of the following key parts:

Pipe body

The pipe body is the main part of the drill pipe. It is a cylindrical steel pipe with threaded connections at both ends. The pipe body needs to withstand a lot of stress, bending and torsion, which are inevitable in drilling operations. Therefore, the pipe body is usually subject to strict quality control to ensure that it can maintain stable structural performance for a long time under high pressure and high strength conditions.

Drill pipe joints
The drill pipe joints are thickened parts located at both ends of the pipe body. These thickened parts are specially designed with threads and shoulder structures. Their main function is to facilitate the firm connection between drill pipes, and during the drilling process, the drill pipe joints are subjected to the most concentrated pressure. The thickening design of the drill pipe joint is not only to increase strength, but also to reduce thread deformation and damage under high pressure.

Threaded connection

The threaded connection structure of the drill pipe joint is the key to ensure that the entire drill string system can be easily assembled and disassembled. The precise design of the thread enables the drill pipe to remain sealed after connection, avoiding leakage of drilling fluid, thereby improving drilling efficiency. During the operation, sealing is crucial to the flow and pressure maintenance of drilling fluid, and precise threaded connections ensure the continuity and stability of the operation.

Inner hole

The inner hole of the drill pipe is designed for the flow channel of drilling fluid. Drilling fluid flows from the surface through the bore of the drill pipe to the drill bit and plays several key roles in this process. It cools the drill bit and reduces wear caused by high temperatures; it also brings cuttings to the surface to clean up debris in the borehole; and it also maintains pressure in the well to prevent well collapse and other accidents.

Strength analysis of drill pipe joints

The strength of drill pipe joints is a critical indicator in drilling operations. The influencing factors include the material of the joint, the size of the joint, and the thread type. API tool joints are standard. All API joint materials have a minimum yield strength of 120,000 psi regardless of the grade of the connected pipe. This means that the material yield strength of the API joint will not change due to different pipe grades.

Although it sometimes seems unreasonable to install a joint with a yield strength of 120,000 psi on an S-grade pipe with a yield strength of 135,000 psi, this combination is feasible in practice. For example, the minimum tensile yield strength of a new 5-inch S-grade pipe is 712,000 pounds, while the minimum tensile yield strength of the NC50 connector is 1,390,000 pounds. This shows that although the joint is the weak point of the connection, the joint as a whole still has higher strength because its cross-sectional area is larger than the pipe.

Torsional Strength and Wear Effects

The torsional strength of a drill pipe joint is mainly determined by the metal cross-sectional area of the threaded part and the yield strength of the material. The outer diameter and inner diameter of the joint directly affect the strength of the thread. In particular, during operation, the outer diameter becomes thinner due to wear, and when the cross-sectional area of the female joint is smaller than that of the male joint, the torsional strength decreases significantly. Therefore, maintaining the size and shape of the joint is an important means to ensure torsional strength.

The API standard stipulates that the torsional strength of the joint should be 80% of the torsional strength of the pipe. This design factor is 0.8 and is used to determine the inner and outer diameters of the drill pipe joint. However, in actual drilling, due to wear of the joint, the torsional strength may decrease, especially in high-torsion drilling environments. If the wear exceeds a certain range, the strength of the joint will decrease significantly, affecting the safety and efficiency of the operation.

Make-up torque and assembly of drill pipe

Drill pipe joint assembly requires the application of appropriate torque to ensure that the male and female joint shoulders fit tightly to form a seal. This assembly method puts the male joint in a tensile state and the female joint shoulder in a compressed state to ensure the tightness and strength of the connection. The size of the make-up torque depends not only on the size of the joint, but also on the outer diameter and inner diameter of the joint. Generally, the larger the outer diameter of the joint, the higher the make-up torque; and the larger the inner diameter of the pin, the lower the make-up torque.

The standard tightening torque is to ensure that the stress of the weak part does not exceed 60% of the minimum yield strength when the joint is connected. Regardless of the grade of drill pipe, the minimum yield strength of all tool joints is 120,000 psi, so it is necessary to strictly follow the torque standard during installation to avoid connection problems caused by over-tightening or loosening.
drill pipe

Summary

As a key component in drilling operations, drill pipe joints need to withstand high-intensity torque and pressure, and ensure the smooth flow of drilling fluid. The design provisions in the API standard provide strength guarantees for the joints, but in actual operations, the risk of wear and damage to the joints still exists. Therefore, regular inspection and maintenance of the size and condition of the joints is an important part of ensuring operational safety. At the same time, in high-torsion drilling environments, it is also particularly necessary to select joints with higher torsional strength.

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