By John LEspoir

Drill Pipe and Collar Designs

What do you mean by FH or IF or FJ of 18? Why is this important?

rill pipe. What a terrible,

unjust, degrading, and misleading name for such a fine
piece of highly machined,
close-tolerance, alloy steel component.
To the best of my knowledge, no manufacturer today offers threaded drill pipe
made from pipe.
The American Petroleum Institute
glossary defines drill pipe (manufacturers definition) as the tubular member
of a drill string to which the two joints
are attached. A drill pipe (unfortunately,
the author cannot change the name) is a
tubular midbody to which tool joints are
somehow attached. Drill stem is not a
good term because it includes all components from the swivel to the bit.

Construction Methods
Each manufacturer has its own superior construction, and all of them have
evolved from older methods. Way back,
a pipe was threaded on both ends; tool
joints would have female matching
threads and were simply bucked on at
extremely high torques. Those were the
real drill pipe threads. The tool joint
connecting threads are of a completely
different design; however, these are
widely known as the drill pipe threads.
(Once again, I cannot change that
name.) After bucking on the tool joint,
some people welded the square shoulder
to the pipe (Figure 1).

Cheaper water well pipe was simply

an interference bore fit. The tool joint
was heated, slipped onto the pipe, and
welded after cooling. Current-day technology evolved from friction welding
into inertia welding of the three components: one male tool joint, one midbody
tube, and one female tool joint. The
midbody tube is usually a premium
alloy steel seamless tube. The ends can
be made thicker in wall section either on
the inside, the outside, or both. This is
called upsetting. This upset has nothing
to do with the 18 pipe whatsoever. EU
refers to external upset, IU is internal
upset, and IEU is internal and external
upset (Figure 2).
A typical tool joint is made from a
4140-alloy steel, then hardened by
quenching and tempering. The tool joint
is welded to the thick cross section. The
larger area of the weld contact will com-

Figure 1. Square shoulder welded to

the pipe. Courtesy of LTA Corp.

pensate for the lower allowable stress in

the heat-affected zone. Large area times
lower strength exceeds the pipe midbodys smaller cross-sectional torque
and tensile capacity.
Let me clarify friction versus inertia
welding. Both use friction of a spinning

Figure 2. (a) Internal/external upset; (b) external upset; (c) internal upset.
Courtesy of LTA Corp.

Figure 3. Inertia welding.

John LEspoir has enjoyed a 40-year career in

portable drilling equipment design. He holds
a bachelor of science degree in mechanical
engineering and was formerly the director of
engineering for the George E. Failing Co. in
Enid, Oklahoma. John was born in the Netherlands and moved to Enid in 1969. He is the
founder, owner, and president of Enid Drill
Systems Inc. He received the 2003 NGWA
Technology Award.

54/ April 2009 Water Well Journal

NGWA.org

Figure 4. Water well, direct-circulation mud, square-shoulder-type drill pipe.

Courtesy of LTA Corp.

Figure 5. Oilfield, direct-circulation mud, 18 shoulder-type drill pipe.

Courtesy of LTA Corp.

Figure 6. Air drilling, flush joint drill pipe, no shoulder type.

Courtesy of LTA Corp.

tool joint pressed against a stationary

pipe to make the weld. The friction
welding process is determined by the
machine operator. He stops the machine
when he thinks the weld is done.
At inertia welding (Figure 3), a predetermined amount of kinetic energy
(inertia) is loaded into a large highspeed flywheel that holds the tool joint.
After the flywheel is placed in free spin,
it is pressed against the stationary pipe.
The friction causes heat. When the flywheel stops, the weld is done and the
NGWA.org

kinetic energy has been turned into

heatalways exactly the same amount
of heat. A double curl flash will form inside as well as outside. The outside must
be turned off. The inside may be left
only if the opening is larger than the
tool joint pin bore. After welding, the
weld zone must be stress relieved, usually by a ring-type electrical induction
heater. It takes only a few seconds, but
cooling must be controlled to assure
equal hardness throughout the weld
zone and avoid brittleness.

As shown in Figure 4, the pipe is run

into the hole with the pin (male connection) pointed down. This is the most
common position. The breakout lugs are
optional and can be handled only with
a block type slip and a hoisting plug.
Without the lugs, the pipe can be handled with square shoulder-type elevators
and tapered wedge-type slips in a
tapered bowl. The large diameter tool
joints, compared with the tube, allow for
large openings internally, reducing the
back-pressure to the pump.
The external square shoulders are
cause for great concern if this pipe is
used for air drilling. Cuttings flowing
upward in mud will hit these shoulders
and be thrown back into a turbulent
flow. This can be tolerated in low mud
uphole velocities, such as water well
drilling.
Uphole velocities in small-diameter
oil production wells are much greater
than large-diameter water well drilling
(Figure 5). The 18 taper pipe (36 included taper) was designed to minimize
the turbulent flow and annular flow friction. This design, also known as bottleneck pipe, significantly changed the
elevator design. Hinge pins of square
shouldered elevators are subjected to
minimal spreading forces. With the 18
taper, the load is carried on this taper,
subjecting the hinge pins to the spreading force, which is equal to three times
the lifting load. When picking up 50,000
pounds of drilling tools, the elevator is
trying to split open with a separating
force of 150,000 pounds. This changes
the design and ratings drastically. Do
not attempt to change a square shoulder
elevator into an 18 elevator; however,
the other way around can be done.
As shown in Figure 6, the outside of
the pipe is virtually flush, or has the
same diameter. Uphole flow in the borehole is now laminar. You can imagine
the turbulence if rock chips are flying
up at a minimum of 3000 feet per
minute (34 mph) and hit the square solid
steel shoulder of drill pipe.
Although it is designed for air
drilling, many drillers use flush joint
drill pipe for mud rotary as well. With
the outside flush, the bore through the
tool joint is very restricted and is the
cause for friction or back-pressure to the
mud pump. Choose a connection thread

TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY/continues on page 56

Water Well Journal April 2009 55/

A 212-inch drill pipe is nested in a unique pipe tub with integral adjustable
catwalk. Layer spaces are exactly vertical. The walk can be raised, lowered,
and pinned for each layer. This is a special design by EDSI.
Photo by John LEspoir on location in Suriname.

Yes, we all realize that the weight on

the bit should come from dead drill collar weight and that all of the drill pipe
should be in tension by holding weight
on the brakes. This indeed would drill
the straightest borehole with the least
deviation. Unfortunately, most water
well drillers cannot apply this system.
Many times a pulldown must be used to
break through the hard top layers of formation and, at that time, the entire string
would be in compressive loading.

Tool Joint Threads

Range II 512-inch FH 18 pipe laid out on racks for measurement, cleaning, and
inspection. Each good joint is numbered after measuring.
Photo by John LEspoir on location in Bangladesh.

TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY/from page 55

with the largest bore through the pin.
For example, a 4-inch outer diameter
flush joint (O.D. FJ) pipe could have
a 2-inch inner flush (IF) thread with
a 2-inch-diameter bore and a 3.54square-inch open area.
Using a 4-inch O.D. tool joint, a
3-inch IF thread could be used with
56/ April 2009 Water Well Journal

a 21116-inch-diameter bore and a 5.67square-inch open area. That is a 60% increase in area. You can understand the
dramatic drop in pump pressure when
using this pipe in mud drilling. This FJstyle pipe is well suited for shallow
water wells because it provides a fairly
rigid string with a nice weight on the bit.

Tool joint threads are commonly

known as drill pipe threads. It seems
that every engineer would like to come
up with yet another new thread. (Yes, I
did, too! Mine will never wear out because that one string has been covered
by weeds for the last 25 years.)
There is nothing wrong with commonly used threads such as API-REG
(regular), API-FH (full hole), and APIIF (internal flush). These threads were
published in my July 1944 API Specs
book. And, no, I had not yet been born
at that time. Crossover subs for these
threads can be easily located worldwide.
API-REG is a typical bit thread. Due to
its small pin bore, it is very strong. We
do not recommend the REG thread for
any drill pipe. Some contractors call any
tapered thread an API thread. There is
no API thread unless it is connected
with a thread form and size. The thread
identification chart looks at a small
selection of threads (Figure 7).
The threads pictured in Figure 7 are
male, with the threads on the outside.
This is known as the pin. The mating
parts are female, with the threads on the
inside. This is known as the box. In addition, we have to identify and specify if
the threads are RH (right hand) or LH
(left hand). Generally speaking, threads
above the kelly bushing or topdrive are
left-handed.

Drill Pipe Length

Nothing seems to be easy with drill
pipe. Water well drillers are used to
even lengths such as 5, 10, 15, 20, 25,
and 30 feet. Well depth is easily calculated: 20 joints of 20 feet is 400 feet.
Upsetting of the midbody is a difficult
process, and sometimes pieces have to
be cut off. This is one of the reasons
NGWA.org

Drill Pipe Weights with Tool Joints

O.D.
238
278
312
4.0
412

Wall
.254
.308
.368
.330
.337

Tube
lbs/ft
6.0
10.0
13.3
14.0
16.6

Figure 7. Thread identification. Courtesy of Mills Machine Co.

Drill Pipe
lbs/ft
7.0
11.0
14.0
15.0
18.0

Thread Identification Chart

Subs and adapters available with any combination of threads. Special thread adapters
manufactured on special order.
ANominal Pipe Size
DLength of Pin

BOutside Diameter of Tool Joint

EThreads per Inch

CMajor Thread Diameter or Diameter at Shoulder

FTaper per Foot

GThreaded Form

HTool Joint Bore

those in the oilfields talk about ranges

as the length of the midbody tube only.

Range I length 18 to 22 feet

Range II length 27 to 30 feet

Add the tool joint length, both box

and pin, to the tube lengths to get the
total length of each joint. A range length
pipe is easier to find and more economical; however, each joint must be measured accurately and added up in feet,
inches, and fractions to determine total
depth and location of formations. The
mechanical strength of the drill pipe
must also be specified. It is based on the
tensile stress in psi.
Drill Pipe Tensile Strength in psi
Grade D
Grade E
Grade X-95
Grade G-105
Grade S-135

95,000
100,000
105,000
115,000
145,000

These are only a few of those available today.

Used drill pipe is marked with paint

stripes and bands to identify the quality
of the drill pipe as well as threads. Three
long longitudinal stripes, 120 apart,
show the thread condition.

Green field repairable

Red scrap or shop repair needed
Circumferential painted bands:

One white Class 1

Two white Premium
One yellow Class 2
One blue Class 3
One green Class 4
One red Scrap

Drill pipe, even bent, can be straightened and/or repaired.

NGWA.org

Name

318
334
414
512
338
418
434
234
314
334
318
334
314
334
414
314
3716
414
458
1516
158
134
238
258
238
238

258
3
312
458
278
32564
4164
22164
23564
3364
212
318
21932
26364
31732
23564
23564
358
4
1
11764
138
178
2732
178
16364

3
312
334
414
3
312
4
214
3
338
234
314
3
312
312
3
3
312
334
112
134
178
238
234
234
2

5
5
5
5
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
5
5
3
3
3
4
3
3
4

3
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
112
112
2
2
338
338
338
112
112
3
3
3

TOOL JOINTS
238 API Regular
278 API Regular
312 API Regular
412 API Regular
238 API Internal Flush
278 API Internal Flush
312 API Internal Flush
238 Mayhew Junior
238 Mayhew Regular
278 Mayhew Full Hole
238 Failing Exploration
278 Failing Exploration
238 Hughes Acme Regular
278 Hughes Acme Regular
312 Hughes Acme Regular
238 Winter Weiss
278 Winter Weiss
278 API Full Hole
312 API Full Hole
E-Rod
A-Rod
A-W Rod
N-Rod
NW-Rod
N-Rod Failing Type 3-Thd.
Tapered Acme N-Rod ELI

238
278
312
412
238
278
312
238
238
278
238
278
238
278
312
238
278
278
312
1516
158
134
238
258
238
238

Lubrication, Sealing, Protection

Thread compounds are heavy greases
or grease-like lubricants used to seal
connections and facilitate the assembly
(makeup) and disassembly (breakout) of
threaded connections (Figure 8).
Thread compounds seal, lubricate,
prevent seizing and galling, and protect
against rust and corrosion. Typical applications include oil well tubing; casing
threads; drill pipe joints; water, gas,
steam, and drainage lines; nuts; and
bolts. In the past, thread compounds
containing lead and zinc were used in
most applications. Because of environmental concerns from use of heavy metals, thread compounds containing safer

60 API
60 API
60 API
60 API
60 API
60 API
60 API
60 Mod. API
60 Mod. API
60 Mod. API
60 Mod. API
60 Mod. API
29 Acme
29 Acme
29 Acme
60 Mod. API
60 Mod. API
60 Mod. API
60 Mod. API
Sq. Thd.
Sq. Thd.
Sq. Thd.
Sq. Thd.
Sq. Thd.
Sq. Thd.
218 29 Acme

1
114
112
214
134
218
21116
112
158
2
112
178
114
114
134
112
112
218
2716
7
16
9
16
5
8
1
138
118
1

metals (copper) or no metals have been

developed and are the dominant compounds in use today.

Thread Protectors
Thread protectors are made from
either durable plastic or steel. They
fit only one specific thread. If pipe is
stored outside for long periods in a rustprone area (especially along the coast),
remove the pin protector. The protector
will store water in the bottom groove
and cause the threads to rust away along
the lower area.

TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY/continues on page 58

Water Well Journal April 2009 57/

sticking up too high above the table

and when a backup tong is not used.

TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY/from page 57

Drill Collars

6. Bent pipes, caused by wrongly

placed choker chains (sometimes a
single chain in the center while lifting a bundle of pipe with a ginpole
truck).

Drill collars are heavy-bodied drill

pipes with a constant O.D. and I.D.
(inner diameter). Connections will be
box to pin. On one end, one or two recessed areas may be found: the top one
to fit the elevator, the second one for the
tapered slips. If the collar is slick, meaning no recesses, it is advisable to use a
heavy oilfield safety clamp just above
the slips. A handling sub or hoisting
plug will be needed for lifting.

7. Washed-out threads caused by nontorqueing of connections when

going into the hole.
8. Damage caused by self-applied
overtorque when going loose into
the borehole. The bit will sledgehammer the connection too tight by
shock loads. Another sledgehammer
dose by the driller trying to unscrew
a connection plus applying heat will
usually result in two unsafe pieces of
drill pipe. Note: all connections must
be torqued up properly when going
into the hole.

Selection of Drill Pipe and Collars

The selection of drill pipe and collars
is extremely important. The driller
needs to design the entire drill stem to
fit the drilling program without any
shortcuts. The total calculated weight
will determine the size of the rig. Take
the dry weight maximum total and
multiply by 1.33 to obtain the minimum
hookload capacity of the mast. This
will allow for a 25% reserve pullback
capacity of the rig in a dry hole and
33% in a mud-filled hole due to the
buoyancy. The mud pump size and style
can now be determined based on the
drill stem design.
Pipe-handling equipment includes
draw works, mast crown, wire line,
blocks, swivel, kelly, subs, elevators
with links, hoisting plug, slips or holding fork, breakout tongs or wrenches,
and racking boards in mast and supporting structure on the ground. All of these
items must fit the drill stem components
and be sized properly to handle lifting
loads and connection torques. There are
many more types of drill pipes, such as
flanged reverse pipe, dual-wall pipe,
aluminum pipe, and core pipe. We have
dedicated only one column to drill pipe
to bring out some of the more common
requirements.
Here are some key areas of drill pipe
and collar abuse.
1. Inadequate or no lubrication.

9. Midbody pipe wear, caused by applying pulldown on the string while

drilling in very hard and abrasive
formations.

10. Improper welding to add lugs. These

are alloy steels, which require preheating, postheating, and retarded
cooling. Selection of welding rods is
critical.
11. Improper hardbanding. This is the
application of welding a hard surface metal in rings around the tool
joints to minimize the damage
caused by tong jaw dies, which literally bite into the tool joint material.
12. Damage caused by drill-out style
slips that apply rotating torque to the
drill pipe tube while coming out of a
tight hole. These tubes are junk after
just one application; however, they
might have prevented the loss of the
entire string due to sticking of the
stem.
13. Overtorque by a topdrive that is too
powerful or by bumping the rotary
clutch.
14. Pipe wrench and hammer damage
on midbody (non-hardened) tube.

2. Inadequate or no cleaning.
3. Rusted threads.

Resolutions

4. Flattened, worn-out, or damaged

threads.

Here are some recommended resolutions that you should make today.

5. Bent pipes, caused by breakout

tongs and cylinders while pipe is

58/ April 2009 Water Well Journal

Figure 8. Heavy greases seal connections

and facilitate assembly and disassembly.
Photo courtesy of Bestolife Corp.

Select and have on hand at the drill

site adequate supplies of pipe dope,
dope brush, and wire brushes. Dont
forget shop rags and cleaning solvent
for a closer inspection of any suspicious areas.
Determine minimum safety stock of
pipe dope, drill pipes, handling tools,
and tong dies to be on hand. Once
again, all tools must fit and be of
proper size.
Try to find and read an article published in the May 2001 issue of
Drilling Marketplace written by former coworker Fred McAninch. His
article is full of additional information on the drill stem. Fred is right on
target.

Next month, in Part 5 of the Transfer of Technology series, look for

Blocks: Traveling, Crown, Auxiliary,
Snatch and More. Plus a selection
guide for wire lines.
Interested in the book Transfer of Technology? It is available in the NGWA
Bookstore. The member rate is $75; the
nonmember rate is $87.50. Call NGWA
at (800) 551-7379 to order your copy
today.

Write an inspection and service

schedule for all drill string components and stick to it.
NGWA.org

Water well drilling industry: Go Green!

e have heard this one
over and over, and yes
it is time that someone
come up with an environmentally safe lubricant.
Joe Large of Jet-Lube provided a report to us at EDSI in which he explained
the development of a number of lubricants
that are biodegradable, nontoxic, and
environmentally safe.
Well Guard is a non-toxic vegetable
and synthetic-base tool joint thread compound that may be used on inner pipes in
monitor wells. It must be welcome news
for those poor dry threads.
Alco-EP-ECF is an extreme-service,
multi-purpose grease that is extremely
water resistant, making it an excellent
choice for water swivels and upper bearings in rotary tables that usually turn to
rust within a year. Spill grease will fall
inside the rotary table into the gear oil,
which adds to the rust and corrosion
protection of this oil. It is also good for
lubricated packing glands on duplex
and centrifugal pump seals as well as
Chicksan swivel joints.
Eco-Safe thread compound is the
new go green material equal to the old
standard Coppercote materialjust as
powerful, but without metals. This can
be used on drill pipes without the worry
of washing it off with mud when making
a connection.
Enviro-Guard has an extremely
good sealing element, and as such is a
good choice for sharp threads such as a
drop pipe or casing in the oilfield.

Handling the Drill Pipe

How many times have we heard the
crew holler out, There has got to be a
better way. Right on!
There are a number of companies
that have semi-automatic pipe loaders
and hydraulic make-and-break pipe
spinners. At this very moment, one of
our customers is looking for that push
button connection. And yes, that too
has been designed. The questions,
though, are: Who can afford it? and
Can you transport the new systems
legally in the United States?
NGWA.org

A large step in the right direction is

the addition of a pipe spinner to the
mast. Just about all of our water well
rigs have a medium pressure (3000 psi)
hydraulic system on board. These small
hydraulic power tongs hang in the mast
and swing around the upper tool joint.
The tong must be backed up against the
mast leg or fitted with a backup bar or
sling to hold the tongs torque.
Hydraulic power comes from the rig,
but the helper actually operates the
clamp forward or in reverse rotation
with power controls. See Figure 1. Models are available up to 16 inches in diameter. Another power supply could be
air. The unit shown is the model 112H
which handles up to 12-inch casing and
applies a torque of 2200 foot pounds at
3000 psi hydraulic power. That equals a
4-foot pipe wrench with a 550-pound
pullwhich equals about five grown
men in skid-resistant boots. Many topdrive machines have built-in break or
make-up capabilities.

Figure 1. Courtesy of Rauch Mfg.

Figure 2. Courtesy of Tube Technologies Inc.

Drill Pipe Manufacturers

What kind of improvements have we
seen over the last nine years from these
guys? Some oilfield technology is now
applied to our water well pipes. One big
advantage is phosphating the tool joints.
Refer to Figures 2, 3, and 4.
Figure 2 shows the bare steel tool
joints, while those in Figure 3 have been
phosphated. Figure 4 shows a couple of
washed-out pins that, of course, have
mating boxes. So all four joints of pipe
have been damaged.

Figure 3. Courtesy of Tube Technologies Inc.

Advantages of phosphate:

Anti-galling
Self-lubrication
Reduces friction
Improves tool joint life
Reduces wear and tear of threads.

Figure 4. Courtesy of Tube Technologies Inc.

We still recommend the use of a

good quality pipe dope as was mentioned in the original article and the
information above. What are those
new API NC numbers for tool joint

TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY/continues on page 60

Water Well Journal April 2009 59/

Comparison
NC 26
NC 31
NC 38

Dedication
3

2 8 IF

2 8 SH

3 2 SH

412 SH

2 8 IF
3 2 IF

NC 40

4 FH

NC 46

4 IF

412 XH

NC 50

412 IF

5 XH

NC numbered connection
IF internal flush
SH slim hole

TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY/from page 59

threads? Well, they are not that new
since one of my API specs shows them
dated April 1976.
Change. It is hard to change something that has worked since the 1930s
with a name that had a meaning. I will be
one of those who is much more comfortable with 4 IF designation as compared to the NC 50. WWJ

60/ April 2009 Water Well Journal

This series is dedicated to the education of John LEspoirs two grandsons,

Ethan Daniel Atwood and Elliott John
Atwood (right), who are each destined
to become a drilling rig engineer.
Opposing points of view or questions?
Contact us at Enid Drill Systems
(580) 234-5971, fax (580) 234-5980,
[email protected].

FH full hole
XH extra hole

Waiver: The views expressed in this

article are the authors opinion and are
based on the engineering education,
skills, and experience gained in a lifelong industry commitment. No part of
this article is intended to replace or
supersede any information supplied by
others. The contents of this article may
not be used in any type of legal action.

Interested in the book Transfer of Technology? It is available in the NGWA

Bookstore. The member rate is $75; the
nonmember rate is $87.50. Call NGWA
at (800) 551-7379 to order your copy
today.

NGWA.org