®

DELIVERING KNOWLEDGE. DEVELOPING COMPETENCE.

DRILL STRING DESIGN

Drill String Design

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 2

Drill String Design

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 3

Drill String Design

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 4

Drill String Design

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 5

Drill String Design
Common grades of drill pipe with
yield strength
Minimum Yield Maximum Yield Tensile Strength
Grade psi psi psi
75,000 105,000 85,000
E
(517 MPa) (724 MPa) (586 MPa)
95,000 125,000 105,000
X
(655 MPa) (862 MPa) (724 MPa)
105,000 135,000 115,000
G
(724 MPa) (931 MPa) (793 MPa)
135,000 165,000 145,000
S
(931 MPa) (1138 MPa) (1000 MPa)

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 6

 (1) (2) (3) (4) (4) (6) (7)

Drill String Design Nominal

Weight
Section
Area
Body of
Polar
Sectional
2 3
Size OD Threads & Plain End Wall ID Pipe Mudulus
1
in. Couplings Weight Thickness in. sq. in. cu. in.
D lb/ft lb/ft in. d A Z
2 3/8 4.85 4.43 0.190 1.995 1.3042 1.321
6.65 6.26 0.280 1.815 1.8429 1.733

2 7/8 6.85 6.16 0.217 2.441 1.8120 2.241

10.40 9.72 0.362 2.151 2.8579 3.204

3 1/2 9.50 8.81 0.254 2.992 2.5902 3.923

13.30 12.31 0.368 2.764 3.6209 5.144
15.50 14.63 0.449 2.602 4.3037 5.847

4 11.85 10.46 0.262 3.476 3.0767 5.400

14.00 12.93 0.330 3.340 3.8048 6.458
15.70 14.69 0.380 3.240 4.3216 7.157

4 1/2 13.75 12.24 0.271 3.958 3.6004 7.184

16.60 14.98 0.337 3.826 4.4074 8.543
20.00 18.69 0.430 3.640 5.4981 10.232
22.82 21.36 0.500 3.500 6.2382 11.345

5 16.25 14.87 0.296 4.408 4.3743 9.718

19.50 17.93 0.362 4.276 5.2746 11.415
25.60 24.03 0.500 4.000 7.0686 14.491

5 1/2 19.20 16.87 0.304 4.892 4.9624 12.221

21.90 19.81 0.361 4.778 5.8282 14.062
24.70 22.54 0.415 4.670 6.6296 15.688

6 5/8 25.20 22.19 0.330 5.965 6.5262 19.572

27.70 24.22 0.362 5.901 7.1227 21.156

1
lb/ft = 3.3996 x A (col. 6)
2 2 2
A = 0.7854 x (D - d )
 D2  d2 
Z  0 .1 9 6 3 5 
3

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. Allrights reserved.

D
7
Drill String Design

The API/ISO recognizes four classes

of drill pipe
New
Premium Class
Class 2
Class 3
Pipe is rarely considered new
If it has been run in the hole, it is
considered premium class

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 8

Drill String Design

The DS-1 standard has an additional

class of drill pipe
It is premium class, reduced TSR
The tool joints do not meet the standards
for API/ISO tool joints and have a reduce
torsional strength
Pressure and tensile ratings are the same,
but torsional strength is lower

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 9

Drill String Design

Premium class assumes that there is

80% wall thickness remaining on the
tube and that the reduction in wall
thickness comes from the outside
diameter of the tube

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 10

 Drill String Design

A reduction in outside diameter

removes the most steel and results
in the lowest strength

5” by 4.276” 5”, 19.5# As = 5.2746 in2

20% outer wall As = 4.1538 in2

20% inner wall As = 4.2855 in2

4.8552” by 4.276” 5” by 4.4208”

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 11

Drill String Design

The worn OD can be determined from

the following formula


D pw  D p  Di  t h  Di
The worn OD can be used to
calculate tensile strength and
combined torsion and tension limits

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 12

Drill String Design

Class 2 has at least 70% of the wall

thickness remaining with the loss on
the OD
Class 2 is seldom used for drilling
except small rigs with limited hook
load capability
Class 3 is less than 70% wall
thickness remaining and is
considered junk

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 13

Drill String Design

Drill string design starts at the

bottom of the hole with the BHA
In a vertical well, the drill collars
must provide enough weight for the
bit with the top of the drill collars
remaining in tension (not buckled,
the top of the drill collars may not
actually be in axial tension)

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 14

Drill String Design

A design factor (DF) is used to make

sure sufficient drill collars are
available for estimated weight on bit
Typical design factors are 10% to
15% or 1.10 to 1.15 in equation 10-43

W DF 
Lc 
Wf B

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 15

Drill String Design

Example 10-6 shows how to determine

the number of drill collars
Maximum anticipated weight on 8 3/4 inch
(222.3 mm) bit is 50,000 lbs (22,400 daN)
Drill collar size is 6 1/2 inch (165.1 mm) by 2
13/16 inch (71.4 mm)
Mud weight is 11.5 ppg (1380 kg/m3)
Excess collars should be 10% (DF = 1.10) to
insure the drill pipe remains in tension

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 16

Drill String Design

The number of 30 foot (9.14 m)

collars to be run
First determine the weight per foot of
the drill collars in air (calculate or
look up in reference book)

Wf  2.67 Dp 2  Di 2 
 
Wf  2.67 6.5 2  2.8125 2  92 lbs per foot
Wf  137 kg / m

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 17

Drill String Design

Determine the buoyancy factor

B  1 0.015MW 

B  1  0.01511.5  0.83
Calculate the length of the drill
collars
W DF  50000 1.10 
Lc  Lc   720 feet 219.5 m
Wf B 920.83 

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 18

Drill String Design

Determine the number of collars and

weight of collars in drilling fluid
720/30 = 24 drill collars

Wtc  24  30  92  0.83  54,979 lbs

Wtc  24,643 daN

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 19

Drill String Design

Neutral Point (Buckling)

Drill collars

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Drill String Design

With BHA components, most of the

bending will occur in the
connections
BHA connections are subjected to
bending and fatigue from buckling

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 21

Drill String Design

The BSR is a ratio of the relative

stiffness of the box and pin for a
given connection
A typical target BSR is 2.5, +/-0.25
Graphs showing the BSR can be
found in the API RP 7G

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 22

 Drill String Design BSR for 2 13/16” ID
11.5 8.75

11 8.25

10.5 7.75

Outside Diameter, inches

Outside Diameter, inches

6 5/8 H90
8 5/8 REG 8 5/8 H90
10 7.25 6 5/8 REG
NC 77
5 1/2 FH
NC56
9.5 6.75

5 1/2 H90
5 1/2 REG
7 5/8 H90
6.25 NC50
9
NC70 5 H90

5.75 4 1/2 H90

8.5 7 5/8 REG
NC46
NC 61
6 5/8 FH
NC40 4 1/2 FH
7 H90
NC44
5 1/2 IF 4 H90
8 5.25
3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1
Bending Strength Ratio Bending Strength Ratio

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 23

Drill String Design

The BSR for a given connection is a

function of the ID of the pin and OD
of the box
In theory, high BSR’s will cause
accelerated pin failures and low
BSR’s will cause accelerated box
failures

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 24

Drill String Design

The DS-1 standard gives the following

recommended BSR’s
Traditional DS-1
Drill Collar OD API BSR Recommended
Range BSR Range
< 6 inches (152 2.25 to 2.75 1.80 to 2.50
mm)
6 to 7 7/8 inches 2.25 to 2.75 2.25 to 2.75
(152 - 200 mm)

> or = to 8 inches 2.25 to 2.75 2.50 to 3.20

(203 mm)
© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 25
Drill String Design

Many operators will place

approximately 6 joints of HWDP on
top of the drill collars as a transition
to the drill pipe
It may help reduce drill pipe failures
at the top of the drill collars

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 26

Drill String Design

Other
operators
will rotate HWDP
the drill
pipe from Neutral Point
the top of
the drill Drill collars
collars on
trips

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 27

Drill String Design

If jars are placed in a vertical well,

they are at the top of the collars and
then additional collars (3 to 4) are run
above the jars
In a vertical well, the jars should not
be run in compression
Never run the jars between the
HWDP and the collars (bending
stress)

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 28

Drill String Design

Jars are often run HWDP

in compression in
directional wells Drill collars
Run near bottom Jars

Neutral Point

Slowly add weight

Drill collars
so jars won’t fire
with a lot of weight
on bit
© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 29
Drill String Design

Drill pipe is usually designed with a

design factor plus overpull
A normal design factor is 1.10 or 10%
Overpull can range from 50,000 to
100,000 lbs (22,411 – 44,822 daN)

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 30

Drill String Design

The overpull is the amount that can

be pulled on the pipe over and above
the drill string weight
If the drill pipe consists of more than
one weight or grade of pipe, the
overpull is balanced between the two
strings

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 31

Drill String Design

Example 10-7 shows how to design

the drill string
Well depth is 12,000 feet (3658 m)
Drill pipe:
5”, 19.50#/ft (127.0 mm, 29.02 kg/m),
Grade E, Premium Class and
5”, 19.50#/ft (127.0 mm, 29.02 kg/m),
Grade G, Premium Class
Design factor is 1.10
Over pull is 100,000 pounds (44,822 daN)

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 32

Drill String Design

Calculate the worn OD of the drill

string

Dpw  Dp  Di  t h  Di 
Dpw  5  4.276  0.80  4.276  4.855 " (123.32 mm)

Calculate the cross sectional area of

the drill pipe
As 

4
D pw
2
 Di 2 
As 

4
4.855 2

 4.276 2  4.152 in2 (2679 mm 2 )

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 33

Drill String Design

Calculate the tensile strength of the

grade E pipe
Tst  Yp  As
Tst  75,000  4.152  311,535 pounds 141,067 kg

Calculate the tensile strength of the

grade G pipe
Tst  105,000  4.152  436,150 pounds 197,767 kg

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 34

 Drill String Design Page 10-130
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (
Nominal Weight
1,2 2
Size Threads and Torsional Yield Strength Tensile Data Based on Uniform W
OD Couplings Based on Uniform Wear, ft-lb Load at the Minimum Yield Streng
in. lb/ft E75 X95 G105 S135 E75 X95 G105 S
4 11.85 15,310 19,392 21,433 27,557 182,016 230,554 254,823 32
14.00 18,196 23,048 25,474 32,752 224,182 283,963 313,854 40
15.70 20,067 25,418 28,094 36,120 253,851 321,544 355,391 45

4 1/2 13.75 20,403 25,844 28,564 36,725 213,258 270,127 298,561 38

16.60 24,139 30,576 33,795 43,450 260,165 329,542 364,231 46
20.00 28,683 36,332 40,157 51,360 322,916 409,026 452,082 58
22.82 31,587 40,010 44,222 56,856 367,566 465,584 514,593 66

5 16.25 27,607 34,969 38,650 49,693 259,155 328,263 362,817 46

19.50 32,285 40,895 45,199 58,113 311,535 394,612 436,150 56
25.60 40,544 51,356 56,762 72,979 414,690 525,274 580,566 74

5 1/2 19.20 34,764 44,035 48,670 62,575 294,260 372,730 411,965 52

21.90 39,863 50,494 55,809 71,754 344,780 436,721 482,692 62
24.70 44,320 56,139 62,048 79,776 391,285 495,627 547,799 70

6 5/8 25.20 55,766 71,522 79,050 101,635 387,466 490,790 542,452 69

27.70 60,192 77,312 85,450 109,864 422,419 535,064 591,387 76

1
Based on the shear strength equal to 57.7 percent of minimum yield strength.
2
Tortional data based on 20 percent uniform wear on outside diameter and tensile data based on 20 perce
© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 35
Drill String Design

The maximum pull on the grade E

with the 1.10 design factor would be:

Tst
Pmax 
DF

311,535
Pmax   283,214 pounds (128,464 kg)
1.10

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 36

Drill String Design

The maximum weight of grade E that

can be used with 100,000 pounds
over pull is:

Wmax  Pmax  Wtc  over pull

Wmax  283,214  54,979  100,000  128,235 pounds (58,166 kg)

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 37

Drill String Design

The maximum length of grade E drill

pipe that can be used is:
W max
Lmax 
Wf

128,235
Lmax   6,576 feet (2004 m)
19.50

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 38

Drill String Design

The maximum pull on the grade G

with the 1.10 design factor would be:

436,150
Pmax   396,500 pounds (179,850 kg)
1.10

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 39

Drill String Design

The maximum weight of grade G that

can be used with 100,000 pounds
over pull is:

Wmax  Pmax  Wtc  over pull - Wt of grade E

Wmax  396,500  54,979  100,000  128,235  113,286 pounds

Wmax  51,386 kg

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 40

Drill String Design

The maximum length of grade G drill

pipe that can be used is:

113,286
Lmax   5,810 feet (1771m)
19.50

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 41

Drill String Design

The drill string would consist of the

following:
720 feet of drill collars (219.5 m)
6576 feet (2004 m) of 5”, 19.50#/ft, (127.0
mm, 29.02 kg/m) grade E drill pipe and
4704 feet (1434 m) of 5”, 19.50#/ft, (127.0
mm, 29.02 kg/m) grade G drill pipe

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 42

Drill String Design

Top of Grade E

Drill Pipe

HWDP

Neutral Point
Drill collars

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 43

Drill String Design

Can use the nominal wt/ft for drill

pipe or actual weight with tool joints
and use the buoyancy factor
The actual weight per foot with tool
joints is higher than the nominal
weight

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 44

 Drill String Design

Page 10-135 for Grade E with NC50

(XH) connections
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)
Mechanica
Drill Pipe Data Tool Joint Data Tensile Yield, lb

Nominal Nominal Approx. Drift

Size Weight Weight1 Type OD ID Diameter 2 Tool
in. lb/ft lb/ft Upset Conn. in. in. in. Pipe3 Joint4

5 19.50 22.28 IEU 5 1/2FH 7 3 3/4 3.625 395,595 1,448,407

20.85 IEU NC50(XH) 6 5/8 3 3/4 3.625 395,595 939,095

25.60 28.27 IEU 5 1/2FH 7 3 1/2 3.375 530,144 1,619,231

26.85 IEU NC50(XH) 6 5/8 3 1/2 3.375 530,144 1,109,920

5 1/2 21.90 23.78 IEU FH 7 4 3.875 437,116 1,265,802

24.70 26.30 IEU FH 7 4 3.875 497,222 1,265,802

6 5/8 25.20 27.28 IEU FH 8 5 4.875 489,464 1,447,697

27.70 29.06 IEU FH 8 5 4.875 534,198 1,447,697

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 45

 Drill String Design
Page 10-137 for Grade G with NC50
(1)
(XH) connections
(2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9)
M
Drill Pipe Data Tool Joint Data Tensile Yield, l

Nominal Nominal Approx. Drift

Size Weight Weight1 Type OD ID Diameter 2
in. lb/ft lb/ft Upset Conn. in. in. in. Pipe3 J
5 19.50 22.62 IEU-X95 5 1/2 FH 7 3 3/4 3.625 501,087
21.93 IEU-X95 H90 6 1/2 3 1/4 3.125 501,087
21.45 IEU-X95 NC50(XH) 6 5/8 3 1/2 3.375 501,087

19.50 22.62 IEU-G105 5 1/2 FH 7 3 3/4 3.625 553,833

22.15 IEU-G105 H90 6 1/2 3 2.875 553,833
21.93 IEU-G105 NC50(XH) 6 5/8 3 1/4 3.125 553,833

19.50 23.48 IEU-S135 5 1/2 FH 7 1/4 3 1/2 3.375 712,070

22.61 IEU-S135 NC50(XH) 6 5/8 2 3/4 2.625 712,070

25.60 28.59 IEU-X95 5 1/2 FH 7 3 1/2 3.375 671,515

27.87 IEU-X95 NC50(XH) 6 5/8 3 2.875 671,515

25.60 29.16 IEU-G105 5 1/2 FH 7 1/4 3 1/2 3.375 742,201

28.32 IEU-G105 NC50(XH) 6 5/8 2 3/4 2.625 742,201
© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 46
Drill String Design

The maximum length of grade E drill

pipe that can be used is:
Wmax
Lmax 
Wf B

128,235
Lmax   7,410 feet (2259 m)
 20.85  0.83 

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 47

Drill String Design

The maximum length of grade G drill

pipe that can be used is:

113,286
Lmax   6,224 feet (1897 m)
 21.93  0.83 

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 48

Drill String Design

The drill string would consist of the

following:
720 feet of drill collars (219.5 m)
7410 feet (2259 m) of 5”, 19.50#/ft, (127.0
mm, 29.02 kg/m) grade E drill pipe and
3870 feet (1180 m) of 5”, 19.50#/ft, (127.0
mm, 29.02 kg/m) grade G drill pipe

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 49

Drill String Design
Class Problem – Design the drill string
Problem 3 on page 10-91
Drill 12 ¼” (311.2 mm) hole to 10,000’ (3048 m)
Maximum bit weight is 65,000 lbs (29,000 daN)
Collars 8” OD (203.2 mm) by 2 13/16” ID (71.4
mm)
4 ½”, 16.60 (114.3 mm, 24.7 kg/m) Grade E,
Premium
4 ½”, 16.60 (114.3 mm, 24.7 kg/m) Grade S-
135, Premium
Use 1.10 design factor for collars
Design factor of 1.10 with overpull of 75,000 lbs
(34,000 daN) for drill pipe
Mud weight is 9.5 ppg (1140 kg/m3)
© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 50
Drill String Design

The drill string would consist of the

following:
570 feet (173.7 m) of drill collars (19)
5300 feet (1615 m) of 4 1/2”, 16.60#/ft
(114.3 mm, 24.7 kg/m), grade E drill pipe
and
4130 feet (1259 m) of 4 1/2”, 16.60#/ft
(114.3 mm, 24.7 kg/m), grade S drill pipe

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 51

Drill String Design

First determine the weight per foot of

the drill collars in air


Wf  2.67 Dp 2  Di 2 
 
Wf  2.67 8 2  2.8125 2  150 lbs/ft (223 kg/m)

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 52

Drill String Design

Determine the buoyancy factor

B  1 0.015 m 
B  1  0.0159.5  0.86

Calculate the length of the drill

collars
W DF  65000 1.10 
Lc  Lc   554 feet (168.9 m)
Wf B 150 0.86 

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 53

Drill String Design

Determine the number of collars and

weight of collars in drilling fluid
554/30 = 18.5 drill collars
Use 19 drill collars
Wtc  19  30  150  0.86  73,530 lbs 33,353 kg

Get the tensile strength of pipe from

the API/ISO spec

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 54

 Drill String Design Page 10-130
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)
Nominal Weight
1,2 2
Size Threads and Torsional Yield Strength Tensile Data Based on Uniform Wear
OD Couplings Based on Uniform Wear, ft-lb Load at the Minimum Yield Strength, lb
in. lb/ft E75 X95 G105 S135 E75 X95 G105 S135
4 11.85 15,310 19,392 21,433 27,557 182,016 230,554 254,823 327,630
14.00 18,196 23,048 25,474 32,752 224,182 283,963 313,854 403,527
15.70 20,067 25,418 28,094 36,120 253,851 321,544 355,391 456,931

4 1/2 13.75 20,403 25,844 28,564 36,725 213,258 270,127 298,561 383,864
16.60 24,139 30,576 33,795 43,450 260,165 329,542 364,231 468,297
20.00 28,683 36,332 40,157 51,360 322,916 409,026 452,082 581,248
22.82 31,587 40,010 44,222 56,856 367,566 465,584 514,593 661,620

5 16.25 27,607 34,969 38,650 49,693 259,155 328,263 362,817 466,479

19.50 32,285 40,895 45,199 58,113 311,535 394,612 436,150 560,764
25.60 40,544 51,356 56,762 72,979 414,690 525,274 580,566 746,443

5 1/2 19.20 34,764 44,035 48,670 62,575 294,260 372,730 411,965 529,669
21.90 39,863 50,494 55,809 71,754 344,780 436,721 482,692 620,604
24.70 44,320 56,139 62,048 79,776 391,285 495,627 547,799 704,313

6 5/8 25.20 55,766 71,522 79,050 101,635 387,466 490,790 542,452 697,438
27.70 60,192 77,312 85,450 109,864 422,419 535,064 591,387 760,354

1
Based on the shear strength equal to 57.7 percent of minimum yield strength.
2
Tortional data based on 20 percent uniform wear on outside diameter and tensile data based on 20 percent
uniform wear on outside diameter. © 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 55
Drill String Design

The maximum pull on the grade E

with the 1.10 design factor would be:

Tst
Pmax 
DF

260,165
Pmax   236,513 pounds (107,281kg)
1.10

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 56

Drill String Design

The maximum weight of grade E that

can be used with 75,000 pounds over
pull is:
Wmax  236,513  73,530  75,000  87,983 pounds
Wmax  39,908 kg
The maximum length of grade E drill
pipe that can be used is:
87,983
Lmax   5300 feet 1515 m
16.60

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 57

Drill String Design

The maximum pull on the grade S

with the 1.10 design factor would be:

468,297
Pmax   425,725 pounds
1.10
Pmax  193,106 kg

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 58

Drill String Design

The maximum weight of grade S that

can be used with 75,000 pounds
(34,019 kg) over pull is:
Wmax  425,725  73,530  75,000  87,983  189,212 pounds
Wmax  85,825 kg

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 59

Drill String Design

The maximum length of grade S drill

pipe that can be used is:
189,212
Lmax   11,398 feet 3474 m
16.60

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 60

Drill String Design

The drill string would consist of the

following:
570 feet (173.7 m) of drill collars (19)
5300 feet (1615 m) of 4 1/2”, 16.60#/ft
(114.3 mm, 24.7 kg/m), grade E drill pipe
and
4130 feet (1259 m) of 4 1/2”, 16.60#/ft
(114.3 mm, 24.7 kg/m), grade S drill pipe

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 61

Drill String Design

In directional wells, the pipe weight

available for bit weight is a function
of the inclination

Bit Weight
Inclination, I = W cos I

W
Normal Force
= W sin I

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 62

Drill String Design

Most of the drill

collars are often
replaced by hevi-wate
drill pipe (HWDP)
Helps reduce torque and
drag by reducing string
weight
Fewer drill collar
connection failures

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Drill String Design

The body of a drill collar is

stiffer than the connection
and bending occurs in the
connection
In HWDP, bending occurs in
the body and not at the
connection, so fewer
connection failures are
experienced

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 64

Drill String Design

Frequently, the drill pipe is also run in

compression for bit weight
In a vertical well, drill pipe will buckle with
little or no compressive load
Buckling will create bending stresses in the
drill pipe which can lead to fatigue if the
bending stresses are high enough
In a directional well, the compressive load
must exceed the critical buckling load in order
to buckle the drill pipe

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 65

Drill String Design

Therefore, drill pipe can be run in

compression in a directional well without
causing buckling provided the compressive
load is less than the critical buckling load
EIAg sin I
 Fcrit 2 Basic Units
r

9.82  10 5 (OD 4  ID 4 )(Wt / ft ) B sin I

Fcrit 
( Dh  OD)

English Units

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 66

Drill String Design

The critical buckling load is a function of the

pipe size, inclination and radial clearance
(simple equation for sinusoidal buckling and
does not take hole curvature into account)

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 67

Drill String Design
40,000

35,000

30,000
Critical Buckling Load, lbf

25,000

20,000

15,000

10,000 4 1/2" in 8 1/2" Hole

4 1/2" in 12 1/4" Hole

5,000 5" in 8 1/2" Hole

5" in 12 1/4" Hole

-
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

Inclination
© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 68
Drill String Design

Buckling is actually a little more complicated

It also depends upon the curvature of the
wellbore, internal pressure and external
pressure
The DS-1 Standard has more detailed
buckling calculations

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 69

High angle or horizontal wells

Once the inclination exceeds the

critical inclination, the pipe must be
pushed into the hole
It will not fall of its own weight
When the down drag exceeds the
critical buckling load, the pipe starts to
buckle and additional down drag is
added
Eventually, the drag exceeds the weight
of the pipe and it will no longer fall in
the hole

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 70

High angle or horizontal wells

The pipe in the high angle or

horizontal section should be as light
as practical so limit the BHA
HWDP is used in and above the
curve for weight and to push the drill
string into the hole
Drill collars may or may not be
required in the vertical portion above
the HWDP to push the drill string

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 71

High angle or horizontal wells
Initially, the HWDP is above the curve
and is used to get weight to the bit while
sliding

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 72

High angle or horizontal wells
As drilling continues, the HWDP will
enter through the curve and start out
into the horizontal

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 73

High angle or horizontal wells
Eventually the HWDP will end up in the
horizontal where it only contributes to drag
and does not contribute to bit weight

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 74

High angle or horizontal wells
Periodically, the HWDP has to be moved up
the hole. On a trip, take some drill pipe from
above the HWDP and place it below the
HWDP moving the HWDP up the hole.

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 75

Drill String Design

The pipe weight and grade can be

identified by the pin end, tool joint

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 76

Table 10-17. Drill Pipe Weight Codes

Drill String Design Size OD

Inches
Nominal
Wt. lbs/ft
Wall
Thickness
Weight
Code Number
Inches
4.85 0.190 1
2⅜
6.651 0.280 2
6.85 0.217 1
Pipe weight 2⅞
10.401 0.362 2
9.50 0.254 1
codes can be 3½ 13.301 0.368 2
15.50 0.449 3
found in Table 11.85 0.262 1
4 14.001 0.330 2
10-17 15.70 0.380 3
13.75 0.271 1
16.601 0.337 2
Grade Grade Code 4½
20.00
22.82
0.430
0.500
3
4
24.66 0.550 5
E-75 E 25.50 0.575 6

X-95 X 16.25
19.501
0.296
0.362
1
2
5
25.60 0.500 3
G-105 G 19.20 0.304 1
5½ 21.901 0.361 2
S-135 S 24.70 0.415 3
25.201 0.330 2
6⅝
27.70 0.362 3
1Designates standard weight for drill pipe size
© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 77
Drill String Design
Pipe Weight Code

Pipe Grade Code

Standard Weight Heavy Weight

Grade E Drill Pipe Grade E Drill Pipe

Pipe Weight Code Pipe Weight Code

Pipe Grade Code Pipe Grade Code

Standard Weight Heavy Weight

High Strength Drill Pipe High Strength Drill Pipe

Old API markings for tool joints

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 78
Drill String Design

Standard Weight Grade E-75 Drill Pipe Standard Weight Grade X-95 Drill Pipe

Standard Weight Grade G-105 Drill Pipe Standard Weight Grade S-135 Drill Pipe

Mill slot and groove method of drill string identification

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 79
Drill String Design
Pipe Weight Code

Pipe Grade Code

Heavy Weight Grade E-75 Drill Pipe Heavy Weight Grade X-95 Drill Pipe

Heavy Weight Grade G-105 Drill Pipe Heavy Weight Grade S-135 Drill Pipe

Mill slot and groove method of drill string identification

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 80
Drill String Design
Drill pipe identification is not strictly
Pipe Weight Code

followed and you have to look

Pipe Grade Code

Heavy Weight Grade E-75 Drill Pipe Heavy Weight Grade X-95 Drill Pipe

Heavy Weight Grade G-105 Drill Pipe Heavy Weight Grade S-135 Drill Pipe

Mill slot and groove method of drill string identification

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 81
Drill String Design

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 82

Drill String Design

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 83

Drill String Design

Combined torque and tension

When torque is added to the drill pipe, the
tensile strength is reduced
At low values of torque, the tensile strength
does not change substantially
As torque increases, the tensile strength
decreases

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 84

Drill String Design

The equation for calculating the

maximum allowable torque based on
tension is as follows:
0.5
 0.096167 J  2 T  2
QT   Yp  2  English
 D 
 pw  As 
0. 5
 1.1536  10 J   2 (9800T ) 
 6 2
QT    Y p   SI
 D  2

 pw  As

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Drill String Design

Example 10-8, calculate the

maximum torque with 250,000 lbs of
tension in 5”, 19.50#/ft E pipe
Calculate the worn OD
 
D pw  D p  Di  t h  Di

Dpw   5  4.276   0.80  4.276  4.8552 inches

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 86

Drill String Design

Calculate the polar moment of inertia

J

32
D pw
4
 Di
4


J
32
 4.8552 4
 4.2764  21.733 in4 

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 87

Drill String Design

Calculate the cross sectional area of

the steel

As 

4
D pw
2
 Di 2 

As 
4
 4.85522  4.2762  4.1538 in2 

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 88

Drill String Design

Calculate the maximum torque at

100% of yield
0.5
 0.096167J   2 T 2 
QT    Yp  
  2
 Dpw   As 
0.5
 (0.096167 )(21.733 )   2 250,000 2
QT    75,000  2 
 4 . 8552   4.1538 

QT  19,264 ft - lbs

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 89

 Drill String Design
60,000

50,000

40,000
Torque, ft-lbs

30,000

19,242 ft-lbs (26,119 N-m)

20,000

250,000 lbs (112,000 daN)

10,000

0
0 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000 600,000
Tension, pounds

Grade E Grade X Grade G Grade S

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 90

Drill String Design

Drill string inspection

Periodically the drill string must be
inspected to make sure that the pipe and
BHA components are still fit for purpose
There are no API/ISO standards for drill
string inspection; however, some of the
industry uses the inspection standards in
the DS-1

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 91

Drill String Design

Service Category 1
Very shallow, very routine wells in well-
developed areas
When drill stem failures occur, failure costs
are so minimal that the cost of extensive
inspection would not have been justified

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 92

Drill String Design

Service Category 2
Routine drilling conditions where the
established practice is to perform minimal
inspection and failure experience is low

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 93

Drill String Design

Service Category 3
Mid-range drilling conditions where a
standard inspection program is justified
If a failure occurs, the risk of significant
fishing cost or losing part of the hole is
minimal

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 94

Drill String Design

Service Category 4
Drilling conditions more difficult than
Category 3
Significant fishing cost or losing part of the
hole is likely in the event of a drill stem
failure

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Drill String Design

Service Category 5
Severe drilling conditions
Several factors combine to make the cost
of a possible failure very high
The service category is selected by
the operator depending upon their
risk analysis

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 96

Drill String Design

Directional wells will have a higher

service category than vertical wells
Very deep, very high pressure and
sour wells are beyond the scope of
the DS-1 Standard

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 97

 Drill String Design

SERVICE CATEGORY
Component 1 2 3 4 5*
Tool joint Visual Visual Visual connection Visual connection Visual connection
connection connection Dimensional 1 Dimensional 2 Dimensional 2
Dimensional 1 Blacklight
connection
Drill pipe tube Visual tube Visual tube Visual tube Visual tube Visual tube
OD gage OD gage OD gage OD gage
UT wall UT wall thickness UT wall thickness Electromagnetic 2
thickness Electromagnetic 1 Electromagnetic 1 MPI slip/upset
MPI slip/upset UT slip/upset
Acceptance Class 2 Class 2 Premium Class Premium Class Premium Class
criteria
*Notes on category 5 inspection: 1) Electromagnetic 1 plus UT wall thickness may be substituted for EMI 2 if
EMI 2 equipment is not available. 2) Blacklight connection inspection for fatigue cracks in drill pipe tool joints
is relatively expensive when performed on large lots of drill pipe, and fatigue failures in drill pipe tool joints are
rare. Users may consider omitting blacklight connection inspection of drill pipe tool joints from Category 5
inspection program unless tool joint fatigue cracks have occurred. Other Category 5 inspections are
recommended. Blacklight connection inspection is still required on BHA components for Category 2 and
higher.

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 98

 Inspection Method What is done? What is evaluated?
Drill String Design
Blacklight Connection Fluorescent wet magnetic
particle inspection
Fatigue cracks

Dimensional 1 Measurement or go-no-go Torsional capacity of pin and

gauging of box OD, pin ID, box, torsional matching of tool
shoulder width, tong space, box joint and tube, adequate
counter-bore shoulder to support makeup
stress, adequate gripping space
for tongs
Dimensional 2 Dimensional 1 requirements plus Same as dimensional 1 plus
measurement or go-no-go evidence of torsional damage,
gauging of pin lead, counter-bore potential box thread engagement
depth, pin flat length, bevel with pin flat, excessive shoulder
diameter, seal width, and width, sufficient seal area to
shoulder flatness avoid galling, non-flat shoulders
Electromagnetic 1 Full length scanning (excluding Longitudinal flaws such as
upsets) using longitudinal field fatigue cracks, corrosion pits,
(transverse flaw) buggy type unit cuts, gouges, and other
damages
Electromagnetic 2 Full length scanning (excluding Longitudinal flaws such as
upsets) using a unit with both fatigue cracks, corrosion pits,
longitudinal magnetic field EMI cuts, gouges, and other
(transverse flaw) and gamma ray damages
wall thickness capabilities
MPI Slip/Upset Examination of external surface Flaws such as fatigue cracks,
of drill pipe and HWDP upsets corrosion pits, cuts, gouges, and
and slip areas using magnetic other damages
particle technique
© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 99
Drill String Design
Inspection Method What is done? What is evaluated?
OD Gauge Tube Full length mechanical gauging Diameter variations caused by
of the outside diameter of used excessive wear or mechanical
drill pipe tubes damage, expansions caused by
string shot, and reductions
caused by overpull

UT Slip/Upset Examination of drill pipe and Flaws such as fatigue cracks,

HWDP upsets and slip areas corrosion pits, cuts, gouges, and
using shear wave ultrasonic other damages
equipment

UT Wall Thickness Measure thickness around one Wall thickness below the
pipe circumference using specified acceptance limit
ultrasonic meter
Visual Connection Visual examination of Handling damage, indications of
connections, shoulders, and torsional damage, galling,
profile check of threads, washouts, fins, visibly non-flat
measurement of box swell shoulders, corrosion,
weight/grade markings

Visual Tube Full length visual inspection of Straightness, mechanical or

inside and outside surfaces of corrosion damage, debris such
used tubes as scale or mud
© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 100
Drill String Design

The BHA components should be

inspected before they are picked up
After the components have been
picked up, additional inspections
should be carried out at regular
intervals

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 101

Drill String Design

SERVICE CATAGORY
COMPONENT 1 2-3 4-5
HWDP, Drill When picked up When picked up When picked up
Pipe Subs and and after 250- and after 150- and after 150-
Collars 400 rotating 300 rotating 250 rotating
hours hours hours
Safety valves Before each well Before each well Before each well
and IBOP’s
Motors, MWD, (Per manufacturer’s recommendation)
LWD, Jars, and
other tools

© 2013 PetroSkills, LLC. All rights reserved. 102