All About Drill Pipes: What are They & What are They Used For? Drilling oil, gas, water and other natural resources requires a wide-range of essential tools and equipment for the project to be completed effectively. Drill pipes are one of these tools that are absolutely necessary for any drilling project. Below we will take a look at drill pipes, and breakdown their classification, uses and sizing. What is a Drill Pipe? A drill pipe is a seamless steel pipe that composes around 95% of the length of a drill string. For clarity, a drill string is what is used to actually drill into the ground to extract resources. The drill pipe is hollow, which allows drilling fluid to flow freely throughout the pipe and the pumping process to be completed successfully. Drill pipes are manufactured to transfer drilling torque the entire length of the pipe - often several miles. They are also created to resist pressure changes and need to have the ability to hold the entire weight of the deeper drilling components. Drill pipes are manufactured by welding together the threaded tool joint, the box tool joint and the pin tool joint. These joints are used in the top section of the drill string to pump fluid and transfer torque to the bit. How are the Sizings of Drill Pipes Measured? The individual joints of the drill pipe are called a “Single”. The “Singles” are then further identified by their length. Specifically, the lengths are identified using a three-part API length range, so the lengths will be classified as a one, two or a three. The most common length of drill pipes is range two. This is important, because when looking to determine the depth of drilling, you need to exactly take into account the length of the drill string (including the drill pipe). Drill pipes are manufactured in a variety of sizes and materials, meaning there is a perfect drill pipe for your project. Similar to the API length ranges, there are also groupings of API classes, based on the size and material of the drill pipe. The API classes measure yield strength, tensile strength, the drill-pipe body and the tool joint. API classes are given based on inspection, and these inspections are especially important after the drill pipes have been used. Ultrasonic testing and a wide-range of other tools are used to give these measurement ranges. Determining the proper drill pipe for your drilling project can be a difficult choice to make. Luckily, our drilling experts are available to answer questions on your drilling tool selection. Give us a call for answers today! … [Read more...]

What are Slips and Elevators in the Drilling Industry? For those new to the drilling industry, or those looking in from the outside, the tools and processes used to extract resources can be confusing. There are oil field tools and equipment that are essential to a drilling rig, while others are optional. If you’re interested in getting into the drilling industry, it’s imperative that you are familiar with all of these tools, including the essentials like slips and elevators. Learn more about these slips and elevators below! Slips and Their Importance Slips fit around the body of a drill pipe and are used to suspend the drill string in the drilling hole. When installed, they are wedged in the taper of the rotary table’s opening and because they have serrated insets, they are able to grip the outside of the tubular when it is set on the rotary table. Slips are typically installed by the drilling rig team. To set them, the slips are placed around the drill pipe, which is then lowered until the serrated insets take hold of the drill pipe. When it is time to disassemble the slips and drill pipe, the rig team will work backwards. One crew member will lift the drill pipe up, while another will take the slip by the handles and remove them from the rotary table. One thing to note when using slips is if the drill collar does not have an elevator shoulder, a safety clamp will need to be used above the slips. This safety clamp will ensure that if the serrated insets of the slips fail, the slips won’t fall into the drilling hole, rather, they will be “caught” by the safety clamp. Elevators and Their Importance An elevator is used to raise and lower the drilling pipe in and out of the drilling hole by latching around the top of the drill string pipe joints. Most elevators are hinged and the drilling rig team can open and close them by using the latch with handles on either side of the elevator. When installing the elevator, it should be attached to the hook or the Top Drive with either links or bails and because a drilling elevator is tapered, it can tightly latch to the drilling pipe without damaging it. Beckets and bails can then be added to an elevator to give extra room for your crew to maneuver the elevator and complete their work efficiently. In important to mention that in special circumstances a drill string won’t have a shoulder, so a lifting sub will be added to the end of a joint to help lift the drill string. The elevator will then be attached to the lifting sub to lower and raise the drill collars from the drilling hole. As you can see slips and elevators are essential to a drilling rig. If you’re ready to purchase your slips and elevators, give us a call today! Our experts will be able to answer any questions you may have about your specific drilling sites. … [Read more...]

Top 2020 Tools in the Oil and Gas Industry With a new year comes a new set of trends in any line of work, but this is especially the case in oil and gas industry. Oil and gas are in constant demand, so oilfield tools need to be able to evolve to meet that demand. Below we will take a look at the tools we predict will be especially popular in 2020 for their cutting-edge technology and ease-of-use. Tool: Power Tongs We predict that power tongs will continue to be an invaluable tool in the oil industry as they are continuously developed to improve efficiency and the safety of drill floor operations. These wrenches are well-known for their ability to apply torque and gripping drill string components which is something that will not be replicated in 2020 by any other tool. Power tongs are generally categorized into four types: casing tongs, tubing tongs, drill pipe tongs and riser tongs. Each variation has its place in 2020’s tool line-up. Casing tongs come in a variety of sizes and are used to make or break casing tubulars. They’re essential is maintaining the opening of the well. As you might imagine from their name, tubing tongs are used to run tubulars. This allows oil and gas to actually be extracted from reservoirs. Drill pipe tongs screw together drill pipe and tubulars to form drill strings. Drill strings are then used for drilling into the ground. Riser tongs are used when working with the seafloor. They move materials from the blowout (located on the seafloor) to the drilling rig. When you invest in any essential power tong variation you can be sure that it will continue to be used for years to come. Tool: Elevators If you need to raise and lower pipe into the drilling hole, you need a drill pipe elevator. The use of an elevator in the oil industry ensures that the project can be completed. Without an elevator, many jobs would go unfinished which is why it’s on our list for the top oil and gas tools in 2020. For some additional context, the elevator attaches to the top of the pipe joints in the drill string. This allows your driller to manage the movement of the pipe. Many elevators are hinged, so they are operated by opening the latch with two handles on each side. If you’re working on a heavy-duty drilling project, you will need to add an elevator to your arsenal of tools. Tool: Top Drive Systems A top drive system is used to apply clockwise torque to the drillstring to create a borehole. These mechanical systems are an alternative to the rotary table and kelly drive.  Top drive systems can be found on the drilling rig, below the traveling block, at the swivel’s place. They move up and down to evenly apply torque to the drillstring and can be used in a variety of rigs including truck-mounted rigs and offshore rigs.  Because top drives don’t require kelly drives, a master bushing and rotary table should instead be used for support. The lack of kelly drive makes a top drive system more scalable and is essential for 2020 drilling operations. With a top drive system you can drill 90 feet before making a connection whereas with kelly systems you only have 30 feet before making a connection.  The last benefit of a top drive system we will mention is they allow rotation and circulation while back reaming out of a hole; kelly drives do not have this capability and can’t rotate the drill stem. Tool: Rig Tongs We can’t discuss the top tools of 2020 without touching on rig tongs. Rig tongs are self-locking wrenches that are used to breakout or makeup casing, tubing, or drill pipes. Examples of rig tongs are chisel tongs, casing tongs, power tongs, rotary tongs, and manual tongs.  Rig tongs are always used in pairs - one set is tied to the derrick with a cable or chain, while the other is pulled with mechanical catheads. The application of the rig tongs is dependent on torque necessary to breakout or makeup the casing or tubing.  There are three main types of rig tongs: straight tong tie drivers, angled tong tie drivers, and hammerless tong tie drivers. While all variations are used for die reslotting, they each have their own features for their specific applications.  Straight tong tie drivers are the simplest rig tong as they are straight, but they can also be the most dangerous as there is nothing to protect the operator from the hammer. As the name suggests, angled tong tie drivers have a grip that’s angled to create a perpendicular tong; they also have brass guards for the tips and handle. Finally, hammerless tong tie drivers don’t involve the use of a hammer, so they’re the safest, but they’re also the slowest for the same reason. The rig tong you choose should be specific to your jobsite. Although there are a plethora of other tools vital to the oil and gas industry in 2020, power tongs and elevators are two of our favorite. If you’re ready to purchase the drilling rig equipment, contact us today! We’re happy to answer any questions you may have or help you complete your purchase. … [Read more...]

Buying New vs Refurbished Oilfield Equipment Whenever you’re purchasing oilfield equipment, you want to get the best deal possible. But what does the best deal look like to you? Based on your purchasing criteria buying new or refurbished oilfield tools could be the right direction. The Pros of New Oilfield Equipment Purchasing new equipment means you are leveraging the best versions of their products the manufacturers believe they’ve come up with. Meaning you’re getting the most reliable and optimized tool in their line yet. Many of the improvements come via feedback from the field. Some tools are also easier to service based on their design like the EZY Torque Hydraulic Cathead. New equipment may also have a return policy if you decide you’re unsatisfied with the product. See our return policy here. When you purchase new oil rig equipment, finding supporting accessories and tools can also be easier as you’re not dealing with legacy products. The Pros of Refurbished Oilfield Equipment Yes, cutting down on capital costs is an effective way to compete in the industry and even scale up your rig fleet. And beyond the lower upfront expense, most reputable refurbished sellers offer a warranty, so you are less likely to expose yourself to immediate risk. If you have a specific tool you’ve used successfully on the field and just need to replace, refurbished can also help your budget based on the supplier’s refurbished piece. They might even let you rent their equipment. Depending on how much use the equipment has gone through, you can luck out and acquire tools that are nearly new or very lightly used. Before buying, check with the supplier to see why the equipment was refurbished. As you compare and shop new versus refurbished, map out a four square matrix. It can help to visualize your priorities and purchasing criteria. Quadrant 1 is features or benefits that would be nice to have, but not completely necessary. Quadrant 2 is your must-have criteria. If a piece of equipment aligns with everything here, it’s a much easier yes. Quadrant 3 is your deal breakers/red flags and simply aren’t a good fit for you. Quadrant 4 is something you know is necessary but not necessarily something top of mind when out on the field such as a product warranty. Questions to Ask When Shopping New Versus Refurbished Oilfield Tools When inquiring and shopping for comparisons on oilfield tools ask: How does the warranty for refurbished equipment compare to new? Why was this specific tool refurbished? Was it used for one project and then returned? What does the refurbishing process look like for tools? Browse our lines of new and refurbished oilfield equipment including diesel hydraulic power units, elevator spiders, and casing elevators. … [Read more...]