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DQE DRILLING PROCEDURES MANUAL

Drill string maintenance

Date:

December 2012

I. Cleaning DP Pin and box thread and shoulders should be thoroughly cleaned in preparation to adding them to the string. Cleaning pays off in three ways. 1. It removes foreign material and permits proper makeup, thereby reducing danger of galling and wobbles. 2. It permits better inspection. 3. It increases life of connections by elimination of abrasive materials. Connections should be thoroughly dried after cleaning so that the thread compound will properly adhere to the surface.

II. Inspection
After cleaning, inspect thread and shoulders carefully. Damaged connections should never be run in the hole. Even slight damage will likely cause wobbling or leaking.

III. Picking Up the Drill String

1. Threads and shoulders of both boxes and pins should be protected from damage with thread protectors when drill string is picked up or laid down. 2. Do not permit threads or shoulders to strike steel on catwalk or ramp. A clean thread protector made up hand tight should be used in this operation.

IV. Breaking In New Tool Joints

The initial makeup and first few trips are the most critical time and extra care is essential to give longer trouble-free service. Apply dope on the connection pin and box, then make up to 50% of recommended make-up torque. Take care to put grease on the shoulder of the box connection. Completely break out the connection and apply dope as above, then make up to 100% of recommended makeup torque. Limit the make up speed of Hydraulic Tong to 10-15 RPM (first 3-5 make-up). The following steps should be specifically observed on new joints: 1. Verify recommended makeup torque. Check condition and/or accuracy of all makeup equipment and gauges. Include saver sub condition in this check as a worn saver sub will damage new threads. 2. Observe all threads and shoulders of pipe on the rack for handling damage; remove the joint if damaged. 3. Coat all threads and shoulders liberally with JETLUBE Z-50 ME . Do not use the Chinese manufactured dope as it is inadequate protection. 4. On initial makeup, and all trips thereafter, stab carefully, makeup slowly, and torque to full makeup using the properly calibrated hydraulic power tong.. 5. 6. Alternate breaks on every trip for both new and used drill pipe 7. Avoid high torque with new tool joints until they have received a good breaking in.

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V. Tripping Coming out of the hole

1. Lowering the Elevators Box shoulder may be badly damaged it struck by elevators or grabber guide .

Shoulder struck by elevator

Strike damage to pin thread

2. Breaking Out. Break out the connection and continue to unscrew with the power tong.. Remove the tong before lifting the joint or stand out of the box. If the hydraulic tong cannot break the connection it may indicate excessive down hole torque was applied. Use the two manual rig tongs to break out. Check both threads and shoulders carefully after such an occurrence. Over torque can stretch the threads and do other damage. Watch for excess resistance during makeup and breakout. Galling and cross threading can cause excess resistance during makeup. Galling or downhole makeup can cause high breakout torques. Breakout torques over 90% of makeup are warning flags. 3. Alternating Breaks Come out of hole on a different break each trip so that every connection can be periodically broken and its condition observed and torque rechecked. This may prevent wobbles, leakage failures and tong damage on the tool joint. . 4. Standing Back When standing the pipe back, be sure set back area is clean. If desired position of stand is not achieved, pick up the stand again and put it in the correct position before opening the elevator.

Going in the Hole

1. Lubrication Practice

When the joint is picked up and on each trip, the box threads and shoulder should be doped, distributing the compound over threads and mating surfaces, preferably with a round, stiff bristle brush with a fall protection rubber on the handle. Use JETLUBE Z-50 ME dope to make up torque. Do not use the Chinese manufactured dope as it is inadequate protection. 2. Stabbing Do not allow the ends of the pins to strike the box shoulders. Driller and floormen must coordinate activity. 3. Makeup and Torqueing Avoid forced makeup of improperly engaged threads. In case of jamming a slight amount of left hand rotation with the hydraulic tong will free them.

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Properly calibrated Torque measuring equipment should always be used to prevent under torque or over torque of tool joints. Apply dope correctly : Pure thread galling results from lack of lubricating film. This allows steel surfaces to freeze together Lack of lubricating film is caused by : 1. Uneven application of grease. 2. Using grease which is stiff with the cold. 3. Applying diluted grease ( does not stick to the threads ) 4. Having dirty threads ( where the grease stays on top of the dirt and does not contact the metal ) 5. No grease at all

Threads are frozen together by total lack of grease when applying torque.

VI. Damage and Failures -- Cause Prevention Make up Torque versus Drilling Torque
Sometimes down hole make up occurs in spite of the use of proper thread lubricant and recommended make up torque. Downhole make up causes tight breaks and can result in damaged threads and sealing shoulders. Several things can be done to prevent downhole makeup: 1. Limit rotating torque to 80 % of recommended makeup torque using rotary table torque limiting devices. 2. Increase make up torque to 70% instead of normal 60 % of tool joint torsional yield strength. Never exceed 70% of yield.

Insufficient torque allows Wobbling of Tool Joint and lack of shoulder seal

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When not enough torque is applied on the floor the drilling torque may cause over torque and belling of the box joint. Both box and pin joints are destroyed

Other possible damages : Shoulders damaged when Hydraulic or manual tong dies are put on the shoulder of the pin or box

Step 1 : notch on the shoulder

Step 2 : wash out

Handling equipment on the floor

Drill pipe will be damaged if there is any combination of worn and new master bushings, rotary table and slips. Much can be done to prevent cutting, gouging and bottlenecking of drill pipe by proper maintenance of master bushings and rotary slips. This will help to avoid washouts and other types of downhole failures. Do not change the dies in only one slip element. When changing dies, change them in all three .Do not change some of the dies in one slip element. Change them all or there will be severe damage to the pipe and to the slips because the newest dies will make all the contact and take all the load.

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Slips that are smaller than the pipe will damage the pipe and the cormers of the slips as well as risk dropping a string of pipe. Slips that are too large will not contact the pipe all the way around. This risks dropping the pipe and destroys the center part of the slips gripping surface. The right size of slips should always be used for the size of pipe being handled.

VII. Laying Down Drill String for storage or long rig move
When laying down the drill string, specific operations should include: a. Wash tool joints and drill string internally and externally with clear fresh water if possible. b. Apply a rust preventive compound to the threads and shoulders, particularly if drill string is to be stored for any length of time. c. Install thread protectors before swinging through "V" door and onto walk. Keep walk clear and do not allow joint coming down to hit another joint or other objects on the walk. Be sure both thread protectors are installed tightly. d. Remove any bent drill pipe and send for repairs. When storing in bins or on the pipe racks, use wood spacers between layers. One in the center and one close to either end close to the tool joints. Spacers should be thick enough to keep tool joints separated.

VIII. Truck Transportation

The following precautions should be taken for truck transportation: 1. Load pipe with wood spacers between layers and tie down with suitable chain.

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2. Load with all the pin ends and all of the box ends of the tool joints to the same end of the truck. 3. Spacers between the layers of DP should be thick enough to keep tool joints separated and prevent rubbing. 4. Do not overload truck 5. After load has been hauled a short distance, truck drivers should check and retighten load binding chains loosened as a result of load settling.

IX Storage

The following precautions are recommended for pipe storage: Do not put pipe directly on ground, rails, steel or concrete floors. The first layer of pipe should be min. 20-25 cm from the ground to keep moisture and dirt away from pipe. Pipe should rest on supports properly spaced to prevent bending of the pipe or damage to the threads. Provide wooden strips as separators between successive layers of pipe so that no weight rests on the tool joint. Use at least three spacing strips. Place spacing strips at right angles to pipe and directly above the lower strips and supports to prevent bending of the pipe. Use chocks at the end of the strips to avoid the pipe rolling off . When pipe is to be stored, the bore should be washed out with clean fresh water and the bore coated with oil or rust preventive material. Tool joint pins and boxes must be cleaned and coated with a rust preventive material. Clean thread protectors should be installed in every pin and box. Crooked joints and damaged tool joint should be identified, marked, and set aside for repair. Pipe in storage should be visually examined periodically and protective coatings applied inside and out when necessary

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