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TSC Drill Pipe, a division of TexasSteel Conversion. "For starters I'veseen a significant increase in slim-holedrilling, which is when you have asmaller annulus between the drillingtool and the wellbore," he explained. nnovation in the drillpipe market has beenaccelerating over theprevious five to tenyears, according toMark Garrett, SeniorSales Engineer at I"We're also seeing much deeper wells,with wellbores averaging a minimum totaldepth (TD) of 20,000 feet, and some goingto 30,000 feet. This is quite a change fromwhere we were just a decade ago." Drilling contractors, in particular, havecalled for higher performance in thethreaded connections that hold the stringtogether so they can reach those deeperTDs. While there is still limited use ofsingle-shoulder design API connections,Mr. Garrett noted that most drillingprograms now use double-shoulder designconnections, with a growing percentage ofthose being proprietary thread technologyfrom various providers. "With the double-shoulder connections, we can achieve thehigher makeup torque necessary in thesemore challenging wells," he said. "Additionally, the proprietary double-shoulder connections typically have alarger bore through the threadedconnection, which improves hydraulicperformance in the drilling program."On the heels of drilling projects that areincorporating increasingly advanced BHAtechnology, like automated rotarysteerable systems (RSS) for precisedirectional control, Mr. Garrett remarkedthat proprietary connections have gainedsignificant market share, becoming thenew standard to enable newer systems toperform. "If you're using an API rotary -shouldered connection for your drillstringthreaded connection, it typically has a 2-inch-taper-per-foot thread form, whichresults in a smaller diameter in thethreaded connection when compared with the manufacturer's proprietaryconnections," he explained. "Most of theseproprietary connections have a muchslower, more gradual taper on theconnection, which is how you achieve thelarger inner diameter necessary toimprove hydraulic performance."Figure 1A rig in the Marcellus/Utica thatis running PTECH+™55. Theconnection was designed withthe principle that having a largeradius at the root of the threadform reduces peak stresses inthe connection. Being able toreduce this peak stress mitigatesthe potential for connectionfatigue and failure whenexposed to downhole bending,according to TSC Drill Pipe.Article by Stephen ForresterWWW.DRILLPIPE.COM

WWW.DRILLPIPE.COMFigure 1New TSC Drill Pipe manufactured from steelwith a higher alloying content, ready to ship.TSC Drill Pipe's PTECH+™ is thecompany's most recent entrant into thehigh-performing connection market. ThePTECH+™ connection was designed toencapsulate the essential characteristicsrequired for extended-lateral oil and gasdrilling: maximized hydraulic performance,increased makeup torque, and improvedfatigue resistance. "How do you achieveimproved fatigue resistance on these high-performing connections?" Mr. Garrettasked. "When designing PTECH+™,testing and analysis proved that a largeradius at the root of the thread formreduced peak stresses in the connection.This reduction in connection peak stressmitigates the potential for connectionfatigue and failure when exposed todownhole bending."involve alternating clockwise andcounterclockwise rotation of the drill stringwhile drilling. "One problem we are seeingresulting from these oscillating programs isthat the connections may have a tendencyto break out," Mr. Garrett said. ThePTECH+™ connection is designed toprovide for higher makeup torques on thethreaded connections, and we haveMr. Garrett also noted that the materialsused to manufacture the connectionimpact performance. "There's been a step-change in the materials we use, such assteel with a higher alloying content toprovide improved toughness with a higherhardness, " Mr. Garrett explained."Typically, in steel technology, the higherthe hardness, the more brittle the steelmay become. Using better alloying,coupled with precisely controlled heattreatment, we can effectively eliminate thisproblem. This practice increases theperformance capabilities and assures thedurability of the PTECH+™ connection."Although the connection maintains astreamlined geometric design, torquecapacities for the connection average 85%to 280% greater than API drill pipeconnections of the same dimensions,according to the company. TSC Drill Piperecognized that a drawback to most high-torque connections is that they typicallyrequire more turns to make up to beshouldered, compared with API drill pipeconnections. Accordingly, a critical designcriterion for the PTECH+™ was to reducethe number of necessary turns to make upwithout sacrificing performance.Depending on the PTECH+™ connectionsize, the turns to make up ranges from 7.5to 9.6. Another trend with present-day drillingprograms and deeper wellbores is the useof drill string oscillating programs, whichFigure 2A 3D FEA Analysis was used to evaluate anoverall connection peak stress for thePTECH+™ Design Models (ANSYS® X64ed.).Figure 3Proprietary PTECH+™ threadconnection designed to provide highermakeup torques, with fewer turns at a low cost of ownership.Figure 1Figure 2Figure 3

WWW.DRILLPIPE.COMExcerpt pulled from"Innovating While DrillingDrill Pipes, BHAs evolve as wellboregeometries push existing boundaries"Drilling Contractor, March/April 2023Volume 79, Number

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Article creditThe  proprietary  PTECH+™  connectiontechnology has the  potential to be utilizedin  a  variety  of  applications  in  addition  todrill  pipe;  including  subsea  tubulars,workover  risers,  and  other  downholecomponents.  While  it  is  currently  usedprimarily  in  land drilling,  it  can  also beused  for  offshore  and  other  specializeddrilling  programs  by  incorporating  a  gas-tight seal feature.realized  successes  in  overcoming  thatchallenge."  As  higher  torque  thresholdsare  required  for  drilling  programs  toachieve  deeper  wells  and  longer  laterals,a  growing  number  of  land  rigs  are  beingretrofitted  with  upgraded  components,raising the threshold  capacity of drillstringconnection makeup torque."PTECH+™ connection is designed toencapsulate the essential characteristicsrequired for extended lateraloil and gas drilling..."Click here to learn moreabout PTECH+™