i

The Blocks and

Drilling Line
Third Edition, Revised
ROTARY DRILLING SERIES
Unit I, Lesson 5

By L. D. Davis
Published by
PETROLEUM EXTENSION SERVICE
The University of Texas at Austin
Division of Continuing & Innovative Education
Austin, Texas
Originally produced by
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION
OF DRILLING CONTRACTORS
Houston, Texas
2013
ii
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Davis, L.D. 1953
The blocks and drilling line / L.D. Davis. 3rd ed.
p. cm. (Rotary drilling series ; unit 1, lesson 5)
ISBN 0-88698-170-0 (pbk.)
1. Oil well drillingEquipment and supplies. 2. Pulleys.
3. Wire rope. I. Title. II. Series.
TN871.5.D332 1996
622'.3381dc20
96-13442
CIP
1996 (Revised 2013) by The University of Texas at Austin
All rights reserved
First Edition published 1966. Third Edition published 1996
Sixth impression 2013
Printed in the United States of America
This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form without
permission of Petroleum Extension Service, The University of Texas at
Austin.
Brand names, company names, trademarks, or other identifying symbols
appearing in illustrations and/or text are used for educational purposes
only and do not constitute an endorsement by the author or the publisher.
Catalog no. 2.105301
ISBN 0-88698-170-0
No state tax funds were used to publish this book. The University of Texas at
Austin is an equal opportunity employer.
Disclaimer
Although all reasonable care has been taken in preparing this publication, the
authors, the Petroleum Extension Service (PETEX

) of The University of
Texas at Austin, and any other individuals and their afliated groups involved
in preparing this content, assume no responsibility for the consequences
of its use. Each recipient should ensure he or she is properly trained and
informed about the unique policies and practices regarding application of
the information contained herein. Any recommendations, descriptions, and
methods in this book are presented solely for educational purposes.
Graphic Designer:
Debbie Caples
iii
Contents

Figures vii
Tables viii
Foreword ix
Acknowledgments xi
Units of Measurement xii
Introduction 1
Derricks versus Masts 2
Hoisting System Components 2
Top Drives 3
Blocks 4
Drilling Line 4
Deadline Tie-Down Anchor 4
Lifting and Lowering 5
Drilling Line, Crown Block, and Traveling Block 6
To Summarize 6
Installing the Line 7
Pulling Line from the Supply Reel 7
Reeving the Crown Block 8
Reeving the Traveling Block 8
Reeving between the Crown Block and the Traveling Block 8
Taking in Line on the Drawworks 9
Securing the Deadline 9
Using the Hoisting System 9
System Overview 10
To Summarize 14
Service Life 15
Factors that Affect Service Life 15
Derrick Height 15
Sheave Size 16
Line Tension 16
Drawworks Drum 17
Deadline Tie-Down Anchor 18
Handling 18
Drilling Job Type 18
To Summarize 18
Drilling Line Construction 19
Wire-Rope Steel 20
Preforming 20
Design 21
Cores 21
Strands 21
Construction 21
Single Layer 22
iv
Filler Wire 22
Seale 22
Warrington 22
Combination 22
Wire-Rope Lay 24
Ordering Wire Rope 25
Selection 25
Diameter 25
Length 27
Slip-and-Cut Programs 28
Slipping 29
Cutting 29
Cost Versus Line Length 30
To Summarize 31
Reeving 33
Reeving Pattern 33
Number of Lines 36
Other Factors 36
Fleet Angle 37
Reeving Using Old Line 38
Reeving Using a Catline 41
To Summarize 42
Drum Spooling 43
Types of spooling 44
Helical Grooving Pattern 44
One-Step Grooving Pattern 45
Two-Step, or Counterbalance, Spooling 46
Two-Step Spooling with Soft Crossover 47
To Summarize 48
Measuring Service Life 49
Slip and Cutoff 49
Slipping 50
Planning Slipping and Cutoff 53
Cutting 54
Procedure for Slip and Cutoff 57
Using Charts 58
Visual Inspection 61
To Summarize 62
Care of Wire Rope 63
Care at the Supply Reel 63
Minimizing Stress 65
Minimizing Scrubbing 66
Care at the Drum 66
Lubrication 68
Factory Lubrication 68
v
Field Lubrication 68
To Summarize 70
Visual Inspection 71
To Summarize 72
Blocks and Hook 73
Load Capacity 76
Sheaves 76
Sheave Construction 76
Groove Radius 77
Tread Diameter 78
Crown Block 80
Traveling Block 82
Traveling Block Design 84
Hook 84
Combination Hook-Block 86
To Summarize 88
Elevators 89
Bottleneck Elevators 90
Collar-Lift or Square Shoulder Elevators 91
Elevator Design, Size, and Latches 91
To Summarize 92
Care of Blocks, Hook, and Elevators 93
Lubrication of Blocks and Hook 93
Sheaves 94
Visual Inspection of Blocks and Drilling Line 95
Visual Inspection of Hook Assembly 96
Hydraulic Snubber Oil Level 97
Elevator Lubrication and Inspection 97
Elevator-Link Check 99
To Summarize 99
Conclusion 101
Appendix A: Calculating Ton-Miles (Megajoules) of Drilling
Line Service 103
Appendix B: Slip-and-Cutoff Programs 113
Appendix C: Troubleshooting Drilling Line Problems 116
Glossary 117
Review Questions 127
Answers to Review Questions 139
xiv
1
INTRODUCTION

Introduction
L
ifting, or hoisting, subsurface equipment is a basic part of
drilling. Crewmembers run and pull core samples, shing tools,
and testing tools. They also run and pull casing, drill bits, and thou-
sands of feet (metres) of drill pipe as the hole gets deeper. Without a
hoist ing system, rotary drilling could not happen. Several key com-
ponents make up the hoisting system: drawworks, a mast or a derrick,
a crown block, a traveling block, and a wire-rope drilling lineall
work in conjunction to drill a hole (g. 1).
A derrick (a standard derrick) is a tower that crewmembers as sem ble
piece by piece. A mast, on the other hand, is a portable derrick that
a manufacturer assembles once and sells as a one-piece unit. Most
drilling rigs use a mast. Almost everybody in the drilling indus try,
however, calls a mast a derrick. This book does the same.
In this chapter:
The difference between a derrick and a mast
The drawworks and crown block
How a top-drive system works
The central function of the blocks and drilling line
Lifting loads and stresses
Derricks Versus
Masts
The hoisting system helps
the crew to run and pull:
Core samples
Fishing tools
Testing tools
Casing
Drill bits
Drill pipe
2
THE BLOCKS AND DRILLING LINE
The drawworks is a large winch with a drum. (For a detailed discussion
of the drawworks, see Lesson 6, The Drawworks and the Compound.)
Crewmembers spool the drilling line onto it. The drilling line runs
from the drawworks to the crown block. The line then goes through
the traveling block and suspends it in the derrick (see g. 1).
The manufacturer attaches a large hook and adds two protrusions
(ears) to the travel ing block. Crewmembers insert the two links (bails)
of a pipe-gripping devicethe elevatorsinto the traveling blocks
ears. They also latch a swivel into the hook, using a bail on the swivel.
The swivels bail is like the bail (the handle) on a bucket, only much
bigger. Crewmembers make up (connect) the kelly and drill pipe to
the swivel when making hole (g. 2). The elevators grip stands of pipe
when coming out of the hole (g. 3).
Hoisting System
Components
Figure 1. The hoisting system
CROWN
BLOCK
DERRICK
WIRE ROPE
DRILLING
LINE
TRAVELING
BLOCK
DRAWWORKS
3
INTRODUCTION
Figure 2. Hook, swivel, and
kelly assembly
Figure 3. Elevators latched to
drill pipe
Figure 4. Top-drive system
Top Drives
Instead of a conventional swivel, some hooks suspend a top-drive
system (g. 4). The top drive has a powerful motor that turns the drill
stem. A top drive is somewhat like a pow ered swivel, because it has a
motor. Crewmembers attach the top of the drill stem to a drive shaft
in the top drive. The top drives motor turns the drive shaft, the drill
stem, and the bit. Rigs with top drives do not use a kelly or the rotat-
ing parts of the rotary table.
DRILL
STEM
TOP
DRIVE
KELLY
ASSEMBLY
DRILL
PIPE
BIT
DRILLING
HOOK
SWIVEL
ELEVATORS
DRILLING
LINES
TRAVELING
BLOCK
EARS
CROWN
BLOCK
BAILS
ELEVATORS
DRILL PIPE
4
THE BLOCKS AND DRILLING LINE
Blocks
Drilling Line
With or without a top drive, the blocks and drilling line are central to
the hoisting system. Rigs use two blocks. One is the crown block and
the other is the traveling block. The crown block is at the top of the
derrick. The driller moves the traveling block up and down the der-
rick between the crown block and the rig oor. Both blocks are two
giant pulleys that have high-strength wire-rope drilling line running
between them.
Manufacturers make drilling line by braiding together several strands
of high-strength steel. Rig hands reeve (thread) this wire rope between
the crown block and the traveling block. They run it back and forth
from the crown block to the traveling block several times. The more
times the workers string the line between the two blocks, the more
weight the hoisting assembly can lift. Reeving several lines multiplies
the lines lifting capacity. After reeving the line, workers attach one
end of it to the drawworks drum. They attach the other end to the
deadline tie-down anchor.
The deadline tie-down anchor rmly grips one end of the drilling line
and keeps it from moving (g. 5). It is a strong, rugged device that
crewmembers usually bolt to the rigs substructure or to another
heavy, stationary part of the rig. Besides anchoring the drilling line,
the anchor also serves as a mount for the weight indicators sensing
device. The weight indicator, which is on the drillers console, tells
the driller how much the hook load is and how much weight is on the
bit. (Hook load is how much weight is hanging from the hook. Weight
on the bit is how much drill stem weight is pressing on the bit.) The
weight indicators sensor is a special strain gauge. As the weight of
the load on the deadline exes the deadline, the sensor picks up the
exes and sends a signal to the weight indicator on the rig oor. The
weight indicator then translates the signal into weight on the bit and
the hook load.
Deadline Tie-Down
Anchor
The deadline tie-down
anchor:
Grips one end of the
drilling line
Mounts the weight
indicators sensing device
The weight indicator shows
hook load and weight on
bit.
5
INTRODUCTION
With one end of the line rmly fastened to the anchor and the other
end attached to the drawworks drum, the driller can reel in the drilling
line with the drawworks. Reeling in the line lifts the traveling block
and whatever is attached to it. Letting out line lowers the traveling
block. The drawworks brake controls the blocks descent.
Figure 5. Deadline
tie-down anchor
Lifting and Lowering
DEADLINE
TO CROWN
BLOCK
TO
SUPPLY
REEL
LOAD
SENSOR
BOLTS MOUNT
ANCHOR TO RIG
HYDRAULIC LINE
(HOSE) TO WEIGHT
INDICATOR