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Highbendingstrengthratiodrillstring
components
EP0324756B1
ABSTRACT(textfromWO1988002056A1)
Adrillcollarhavingafishingneckjustbehindthepinend,whichhasareduced
dimensioncomparedwiththeboxend.Hence,thetoolisparticularlywellsuited
forbeingorientedwithitspinendupinadrillstring.TheBSRisenhancedwhile
thecollarretainsgood''fishability''and''washoverability''characteristics.

Publicationnumber
Publicationtype
Applicationnumber
PCTnumber
Publicationdate
Filingdate
Prioritydate

EP0324756B1
Grant
EP19870906137
PCT/US1987/002195
Aug5,1992
Sep2,1987
Sep19,1986

Alsopublishedas

CA1256094A1,6More

Inventors

RoyL.Dudman

Applicant

DUDMAN,RoyL.

ExportCitation

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Classifications(7),LegalEvents(12)
ExternalLinks:Espacenet,EPRegister

IMAGES (3)

DESCRIPTION
[0001]

[0002]

Thisinventionpertainstodrillstringcomponentssuchasusedinthe

CLAIMS (6)
1. Adrillstringcomponent(10)adaptedtobeconnectedasapartofarotary

oil,gas,waterandminingindustry,andespeciallytocomponents

drillstringincludingatubularjointhavingapinportion(16)andabox

thereofemployingtheuseofafishingneckatthepinendthereofto

portion(14)tobethreadedlyengagedinconnectingsuccessive

retainfishability,theemploymentthereofinapinupdirectionalso

components,thepinportion(16)havingashoulderbeingforabutment

enhancingthebendingstrengthratio(BSR)ofthedrillstringand

withtheboxendoftheadjacentcomponent(10)andservingforcarrying

dimensionallypermittingtheuseoflarger,strongerconnections.

thetorsionalloadappliedtotheconnection,characterizedinthat

Manydrillcollarconnectionfailuresarearesultofbendingstresses
ratherthantorsionalstresses.TheAmericanPetroleumInstitute
definesBSRasfollows:

a)thepinportionofthecomponentsbeingprovidedinuseatthe
upperendthereof
b)afishingneck(20,20A,20B,20C)beingprovidedbeneaththesaid
shoulder
c)theouterdiameteroftheboxportion(14)tobeconnectedtosaid
pinportion(16)beinglargerthanthatofthesaidfishingneck(20,
20A,20B,20C).
2. Adrillstringcomponentofthecharacterdefinedinclaim1,
whereinthecomponentisadrillcollarandthebodyportiontherof

wherein
BSR=
BendingStrengthRatio,
D=
Outsidediameterofpinandbox,
d=
Insidediameterofbore,
b=

hasanoutsidediameterwhichissmallerthanthatofthebox
portionthereof.
3. Adrillstringcomponent,ofthecharacterdefinedinclaim1,
whereinthecomponentisadrillcollarandthebodyprotion
thereofhasanoutsidediameterwhichisatleastaslargeasthat
oftheboxportionthereof.
4. Adrillstringcomponentofthecharacterdefinedinclaim1,
wherein,thecomponentisadrillpipeandthebodyportion

Threadrootdiameterofboxthreadsattheendofpin,and
R=

http://www.google.com/patents/EP0324756B1?cl=en

thereofhasanoutsidediameterwhichissmallerthanthatofthe
boxportionorpinportion.

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Threadrootdiameterofpinthreads19.05mm(3/4inch)from

5. Adrillstringcomponentofthecharacterdefinedinclaim1,

shoulderofpin.
[0003]

whereinthebodyportionofthecomponenthasanoutside
diameterwhichislargerthanthatoftheboxportion.

AconnectionthathasaBSRof2.50:1isgenerallyacceptedasan
averagebalancedconnection.However,theacceptablerangemayvary
from3.20:1to1.90:1dependingonthedrillingconditions.Asthe

6. Drillstringcomposedofapluralityofdrillstringcomponents
accordingtoclaims1to5.

outsidediameteroftheboxwillwearmorerapidlythanthepininside
diameter,theresultingbendingstrengthratiowillbereduced
accordingly.Thisimbalanceinwearrateisbecausetheoutsideis
exposedtoerosioncausedbydrillingfluidladenwithabrasiveformationcuttingsandbytherubbingonthesideof
thehole.Theinsidediameterofthepinincreasesveryslowly,bycomparison,duetotherelativelycleandrilling
fluidbeingpumpedthroughthebore.Whenthebendingstrengthratiofallsbelow2.00:1,connectiontroublescan
begin.Thesetroublesmayconsistofswollenboxes,splitboxes,orfatiguecracksintheboxesatthelastengaged
thread.
[0004]

Itshouldbenotedthatthebendingstrengthratiodoesnotdependontheoutsidediameterortheinsidediameterof
thebodyofthetoolmembers,butonlywithrespecttotherespectivedimensionsattheboxandpin,orthe
dimensionsattheconnectionendsofthemembers.

[0005]

Ordinarilydrillstringsarerunintotheholewiththepinendsofthemembersdownandtheboxendsofthe
membersup.Whenthestringisstuckintheholeatagivenlocationforoneofmany,manyreasons,itisstandard
proceduretostopthedrillingprocessanddisconnectthestringatthelocationabovethefirstsectionofpipethatis
stuck.Then,anovershotfishingtoolisusedtoslideoverthe"fish"(i.e.,thesectionleftinthehole),tograpple
engagethefishandthentopickitup.Thegrappleusuallyiseitheraspiralorbasketgrappleandoperatesmuch
likea"chinesefinger".Thegrapplehasinternalwickersandataperedexteriorthatallowthefishtoenterby
expandingthegrappleintoalooselymatchinghelicallytaperedspiralsectioninthebowlofthefishingtool.When
pickingupthefish,thegrappleiscontractedbythetapersinthebowl,thusengagingtheteethmoreasthepullis
increased.Theovershotfishingtoolcanbereleasedbyjarringdowntodisengagethetaperonthegrapplefromthe
taperinthebowl,thenslowlyrotatingtheovershottotherightwhilepullingup.

[0006]

Ifthefishingtoolcannotfreethefishbypulling,thenitisoftennecessaryto"washover"thestucksection.
"Washover"istheprocessthatisbegunbytherunningintotheholeofseveraljointsofflushjointcasingwithan
insidediameterslightlylargerthanthefishandanoutsidediameterlessthanthediameterofthehole.Washover
pipeisthenrunintotheholeonthedrillpipeandthefishismilledover,alsocuttingandwashingtheformation
awayfromthefishinanattempttofreethefishsoitcanberetrievedwithanovershotfishingtool,asdescribed
above.

[0007]

Asmentionedabove,decreasingtheoutsidediameteroftheboxdecreasestheBSR.Inlargeholesituations,drill
stringcomponentswithlargerpipeconnectingendoutsidediameters,and,hence,attendantlargerBSR's,canbe
employedwiththeabovefishingproblemsbeingaccepted.However,theclosertolerancesinvolvedwithrelatively
smallholesizesmakeitnecessarytorunsmalldrillstringcomponentswithalowBSR.Theprospectsofordinary
wearorfishingmanipulationreducingtheBSRbelowacceptablelimitscreatesproblemsinlivingwiththeabove
describedmarginalBSRnumbers.Forexample,ina6"I.D.rangeofholesizes,the43/4"O.D.sizedrillcollars
andcorrespondingdrillstringcomponentswitha2"I.D.whicharenormallyused,onlyhaveabendingstrength
ratioof1.85:1whennew.Thisisanumberthatisalreadysmallerthanpreferredpracticedictates.

[0008]

Asshownbelow,theBSRincreasesasthepininsidediameterincreaseswhiletheBSRdecreasesquiterapidly
astheboxoutsidediameterdecreases.
Connection

[0009]

I.D.

120.6mm(43/4")O.D. 127mm(5")O.D. 133.35mm(5")O.D.

N.C.38/85mm(3")I.F. 63.5mm(2/1/2") 2.12:1

2.62:1

3.17:1

57.1mm(21/4") 1.85:1

2.38:1

2.84:1

50.8mm(2")

1.80:1

2.25:1

2.67:1

44.45mm13/4" 1.70:1

2.15:1

2.62:1

Therefore,itisafeatureofthepresentinventiontoprovideanimproveddrillstringtubularproductstructurehaving
ahigherBSRforsmalldrillcollarsthanconventionalproductstructures,whilepermittingafishingoperationwithout
criticallyloweringtheBSR.Anotherfeatureoftheinventionpermitstheuseofalarger,strongerconnectionwithan
acceptableBSRforexample,NC40/101.6mm(4")F.H.,133.35mm(5")O.D.x63.5mm(2")I.D.,witha
BSRof2.30:1andover30%increaseintorsionalstrength.

[0010]

Forsolvingtheproblemappearingfromtheforegoingthepresentinventionprovidesapluralityofdrillstring
componentsaccordingtotheprecedingclauseofclaim1ascharacterizedinthefinalclauseofthisclaim.

[0011]

Thesubclaimsaredirectedtoadvantageousembodimentsoftheinvention.

[0012]

Thepluralityofdrillstringsaspointedoutintheprecedingclauseofclaim1isknownfromUSpatent4,460,202
whichdisclosesanintermediateweightdrillstringmembertobeusedbetweenthedrillpipeandthecollarsina
drillstringusedintherotarysystemofdrillingwells.Thispriorartpatentprovidesforaboxuporientationasisthe
usualpracticewithrotarydrillstringsbutitentailstheproblemthatwhenusedinagivendrillingholeeitheralarger
annularspacehadtobeleftbetweenthedrillingholewallandtheboxoutsidewithresultantlowerBSRormilling

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offoftheboxendwithresultantdecreaseoftheBSRwouldberequiredwhentheuseofafishingtoolbecame
necessary.

[0013]

ThisundesireduseofsmallerboxdiameterwithresultantlowerBSRfromthebeginningorundesiredmillingoff
withresultantundesiredloweringoftheBSRinconnectionwithafishingoperationareavoidedbythefeaturesof
thepresentinventionwiththepinuporientationofthedrillstring.

[0014]

Itshouldbenotedinthisrespectthatthepriorarthasinnowaysuggestedthepresentinventionandits
advantageswhichhavebeendisregardedduringthemanyyearsduringwhichtherotarydrillingartusedtubulardrill
strings.

[0015]

InthisrespectreferenceishadalsotothefactthatDEA199656formtheyear1907mayhavedisclosedadrill
stringwithpinupandboxdownorientationoftheconnectionswhich,however,apparentlywerenotsuggestive
duringthefollowingdecadesofthefeaturesofthepresentinventioninclusivethepinuporientationinconnection
withtherotarydrillingusingtubularjointsandinvolvingtheabovestatedBSRproblem.

[0016]

Astructureinadrillstringcomponentisprovidedsoastomaintainahighbendingstrengthratiointhedrillstring
connectionsforsituationswhenrelativelysmallholesizesmadeitnecessaryinthepriorarttorunsmalldrillstring
componentswithalowBSR.A"drillcollar"anda"drillpipe"aregenericnamesforalengthorjointofatubular
productintendedforinclusioninadrillstringofsuchproducts.Therearemanyspecialdrillcollarsanddrillpipes,
suchasheavierthannormal,orincludingspecialtoolcomponents(e.g.,cutters).Normallengthsofdrillpipeas
wellasthesespeciallengthsareallreferredtogenericallyasdrillcollarsanddrillpipe.Sometimes,suchlengthsof
pipearealsoreferredtoas"rotarysubs".Thedrillstringcomponentdisclosedhereinisdesignedtobeincludedin
thedrillstringwithitspinendup.Thebodyportionofthecomponentjoinstheboxportionatoneendandthepin
portionattheother.Inthecaseofdrillcollars,theboxportionhaseitherthesameoutsidediameterasthebody
portionoralargeroutsidediameterthanthebodyportion.Inthecaseofdrillpipe,theboxportionhasalarger
outsidediameterthanthebodyportion.Thepinsectionhasalargerdiameterthanthebodyportionbutthepin
sectionissmallerthantheoutsidediameteroftheboxportion.Thepinsectionincludesasocalled"fishingneck"
adjacentthepin,whichmeansthatitsoutsidediameterissmallerthantheoutsidediameteroftheboxportion.

[0017]

Sothatthemannerinwhichtheaboverecitedfeatures,advantagesandobjectsoftheinvention,aswellasothers
whichwillbecomeapparent,areattainedandcanbeunderstoodindetail,moreparticulardescriptionofthe
inventionbrieflysummarizedabovemaybehadbyreferencetotheembodimentthereofwhichisillustratedinthe
appendeddrawings,whichdrawingsformapartofthisspecification.Itistobenoted,however,thattheappended
drawingillustratesonlyapreferredembodimentoftheinventionandarethereforenottobeconsideredlimitingof
itsscopeastheinventionmayadmittootherequallyeffectiveembodiments.
Figure1isalongitudinalsectionalviewofapreferredembodimentofapairofinterconnecteddrillcollarsin
accordancewiththepresentinvention
Figure1Aisalongitudinalsectionalviewofanalternativeembodimentofadrillcollarinaccordancewith
thepresentinvention
Figure1Bisalongitudinalsectionalviewofapreferredembodimentofadrillpipeinaccordancewiththe
presentinventionand
Figure1Cisalongitudinalsectionalviewofastabilizerinaccordancewiththepresentinvention.

[0018]

Nowreferringtothedrawings,andparticularlyFigure1,aportionofadrillstringemployingdrillcollarsin
accordancewiththepresentinventionisillustrated.Typically,adrillcollarcomprisesthreeportionsorsections,
namely,abodysection12,whichrunsthemajorityofthelengthoftheoveralldrillcollar10,aboxsection14anda
pinsectionhavingapinend16.Theboxsectionisthefemalepartoftheconnectionandthepinsectionisthe
malepartoftheconnection.Ascanbereadilyseenfromthedrawing,thepinsectionispointedupinhole18.

[0019]

Locatedbelowpinend16isafishingneck20.Belowfishingneck20isbodysection12.Theshoulderofthepinat
outsidebeveldiameter22hastobeadequatetocarrythetorsionalloadappliedtotheconnection.Thisshoulder
widthisinitiallymachinedatabeveldiameterof116.28mm(437/64"),121.05mm(449/64"),and125.8mm(4
61/64"),respectively,forcorrespondingwith120.6mm(43/4)O.D.,127mm(5")O.D.,and133.35mm(51/4")
O.D.boxdimensions.Thepinstrengthdoesnotchangeduetoachangeinitsoutsidediameteraslongasan
adequateshoulderwidthismaintained.

[0020]

Dimensionally,theboxandpinsectionsarebothrelativelyshortinlengthcomparedwiththebodysection.The
bodysectionisusuallyontheorderof8.35m(28feet)inlengthandtheendsectionsareusuallyontheorderof
457.2609.6mm(18"24")inlength.Thesectionofthedrillcollarshowninthedrawingreferredtoasfishingneck
20isnormallyaminimumof(457.2mm)(18")inlength.AsshowninFigure1A,inanalternativeembodimentof
drillcollar10showninFigure1,theentirebodysection12Amaybeofthesameoutsidediameterofthefishing
neck20A.

[0021]

TheBSRappliestotherotaryshoulderedconnectionorthethreadsconnectingthedrillstringcomponents,with
theoutsidediameteroftheboxprimarilycontrollingthebendingstrengthratio.Theoutsidediameterofthepin
sectionandtheoutsidediameterofthebodycanbereducedwithoutreducingthebendingstrengthratio.Hence,
thelargeroutsidediameteroftheboxsectionneedstobeonlyafewinchesinlength,i.e.,sufficientinlengthto
strengthentheboxthreadedconnection.Asufficientlengthtoallowtheboxconnectiontobereworkedseveral
timesisnormallyused.

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[0022]

PatentEP0324756B1HighbendingstrengthratiodrillstringcomponentsGooglePatents
Whenthebodysectiondiameteristhesameasorlessthanthediameterofthepinsection,asshowninthecase
ofbodysection12Bofdrillpipe10BofFigure1B,thebodysectioncanbewashedoverwithoutmillingoffany
steel.Or,thestructuredescribedaboveandshowninthefigure1canbeleftaloneandatalargerdimensionthan
iftheboxendwereup,toprovideweightandstiffness.Thereducedpinsectionallowsthefishingovershotto
engagethefish,asdiscussedabove.

[0023]

Whennecessarytowashoverthefulllengthofasection,ifonlytheboxsectionhasthelargerdiameter,itcanbe
easilymilledoffwiththemillshoeofthewashpipe.Insummary,withonlyafishingneckadjacentthepinend,the
operatorhasaheavier,stifferdrillcollarwithahigherbendingstrengthratio,whilemaintaining"fishability".With
thepinendandthebodysectionreducedasindrillcollar10Atheoperatorhasgained,withrespecttothepin
downstructureofthepriorart,ahigherBSRwhilemaintaining"fishability"and"washoverability".

[0024]

Ithasbeenmentionedthatspecialtoolsincludedinadrillstringoftenhavespecialaddedfeaturesnotincludedin
anordinarydrillcollar.Wearknots,reamercutters,stabilizerblades,orelevatororsliprecesses,canbeincluded,
forexample.Thebodyportionofareamerorastabilizersuchasthatshownat10CinFigure1C,wouldusually
haveanoutsidediameterlargerthanboththepinandboxsections.Withthepinupconfigurationdescribedabove,
thetoolwouldstillhave"fishability".Theboxsectionwouldhavealargeroutsidediametercomparedwithapin
downtoolofthesametypeincludedinthepriorartandthuswouldprovidealargerBSR.Anywashoverofsucha
toolwouldrequiremillingoverthebodytoremovethereamercuttersorthestabilizerbladesandtheshortbox
section.

[0025]

Althoughtheabovedescriptionhasbeenwithrespecttoadrawingshowingadrillcollarhavingabodysectionand
aboxsectionofthesameoutsidediameter,itisunderstoodthataboxhavinganoutsidediameterofgreater
dimensionthanthebodysectionwouldbeequallysatisfactory.

CLASSIFICATIONS
InternationalClassification

E21B17/00,E21B17/16,E21B17/042

CooperativeClassification

E21B17/042,E21B17/16

EuropeanClassification

E21B17/16,E21B17/042

LEGALEVENTS
Date

Code

Event

Description

Jul26,1989

AK

Designatedcontractingstates:

Jul26,1989

17P

Requestforexaminationfiled

Effectivedate:19890313

Apr10,1991

17Q

Firstexaminationreport

Effectivedate:19910221

Apr10,1992

ITF

It:translationforaeppatentfiled

Ownername:FIAMMENGHIDOMENIGHETTI

Aug5,1992

AK

Designatedcontractingstates:

Aug5,1992

PG25

Lapsedinacontractingstateannouncedviapostgrantinform.
fromnat.officetoepo

Sep11,1992

ET

Fr:translationfiled

Jul28,1993

26N

Nooppositionfiled

Aug20,1999

PGFP

Postgrant:annualfeespaidtonationaloffice

Kindcodeofrefdocument:A1
Designatedstate(s):BEFRIT

Kindcodeofrefdocument:B1
Designatedstate(s):BEFRIT
Refcountrycode:BE
Effectivedate:19920805

Refcountrycode:FR
Paymentdate:19990820
Yearoffeepayment:13
Refcountrycode:FR
May31,2001

PG25

Lapsedinacontractingstateannouncedviapostgrantinform.
fromnat.officetoepo

Freeformattext:LAPSEBECAUSEOFNONPAYMENT
OFDUEFEES
Effectivedate:20010531

Jun29,2001

REG

Referencetoanationalcode

Refcountrycode:FR
Reflegaleventcode:ST
Refcountrycode:IT

Sep2,2005

PG25

Lapsedinacontractingstateannouncedviapostgrantinform.
fromnat.officetoepo

Freeformattext:LAPSEBECAUSEOFNONPAYMENT
OFDUEFEES
Effectivedate:20050902

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