Globally, some inspection standards apply depending on customer requirements in different

drilling areas. These include:

 API RP 7G/2: Recommended practice for Inspection and Classification of used Drill
Stem Elements
 DS-1 Volume 3: Drill Stem Inspection
 NS-2 Drillstring Inspection Standard

Methods of inspection
Non Destructive Testing (NDT) is used to inspect the tubulars. The inspector will look at high-stress
areas, including threads, slip areas, weld areas and radius changes, to detect if any fatigue or cracks
have occurred in the pipe. There is some inspection that can be done in the field, eg. visual and
dimensional inspection, internal conditions of the pipes and hardbanding. To cover all methods, testing
needs to be completed in the yard as a line flow is required for the inspection to be cost effective.

Many methods are used during the inspection process, including:

 Visual inspection (VTI)

 API/RSC thread inspection (API-TI)
 Dimensional inspection (DI)
 (MPI) Magnetic Particle Inspection.
 Electromagnetic tubular inspections (EMI)
 Magnetic particle (MT)
 Liquid dye penetrant (PT)
 wall thickness gauging.
 Ultrasonic inspection of rotary-shouldered connections (UT-RSC)
 Ultrasonic inspection of high-stress areas and tube upsets (UTEA)

Inspection methods for drill pipe according to the Standard DS1 Vol3. For example if category 4 is requested,
all the methods highlighted in yellow need to be performed on the pipe.
the drill string coming apart

Developed and formulated by American T.H. Hill company and 36 cooperated companies, DS-1TM
standard (3rd edition) is a comprehensive standard which integrating the manufacturing, design and
inspection of drill string into one. DS-1TM comprises of three volumes, i.e. Drilling Tubular Product
Specification, Design and Operation of Drill String and Drill String Inspection. Volume 1 specification
for drill tubular products. Volume 1, Specification for Drilling Tubular Goods is featured with the
following characteristics: Two levels of product specification have been established: normal and
critical. The former is equal to the requirements of API Spec 5D and API Spec 7 while the latter level is
much stricter at performance and inspection. All manufacturing, dimensional and metallurgical
requirements in tabular format resulted in easy to check and compare. Covers drill pipe, HWDP, subs,
drill collars and pup joints. Addresses the requirements for higher grade drill pipe (Z-140 AD V-150)
which is neglected by API specification. Addresses special drill strings, i.e. thick wall thickness drill
pipes. Includes procedures for non-destructive testing of components not addressed by API.

Volume 2, i.e. Design and Operation of Drill String, has the following groundbreakings:
A complete creative design method is established to minimize fatigue wearing: curvature index and
stability index. Therefore, complex design and calculations is avoided and fatigue wearing rate can be
reduced greatly only by checking the tables with design drilling equipment. In accordance with risk
design principle, over-load design and fatigue wearing design can be divided into 3 design groups
which corresponding to different drilling conditions and inspection requirements. Addresses the
application of new drill pipe sizes and grades. The impact of slip mark degree to its fatigue is added
which enlarged the scope of slip-cut severity. New methods for corrosion monitoring.
Considerations for reactive torque and casing wear. Detailed instructions for specifying an appropriate
inspection. Volume 3 is a comprehensive product inspection standard providing comprehensive
procedural specification, convenient inspection system and technology updating in time. By enlarging
the traditional inspection specification and issued in independent volumes, DS-1TM standard (3rd
edition) has become a global standard for inspection.

Volume 3, i.e. Drill Stem Inspection, includes the following new content: Inspection tables
supplemented with new pipe sizes, weights, and grades as well as coverage of Z and V grade drill pipes
with. Classify the inspection methods into 31 inspection processes. For specific product inspection,
only the inspection processes and acceptance criteria needs to be identified. New inspection criteria
for thick wall thickness, heavy weight drill pipes and drill collars is added. Addresses inspection criteria
of private patent products, such as Grant double-shoulder drill pipes, etc. Make-up torque table is
extended. Internal coating evaluation reference photographs. New procedure for full length UT
inspection of drill pipe tubes. New inspection category for heavy duty landing strings. Fishing tool
inspection criteria. DS-1TM has become widely accepted as the standard for inspecting drill string
components.

The Third Edition of the standard covers used drill pipe, HWDP, drill collars, API and similar rotary
shouldered connections, a number of proprietary connections, drilling jars, kellys, subs, stablizers,
hole openers, underreamers, casing scrapers, roller reamers, safety valves, Kelly valves, IBOP’s, MWD,
LWD, fishing tools, heavy duty landing strings, motors and turbines.

Q: Are DS-1TM requirements more rigid than API requirements for drill string inspection?” A: This
question must be answered in two parts. First, in terms of the drill pipe attributions required for a
component to be accepted under Premium Class or Class 2 acceptance criteria there is very little
difference in the two standards. In fact, the majority of the DS-1TM acceptance criteria were taken
directly from API RP7G. However, in terms of inspection process quality control, DS-1TM places firm
requirements on how an inspector must calibrate and use his or her equipment. API RP7G at this
writing does not address these points at all. Therefore, no comparison is possible in this area.

Q: “How does a DS-1TM inspection differ from an API inspection?” A: Unfortunately, neither one of
the two terms in this question has any precise meaning, so the question cannot be answered. The
term “API inspection,” although frequently used by people in the industry, has no precise meaning
spelled out in any API documents. Thus, different people have different opinions of what “API
inspection” actually entails. Neither is the term “DS-1TM inspection” meaningful unless it’s
accompanied by a specific Service Category (Number 1-5 or HDLS).