Drill string design

Submitted by:
Abeer khaled 20194777
Ola Adel 20195381
Mariam Samy 20195007
Nezar Seif 20190784
Ahmed Mohamed Abd-Elazim
20184043

Supervised by:

Dr. Taher El Fakharany

Table of Contents
Abstract..........................................................................................................................................2
Introduction....................................................................................................................................2
Drill string functions........................................................................................................................2
Drill string components...................................................................................................................3
 Kelly/top drive..........................................................................................................................3
 Drill pipe...................................................................................................................................4
Drill pipe selection..........................................................................................................................8
 Drill pipe grade:........................................................................................................................8
 Drill pipe classification.............................................................................................................8
 Drill pipe weight.......................................................................................................................8
BHA selection..................................................................................................................................9
Drill collars................................................................................................................................10
Heavy wall drill pipe..................................................................................................................13
Stabilizers..................................................................................................................................14
Roller Reamers..........................................................................................................................15
Drill string design criteria..............................................................................................................16
Conclusion....................................................................................................................................18
Abstract
The drill string is a critical component in the drilling process,
playing a pivotal role in the successful extraction of subsurface
resources. This report presents a comprehensive analysis of drill
string design, encompassing various parameters such as material
selection, geometry, and dynamic behavior. The study aims to
optimize the performance and reliability of drill strings, taking into
account the challenges posed by different geological formations
and operational conditions. Through a combination of theoretical
models, empirical data, and advanced simulations, this report
provides insights into the factors influencing drill string design and
offers recommendations for enhancing efficiency and durability.
The findings contribute to the ongoing efforts to advance drilling
technologies, ensuring cost-effective and sustainable exploration of
Earth's subsurface resources.

Introduction
Drill pipe and collars are designed to satisfy certain operational
requirements. In general, downhole tubulars must have the capability to
withstand the maximum expected hookload, torque, bending stresses,
internal pressure, and external collapse pressure. Operational capabilities of
different sizes and grades of drill pipe and collars are
tabulated in the API RP 7G to assist the drilling
engineer in selection of pipe and collars for a given
drilling situation. Other concerns, such as the presence
of H2S, must also be considered in the selection
process.

Drill string functions

The drill string
(1) Transmits rotary torque to the bit
 (2) Provides a conduit for circulating fluid to reach the
bit.

The BHA
(1) Prevents buckling the drill pipe by keeping it in
tension.
(2) Allows weight to be applied to the bit.
(3) Help stability of the bit.
(4) Minimize directional control problems.

Drill string components

The Drill String includes all tubular equipment between the Kelly Swivel
and the bit

1. Kelly
2. Surface Safety Valves
3. Drill Pipe
4. Heavy Walled Drill Pipe
5. Drill Collar
6. Stabilizers
7. Reamers
8. Directional control equipment
9. Jars
10.Shock Subs
11.Bumper Subs
12.Junk Baskets
13. Accelerators

Figure 1 Drill string

components
  Kelly/top drive
Strictly speaking, Kelly/ Top
drive are not components of
the drill string; however, they
provide the essential
requirements for drilling a
well:

1. Transmit rotation to the

drill string.
2. Provide access to the
drilling fluid into the
drill string.
3. Support the weight of
the string.

Kelly is the rotating link between Figure 2 kelly

the rotary table and the drill
string, while top drive is basically a combined rotary table
and Kelly.
The Kelly is usually provided with two safety valves, one
at the top and one at the bottom, called upper and lower
Kelly cocks, respectively.
The Kelly cock is used to close the inside of the
drillstring in the event of a kick. The lower Kelly cock is
always manual.

Figure 3 Kelly cock

 Drill pipe
Function: To serve as a conduit or conductor for drilling fluid To transmit
the rotation from surface to the bit on bottom.
Components: A pierced, seamless tube of forged steel or extruded
Aluminum Tool joints attached to each end of the seamless tube.
 o Length
Drill pipe is available in singles
or joints which refers to one
piece of tube with a tool joint at
each end.
"Single" is a term arising from
the frequent use of three joints
connected together to form a
stand or a "triple" of drill pipe,
thus one joint is referred to as "a
single" Figure 4 drill pipes

Drill pipe singles can be

supplied in three length ranges:

1. Range 1: 20 ft (Not used now)

2. Range 2: 31 ft
3. Range 3: 45 ft (Rarely used)

The most commonly used is Range 2, this being 9•45 m (31 ft) in length
including the tool joint
Actual lengths in all ranges are normally irregular, Range 2 can be from to m
long for example
Uniform lengths can be specified at extra cost, but this is not normally done.
o Api and threaded connection:
The most common thread style in drill pipe is NC.
The thread has a V-shaped form and is identified by the pitch diameter,
measured at a point 5/8 inches from the shoulder.
Connection Number is Pitch dia*10
truncated to two digits.

If the pitch diameter is 5.0417 in

→ This is an NC50 connection
Multiply 5.0417 by 10 → 50.417
Choose first two digits → 50
Hence NC 50

Some Examples of NC interchange:

NC 26 - 23/8 IF or 27/8 SH
NC 31 -27/8 IF or 31/2 SH
NC 38 - 31/2 IF, 31/2 WO or 41/2 SH
NC 40 - 4 FH
NC 46 - 4 IF, 41/2 XH or 4 WO
NC 50 - 4 1/2 IF
Designated as V-O.038R and mates
with the V-0.065 thread form.

There are 17 NC’s in use : NC-10 (1 1/16”) through NC-77 (7 3/4”)

Typical sizes: NC 50 for tool joints with 6 1/2” OD for 5” pipe and NC 38
for 4 3/4” tool joints and 3 1/2” pipe.
o Tool joints
Tool joints are short sections of pipe that are attached to the tubing portion
of drill pipe by means of using a flash welding process. The internally
threaded tool joint is called a “box”, while the externally threaded tool joint
if the “pin”.
API specifications also apply to tool joints:
• Minimum Yield Strength = 120,000 psi
• Minimum Tensile Strength = 140,000 psi
Because tool joints are added to drillpipe, the weight of given to pipe in
many tables is the “nominal weight”. The exact weight will require adding
the weight of the tool joints to the tubing portion. Since two joints do not
weigh the same, it is difficult to determine the weight of a joint of drillpipe
and so an “approximate weight” is used in many calculations.
The tool joints on drill
pipe may contain
internal and/or external
upsets. An
upset is a decrease in
the ID and/or an
increase in the OD of
the pipe which
is used to strengthen
the weld between the
pipe and the tool joint. Figure 5 Tool joints and upsets

The increased thickness of upsets is used to decrease the frequency of pipe

failure at the point where the pipe meets the tool-joint.
Internal upsets (IU), ( OD
stays the same )
External upsets (EU), ( ID
stays the same )
Internal and External upsets
(IEU)

Figure 6 Tool joint identification

  Makeup torque
Part of the strength of the drillstring and the seal for the fluid conduit are
both contained in the tool joints. It is very important therefore, that the
correct make-up torque is applied to the tool joints. If a tool joint is not
torqued enough, bending between the box and pin could cause premature
failure. Also, the shoulder seal may not be properly seated, resulting in mud
leaking through the tool joint, causing a washout. Exceeding the torsional
yield strength of the connection by applying too much torque to the tool
joint could cause the shoulders to bevel outward or the pin to break off the
box. Recommended make up torques for drill pipe and tool joints are listed
in the API RP 7G.

Drill pipe selection

 Drill pipe grade:
The grade of drill pipe describes the minimum yield strength of the pipe, in
table 1. API defines five grades: D,E, X,G and S. However, in oilwell
drilling, only grades E,G and S are actually used. In most drill string
designs, the pipe grade is increased if extra strength is required.

Table 1 Material grades for

most common drill pipes
  Drill pipe classification
Unlike casing and tubing, which are normally run new, drill pipe is normally
used in a worn condition. It therefore has Classes:

1. New: No wear, has never been used

2. Premium: Remaining wall not less than 80%.
3. Class 2: Remaining wall not less than 70%.
4. Class 3: Remaining wall less than 70%

 Drill pipe weight

When referring to Drill Pipe Weights, there are four important ones:

1. Plain end Weight – Refers to the weight per foot of the pipe body.
2. Nominal Weight - Refers to an obsolete standard. ( Weight of Range I pipe
with connections ) Is used today to refer a class of Drill pipe.
3. Adjusted Weight – Refers to the weight per foot of pipe including the upset
but excluding the tool joint based on a length of 29.4 ft.

4. Approximate Weight – The average weight per foot of pipe and tool joints of
Range II pipe. This approximate weight is the number to use in Design
calculations.
a. Approx. adjusted weight of tool joint:
 b. Approx. adjusted weight of drill pipe assembly

BHA selection
The BHA consists of HWDP, drill collars, stabilizers and a drill bit.
The BHA may also consist of MWD/LWD tools, Motors, Rotary Steerable
Systems, reamers, crossover subs, and drilling jars, among other features.
BHA's are designed to provide stability and weigh to the drill bit.
A maximum buoyed weigh of 90% of the BHA should never be exceeded as
applied weight on bit (WOB)
They are designed for directional control
Drill collars
Functions:

 To put weight on bit (WOB)

 To keep the drill string from buckling

Types

 Typically 4 ¾” to 9 ½” OD
 Most commonly in lengths of 30-31 feet
 Square collars where the holes tend to be crooked
 Spiral collars where there is chance of getting stuck
(differentially, etc..)
 Collars with elevator and slip recesses

More functions of Drill Collars

1. Protect the Drill string from Bending and Torsion
2. Help to control direction and inclination of wells
3. Drill straighter holes or vertical holes
4. Provide Pendulum effect at low WOB
5. Reduce dog legs, key seats and ledges
6. Improve the probabilities of getting
casing in the hole.
7. Increase bit performance
8. Reduce rough drilling, sticking and
jumping
9. As a tool in fishing, testing,
completing
  In areas where differential sticking is a possibility spiral drill collars
and spiral HWDP should be used in order to minimize contact area
with the formation.

 Monel collars These collars are made of a special non-magnetic steel

alloy and they isolate directional survey instruments from magnetic
distortion due to the steel drillstring

Drill collar dimensions

Collars are subjected to stresses due to:

 Buckling and bending forces

 Tension
 Vibrations
 Alternate compression and tension

Procedure For Selecting Drillcollars:

1. Determine the buoyancy factor for the mud weight in use using the formula
below:
Calculate the required collar length to achieve the desired weight on bit:
WOB = air weight of drillcollars x BF x 0.85 = DC length x Wdc x BF x
0.85

2. For directional wells:

Drill collar connections:

1. Stress Relief Features
• Stresses in DC connections are
concentrated at the base of the
pin and in the bottom of the box
(stronger)
• DP body bends easily and
takes up the majority of the
applied bending stress, DP
connections are therefore
subjected to less bending than
the DP body.
• DCs and other BHA
components are however much stiffer than the DPs and much of the bending
stresses are transferred to the connections.
• These bending stresses can cause fatigue failure at the connections Stress
Relief Groove / Bore Back
The stress relief groove is to mitigate the fatigue cracks where the face and
threads would have otherwise joined

2. Low torque
The low torque feature consists in removing
part of the shoulder area of the pin and box.
•This allows for lower make up torque
maintaining adequate shoulder loading.
•It is a common feature in large OD
connections
a. Torsion limits for DC
Torque is rarely limited by the DC connection because rotary torque is
usually higher in the DP at surface and lower in the DC at deeper depths.
• If DC make-up torque >Dp
make-up torque you have no
routine problems. • BH
Torque at any point should
not exceed 80% of makeup
torque for the connections in
the hole to avoid over
tightening connections which
can lead to damage of seals.

Heavy wall drill pipe

Heavy-wall drill pipe, normally called Heavy Weight Drill
Pipe and abbreviated to HWDP, is an intermediate weight
drill string member
It consists of heavy-wall tubes with an upset in the middle or
can be spiral
 The upset in the middle is called the called the centre wear pad
It also has special long tool joints
It is up to twice as long as normal drill pipe tool joints
Heavy weight drill pipe was originally developed for three reasons:
As a transition member to be run between drill pipe and drill collars
As a flexible weight member to be run in directional drilling
As a weight member on small rigs, drilling small diameter holes

Stabilizers
Stabilizers consist of a length of pipe with blades on the external surface
These blades may be either straight or spiral and there are numerous designs
of stabilizers
The blades can either be:

 Integral fixed on to the body of the pipe

 Welded to the mandrel — normal for
large size only
 Threaded to the mandrel to allow change
out of sleeve.
 Rubber sleeve non rotating

Rotating blade stabilizers: Figure 8 stabilizer blade types

Rotating blade stabilizers can be divided

into two groups:

 Those that can be repaired at a service location

 Sleeves that can be changed at the rig site

Welded-blade, integral-blade, and shrunk-on sleeve

stabilizers must be repaired or reconstructed at a service
location.

Figure 9 rotating
Non rotating stabilizers
It is comprises of a rubber-ribbed sleeve mounted on a mandrel
body
Sleeves can be replaced at the rig site
Normally would be run for work inside casing so as to prevent
wear

 Stabilizers functions
1. Reduce buckling, bending stresses on drill collars
2. Allow higher WOB since the string remains concentric even
in compression
3. Increase bit life by reducing wobble (all three cones loaded equally)
4. Help to prevent wall sticking
5. Act as a key seat wiper
6. Used for directional control

Roller Reamers
The rollers may be made from high grade carburized steel or have tungsten
carbide inserts.
They can be ordered to suit or changed at the well site.
A rolling cutter reamer is run in the BHA. Normally close to the bit.
It is the only tool that can effectively maintain hole gauge in hard rock
The cutters open the hole to full gauge, thereby extending bit life and
preventing problems with sticking.
This can be beneficial where tectonics are present
It will also ream out any potential hole problems (e.g. dog legs, key seats,
ledges)
It can also reduce
torque when drilling.

Drill string design criteria

Drill String Design has three primary mechanical criteria that is used in
initial design of drill strings.
For the initial value for calculations most companies use 85% of minimum
yield as the starting point for any calculations.
Some companies use 80% of minimum yield. This is based on the Grade of
pipe and never the new value.
Most companies will only use premium pipe.
The following are design factors to give a safety margin for drilling to the
planned depth of the well. This also indicates if additional higher strength
drill pipe is required. The calculations can be found in industry publications
such as
T H Hill DS-I or Fearnley Proctor NS-2
1. MOP — Margin of Overpull Typically a minimum of 100,000 lbs
2. Design Safety Factor Typically 1.33
3. Slip Crushing Factor Taken from tables to suit the slips and drill pipe in
use
API R7G 1
gives the following design criteria:
1. Anticipated total depth with this drillstring
2. Hole size
3. Expected mud weight
4. Desired safety factor in tension and/or margin of overpull
5. Desired safety factor in collapse
6. Length of drillcollars, OD, ID and weight per foot
7. Desired drillpipe sizes and inspection class

COLLAPSE DESIGN
The criteria to be used as a worst case for the collapse design of drill pipe is
typically a DST.
The maximum collapse pressure should be determined for an evacuated
string, with mud
hydrostatic pressure acting on the outside of the DP. Use of this criterion
also accounts for
incidence of a plugged bit or failure to fill the string when a float is used
during trips into the
hole.
A design factor is used in constructing the collapse design line. The design
factor to be used
for this full evacuation scenario is 1.0
TENSION DESIGN
The tension load is evaluated using the maximum load concept. Buoyancy is
included in the
design to represent realistic drilling conditions.
The tension design is established by consideration of the following:
1. Tensile Forces: These include:
• weight carried
• shock loading
• bending forces
2. Design factor
3. Slip Crushing Design

Conclusion
In conclusion, the drill string design is a multifaceted process that requires a
careful balance of various factors to achieve optimal performance. Through
the analysis presented in this report, it is evident that material properties,
geometric considerations, and dynamic behavior significantly impact the
success of drilling operations. The integration of advanced modeling
techniques and empirical data has provided a more nuanced understanding
of the challenges associated with drill string design. Recommendations
derived from this study emphasize the importance of tailoring drill string
configurations to specific geological conditions, thereby maximizing
efficiency and minimizing the risk of failures.

Moving forward, ongoing research and development in drill string design

should continue to explore innovative materials and manufacturing
techniques, considering the evolving demands of the drilling industry.
Additionally, advancements in real-time monitoring and control systems can
further enhance the adaptability of drill strings to dynamic subsurface
conditions. By continually refining and optimizing drill string designs, the
industry can ensure a sustainable and efficient approach to the extraction of
Earth's valuable resources.