A Drill String failure occurs if a component breaks, leaks or cannot perform its intended function.

When a failure occurs,

we may be inclined to think first of "bad pipe", or that the pipe was misused. Such simple explanations are usually not
correct. In fact, many factors can contribute to drill string failures and rarely is a failure caused by a single problem.
Drilling conditions can differ greatly from one point in the string to another, even at the same time in the same hole. A
dozen different mechanisms can attack the drill string and conditions, that prevent one type of attack may actually
accelerate another.
However, drill string failures can be easily understood by grouping their causes into five main categories. No matter what
failure mechanism was involved, the causes can be traced to problems or weaknesses in one or more of these areas:
o

Properties

Rig Operations

Inspection

Design

Environment

This course manual goes into detail on each of the above topics with further sub sections.
Responding to Drill String Failures
If a drill string washout or twistoff occurs, the first step toward preventing a second failure is to understand what caused
the first. This section covers how to identify the most common failure mechanisms and, in broad terms, what to do about
each.
o

Drill Pipe Tube Fatigue Connection Fatigue

Torsion

Tension

Sulphide Stress Cracking

Stress Corrosion Cracking

Combination Tension/Torsion

Burst and Collapse Pressure Failures

Split Box

Weld Related Failure

Connection Leak

Properties of Drill String Components

Drill string properties are the metallurgical, mechanical and dimensional attributes that are built into each component in
the drill string. The need for good properties in the drill string is the most basic one of all. If we start with bad material, all
of our careful design, inspection and handling efforts will be wasted. If we want everything to stay together, we must start
with "the right stuff".
Minimum Yield Strength: Determines minimum rated capacity in torsion, tension, burst and collapse pressure for a
component of a given size
Minimum Tensile Strength: Determines minimum parting load in torsion, tension, burst and collapse for a component
of a given size
Maximum Yield Strength: Helps ensure that material isn't too hard and brittle
Minimum Ductility (Elongation): Ensures a minimum amount of plastic stretch after yield but before parting
Minimum Toughness: Ensures a minimum resistance to fatigue crack extension. Ensures that a component can
support at least a through wall crack without parting (leak before break)
Drill Pipe Internal Upset Geometry: Determines the stress concentration effect of the change in wall section at the
internal upset on a drill pipe tube. This in turn affects the fatigue life of the tube, higher stress = shorter life
Rotary Shouldered Connections
Some of the most confusing things about rotary shouldered connections are their names. What is so internally flush
about that 4.1/2 IF connection? Every one we ever saw was internally upset! Also, where is the other hole in an "Extra
Hole" (XH) connection? (It has only one hole as far as we can tell). Maybe it makes an extra hole in the ground. But who
wants two holes in the ground when one will do nicely? It just runs up the mud bill.
Design
The objectives of the design effort should be:
o

To keep the maximum stress at any point in the drill string less than yield strength, derated by a design factor

Select components and configure assemblies to retard fatigue as much as economically practical

Provide equipment that is resistant to hydrogen sulphide if H2S is expected.

Inspection

How many times have we heard someone say "Give me an API inspection"? It sounds good, but there is simply no such
thing as an API drill string inspection. API RP7G gives many useful performance properties for drill pipe and connections.
It tells us what the attributes of a "Premium Class" piece of pipe are. It does not however give instructions on how to
inspect a piece of pipe to determine whether or not it meets those attributes! Therefore, we must supplement what's
available in API. In total, inspecting our drillstring must include all three of the following tasks:
o

Determine the Acceptance Criteria

Decide the Inspection Program to be used

Ensure the Inspection is Performed Correctly.

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