What is an Oilfield Pipe Made Of?

Oilfield Pipelines

Drilling for oil and gas requires you to have the proper tools and equipment to get the job done right. Drill pipes are an essential part of any drilling project. Let’s take a closer look at oilfield pipes and what lies within their composition.

Oilfield Pipe Composition

Oilfield pipes are seamless steel pipes that pump drill fluid to the drill bit. These drills are made to withstand even the most intense of conditions, such as extreme cold and heat. Generally made from tempered steel, sections of drill pipe typically range from 30 to 33 feet.

How Long Does Oilfield Pipe Last?

Due to the extreme conditions that oilfield pipes find themselves in, they need to be regularly checked for wear and tear. They are inspected with spherometers, which are instruments that measure the radius of a sphere. 

After the drill pipes have undergone a spherometer check, they separate them into three categories. They are as follows:

  1. N- class (new pipe): The most robust pipe available. This pipe is usually in perfect or almost perfect condition. 
  2. P- class (premium pipe): Premium pipe will have signs of wear but can still function at high levels with little to no issues. 
  3. C -class (C-1, C-2, C-3): C-class pipes consist of three categories. Depending on where they fall, C-class pipes have significant wear and tear or will be taken out of use soon. 

Drill pipes also fall into the categories of drill string and heavyweight drill pipes.

  • Drill string: Drill string is the entire column of tools. These include the drill pipe, shaft collar, tools, and drill bit. These drill pipes will have different thicknesses ranging anywhere from 2 ⅜ to 6 ⅝ inches thick. 
  • Heavy Weight Drill Pipe: Heavyweight drill pipe is much stronger than its traditional counterpart. This piping is thicker, ranging from 3 ½ to 6 ⅝ inches thick. They deal with added pressures from transitions between drill collars and regular drill pipes.

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