Drillpipe Manufacturing

1.1 MANUFACTURING OF DRILLPIPE

MANUFACTURING SEQUENCE

Green tube hollows supplied by selected domestic and foreign sources, are upset forged, heat treated to grade and electro-magnetically inspected, end areas including upsets are EMI MAG particle and Ultrasonically inspected.

Tool joint forgings are purchased from qualified steel suppliers whose products meet strict quality specifications. Superior Drillpipe Manufacturing, Inc. machines and threads the pin and box components to API specifications and inspects 100% of every tool joint manufactured. After gauging, magnetic particle inspection is performed prior to phosphate coating.

Joint to pipe assembly is the final stage of manufacture and includes inertia/friction welding, weld annealing, flash removal, quench and temper weld heat treatment, ID/OD grinding, MAG particle and Ultrasonic inspection and hardness testing. Imprint marking of serial reference number, visual inspection, stencil, varnish and API monogramming are the final stages of assembly.

DESIGN FEATRUES

PIPE UPSETS-

Bending fatigue failures have shown to occur mostly in the fadeout or transition area of the upset section. A long tapered internal upset significantly reduces this possibility. Superior Drillpipe Manufacturing, Inc. has developed manufacturing techniques using specialized forging equipment and uniquely designed tooling to accomplish this important quality feature.

BENCHMARKS-

A 1/8” wide step is conveniently visible adjacent to both pin and box shoulders providing a refacing reference.

SPECIAL PRODUCTS-

5-7/8” drillpipe is offered and represents a logical intermediary drillpipe size between 5-1/2” and 6-5/8” drillpipe.

7-5/8” drillpipe is now offered to our Horizontal Directional Drilling customers.

PROPRIETARY STEEL

Stringently clean steel with enhanced harden ability produces uniform mechanical properties throughout the tool joint cross section and provides increased product performance.

Pipe chemistries are matched to our quench and temper heat treatment process achieving excellent impact values important for fatigue resistance.

WELDING ASSEMBLY

Tool Joints and tubes are joined using the proven and highly reliable Superior Drillpipe Manufacturing, inc. “unique” inertia/friction weld process. After flash removal the weld zone is polymer quenched and tempered achieving excellent mechanical properties. This process consistently produces stronger, tougher

and more uniform weld properties. ID/OD grinding prepares the weld zone for important Ultrasonic, MAG particle and hardness testing. Each pipe is visually inspected and serial numbered to provide complete traceability.

DOUBLE SHOULDER HIGH PERFORMANCE CONNECTION

The Superior Drillpipe Manufacturing, Inc. double shoulder connection is a high performance, rotary-shouldered connection available for 2-3/8” through 7-5/8” drillpipe. Superior Drillpipe Manufacturing, Inc. offers a versatile alternative to standard API connections where higher torsional strength is required and are interchangeable with API connections.

INCREASED TORSIONAL CAPACITY

The double shouldered design of Superior Drillpipe Manufacturing, Inc. provides increased torsional capacity when compared with similar sizes of API connections. A secondary internal shoulder on the nose of the pin offers an additional friction surface and mechanical stop. The primary external shoulder still serves as the connection’s sealing surface.

SLIMMER PROFILE

Superior Drillpipe Manufacturing, Inc. connections can be configured with a smaller OD and larger ID compared to standard API connections, improving fish ability and hydraulic efficiency without sacrificing available connection torsional capacity.

TRUE FLUSH ID

The Superior Drillpipe Manufacturing, Inc. double-shouldered design provides a true flush inside diameter throughout the mated tool joint assembly, thereby minimizing turbulent flow, improving ID tool passage and eliminating opportunities for cement and solids to be trapped.

INCREASED ALLOWABLE TOOL JOINT WEAR

Superior Drillpipe Manufacturing, Inc. connections offer higher torsional capacity than standard API connections of the same dimensions, thereby increasing permissible connections wear prior to downgrading the assembly to Class 2. For example, an NC50 connection on 5” 19.50 LB/FT, S-135 drillpipe is downgraded to Class 2 when the OD wears below 6-5/8”. At this diameter of 5-3/4” before its torsional strength falls below 80% of the pipe strength.

INTERCHANGEABILITY

Superior Drillpipe Manufacturing, Inc. connections are fully interchangeable with corresponding API FH or NC counterparts.

SS GRADE – SOUR SERVICE DRILLPIPE

SS-95 and SS-105 are sour service grades of high yield strength, which meet the requirements of Canada’s IRP specification for service in Hydrogen Sulfide environments. SS drillpipe features a unique chemical composition and controlled quench – and – temper heat treatment that produces optimum fracture toughness, controlled yield strength and SS tubes are N.A.C.E. Method A tested to a threshold stress of 65% of the SMYS.

HARD FACING OF THE TOOL JOINTS

To reduce the wear of tool joints Superior Drillpipe Manufacturing, Inc. offers generally 4” of tungsten alloy overlay on the box only, either flush or protruding. Popular specialty brands offered included

Armacor M, Arnco 100XT, 150XT & 300XT, SmoothX and Titanium, at additional cost.

MAKE AND BREAK

Factory controlled break-in methods of the tool joints ensure proper procedures are followed eliminating field variables.

INTERNAL COATING OF SUPPERIOR DRILLPIPE

Worldwide field experience in offshore and onshore oil and gas fields revealed that internal coating with plastics considerably increases the lifetime of drillpipe. The coating act as corrosion protection and at the same time improves hydraulic efficiency. Superior Drillpipe Manufacturing, Inc. recommends internal plastic coatings and will provide the product brand specified by our customers. Internally coated drillpipe is available in all grades and sizes.

OTHER PRODUCTS

Our network and alliances with well known API manufacturers allows us to competitively supply the following products:

• HWDP {Heavy Weight Drillpipe}

• Rotary Substitutes

• Pup Joints

• Drill Collars

• Landing Strings

1.2 SUPERIOR DRILLPIPE

About Superior Drillpipe Superior Drillpipe Manufacturing, Inc. is a full line manufacturer of standard API and special application drillpipe.

The management of Superior Drillpipe Manufacturing, Inc. has many years experience building drillpipe that is appropriate to the changing needs of today’s drilling contractors, rental tool and oil companies. We make it our business to identify and respond to industry requirements as drilling operations expand into harsher and more demanding environments. Whatever the application, Superior Drillpipe Manufacturing, Inc. furnishes drillpipe with chemistry and physical properties to meet customer demands.

Superior Drillpipe Manufacturing, Inc. maintains an inventory of tool joints forgings and green tube stock and therefore is able to respond in short delivery situations. Superior Drillpipe Manufacturing, Inc. manufacturing capability ranges from 2-3/8” to 7-5/8” diameter drillpipe in E, X, G, S & SS GRADES. Other applications include specialized products for the Horizontal Directional Drilling and Mining industries.

Options offered in addition to our standard API products include:

• High Torque Connections

• Double Shoulder Connections

• Smooth and Super Smooth Hard Banding

• Drillpipe Internal Plastic Coating

• Extra Length Tool Joints

• Wall Tolerances to 95% Nominal

• Unique Sour Service Products

API and ISO Specification Strict adherence to established procedures combined with rigid inspection and documentation is management’s commitment to and our customers’ assurance of product quality.

Quality and Manufacturing Superior Drillpipe Manufacturing, Inc. drillpipe is manufactured as part of an integrated process of design, manufacturing, heat treatment and finishing. Our facilities are state of the art, with modern friction welding, upset forging, walking beam furnace heat treatment, EMI MAG particle and Ultrasonic Inspection, together with advanced process control systems.

Quality is a permanent commitment for which Superior Drillpipe Manufacturing, Inc. holds global API Q1 AND ISO /TS 29001 registration. All products are manufactured in accordance with customer specifications and the most demanding international standards.

All Superior Drillpipe Manufacturing, Inc. employees are fully trained and instructed in the importance of quality and we apply rigorous management systems in our operations. Quality control procedures include statistical process controls, daily process product audits and material traceability systems.