Oilfield Applications for Steel Pipe
In order to drill for oil, a well must first be created. This process begins by drilling a hole into the earth with a drilling rig. Welded steel pipe is often needed for drilling since other kinds of pipe are limited in how far they can be drilled. Unlike other materials, steel pipe can be manufactured specifically for the required application; specifications like steel pipe wall thickness, internal diameter, joint types, and linings and coatings can all be customized to suit any drilling project, making steel pipe a favored choice for oilfield drilling.
Oilfield Drilling Process
In order to drill the oil well, a drill bit cuts into the rock, either by compressive failure or by sheering off slices of rock as the bit turns. While the drill bit is cutting, drilling fluid (which is a mixture of water and clay) is pumped down inside of a steel drill pipe. This serves three main purposes: it cools the bit, lifts rock cuttings to the surface, and keeps the wellbore walls stable. The steel pipe that’s attached to the drill bit is gradually lengthened as the well gets deeper by screwing on additional sections of steel pipe (called joints) at the surface. The process of adding joints of steel pipe while drilling is called “tripping.” This entire process is facilitated by a drilling rig, which contains all the necessary equipment to circulate drilling fluid, turn the steel pipe and generate power.
Oilfield Steel Pipe Casings
Drilling a well cuts through rock formations and allows drillers to reach the oil reservoir below, but the raw sides of the well cannot support themselves. For this reason, casings made of steel pipe are set inside the drilled well to prevent the walls from collapsing.
To case a well, steel pipe is placed inside a recently drilled hole. Steel pipe casings are created in sections that are usually about 40 feet long. The sections are screwed together to form a single length of casing. Each end of the separate casing joints has male threads that are protected by a cap (called a thread protector) until the casings are ready to be combined. A collar made of steel pipe with female threads is used to connect two male joint ends together. In this way, the thread compound is used to ensure a tight seal for the casing. Steel pipe drill casings are connected one joint at a time onto the previous casing string that’s been installed inside the well. After the full steel pipe casing is assembled, but before cementing the well, a drill bit is inserted into the well and drilling fluid is circulated to remove any extra cuttings from the well. Finally, cement is pumped into the well and allowed to harden to fix the casing in place. Once the cement is fully hardened, the bottom of the well is drilled out and the process is complete.
Expanding the Oil Well
Once a section of well is cased, the well can be drilled deeper into potentially more unstable rock formations with a smaller drill bit. This smaller section will be drilled using the method above, and is cased with a smaller steel pipe casing. This process continues, using subsequently smaller and smaller steel pipe drill bits and steel pipe casings until the full well depth is reached.
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