Drilling Engineering Fall 2012

Drilling Engineering PE311

Rotary System

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Drilling Engineering Fall 2012

Introduction to Rotary System

The main parts of the rotary system (or the drill string)
are:
1. Swivel
2. Kelley
3. Rotary table
4. Drillpipe
5. Drill collars
6. Heavy wall drill pipe
7. Stabilizer
8. Rotary reamers
Note: the bottomhole assembly (BHA) is that portion of
the drill string between the drill pipe and the drill bit.

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Drilling Engineering Fall 2012

Introduction to Rotary System

The rotary system is the heart of the rotary drilling rig; its function involves
transmitting rotating function to the drillstring and consequently the bit.

As the drill string moves downhole, it is subjected to a variety of stresses, including

tension, compression, vibration, torsion, friction, formation pressure and circulating
fluid pressure. It is also exposed to abrasive solids and corrosive fluids.

The drill string not only must be sturdy enough to withstand this hostile
environment, but it must be lightweight and manageable enough to be efficiently
handled within the limits of the rig's hoisting system. At the same time, it must:
provide weight to the bit; allow control over wellbore deviation; and help ensure
that the hole stays "in gauge".

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Drilling Engineering Fall 2012

Swivel
The rotary swivel connects the circulating

system to the rotary system while providing a

fluid seal that must absorb rotational wear while

holding pressure. The swivel is hung under the

traveling block and directly above the Kelley. It

provides the ability for the Kelly to rotate while

the traveling block to remain in a stationary

rotational position while simultaneously allowing

the introduction of drilling fluid into the drill

string.

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Drilling Engineering Fall 2012

Kelley
The Kelley is of square or hexagonal cross-

section that screws into the drillstring while

providing a flat surface for applying torque to

rotate the pipe. The main function of a kelly is to

transfer energy from the rotary table to the rest

of the drill string.

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Drilling Engineering Fall 2012

Drillpipe
The longest portion of the drill string consists of

connected lengths of drill pipe. The primary

purposes of drill pipe are to provide length to the

drill string and transmit rotational energy from

the Kelly to the bottomhole assembly and the

drill bit. The drillpipe connects the rig surface

equipment with the bottomhole assembly and

the bit, both to pump drilling fluid to the bit and to

be able to raise, lower and rotate the bottomhole

assembly and bit.

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Drilling Engineering Fall 2012

Drillpipe
Hole size, well depth, casing and cementing requirements, subsurface pressures,
circulating system and drilling mud parameters, hoisting capacity, pipe availability and
contract provisions are among the factors that influence drill pipe selection.

The American Petroleum Institute has established standards for drill pipe
manufacturing practices, dimensions, strengths and performance properties. These
standards appear in the following publications:

API Spec 5D: This American Petroleum Institute (API) specification covers seamless
steel drill pipe used in the oil and gas industry

API Bul 5C2, Bulletin on Performance Properties of Casing, Tubing and Drill Pipe;

API-standard drill pipe is available in three length ranges: Range 1(18-22 ft), Range 2
(27-30 ft) and Range 3 (38-45 ft). Range 2 is the length most commonly used, making
the "average" length of a drill pipe joint about 30 feet.

Prepared by: Tan Nguyen

Drilling Engineering Fall 2012

Drillpipe

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Drilling Engineering Fall 2012

Drill Collar

The drill collars provide weight and

stability to the drill bit, maintain tension
on the drill pipe and help keep the hole
on a straight course. Drill collars are
thick-walled tubular pieces machined
from solid bars of steel. The bars of
steel are drilled from end to end to
provide a passage to pumping drilling
fluids through the collars.

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Drilling Engineering Fall 2012

Drill Collar

To accurately control the amount of force applied to the bit, the driller carefully
monitors the surface weight measured while the bit is just off the bottom of the
wellbore. Next, the drillstring (and the drill bit), is slowly and carefully lowered until
it touches bottom. After that point, as the driller continues to lower the top of the
drillstring, more and more weight is applied to the bit, and correspondingly less
weight is measured as hanging at the surface.

Downhole MWD sensors measure weight-on-bit more accurately and transmit the
data to the surface.

Prepared by: Tan Nguyen

Drilling Engineering Fall 2012

Drill Collar

To avoid fatigue failures, the drill

pipe and uppermost drill collars need
to be kept in tension at all times.
Tension can be maintained by
running an adequate number of
collars in the bottomhole assembly
to ensure that the neutral point (that
is, the point below which the drill
string is in compression, and above
which it is in tension) will always be
below the drill pipe

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Drilling Engineering Fall 2012

Heavy Wall Drill Pipe

Serves as an intermediate-weight drill string member between the drill pipe and
the much heavier drill collars, thereby reducing fatigue failures, providing
additional hole stability and aiding in directional control.

The most important drill string application for heavy wall drill pipe is in the so-
called zone of destruction the area above the topmost drill collars where drill
pipe fatigue failure is most likely to occur. To reduce fatigue failures in this area of
the borehole, 18 to 21 joints of heavy wall drill pipe should be run above the drill
collars. This provides a gradual change in stiffness between drill collars and drill
pipe. Also, the ability of the heavy wall drill pipe to bend (unlike drill collars) serves
to relieve high stresses at the connections.

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Drilling Engineering Fall 2012

Heavy Wall Drill Pipe

Heavy wall drill pipe was first used in directional drilling, which generally requires
flexibility in the drill string. It is now widely used in vertical and horizontal drilling as
well. With less wall contact than would be experienced with drill collars, its usage
reduces torque and wall-sticking tendencies. Its smaller degree of wall contact,
together with its greater stiffness relative to regular drill pipe, results in increased
stability and better directional control. Heavy wall drill pipe is also useful in
reducing hook loads, making it ideal for smaller rigs drilling deeper holes.

Prepared by: Tan Nguyen

Drilling Engineering Fall 2012

Stabilizer

Centralize the drill collars, help maintain the hole at full-

gauge diameter and aid in directional control. Stabilizers,
by centralizing the drill string at selected points in the
borehole, can be used to:

Ensure that the weight of the drill collars is concentrated

on the bit;

Reduce torque and bending stresses in the drill string;

Prevent wall-sticking or key-seating of the drill collars;

Maintain constant bit direction in straight-hole drilling.

Prepared by: Tan Nguyen

Drilling Engineering Fall 2012

Reamer
The Rotary Reamer is designed for various reams in drilling operation. In very hard
formations, the outside cutting structure of a bit gradually wears away if it is not
protected. This results in a hole diameter that becomes smaller with increasing depth
When a hole is severely undergauge, it is necessary to ream each new bit back to
bottom before drilling can resume. This not only costs rig time and reduces bit life, but it
increases the possibility of sticking the drill string.
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Prepared by: Tan Nguyen