Drilling Efficiency - 11 Seconds at a Time

摘要

Grant Prideco engineers figured out how to cut make-up time in rotary-shouldered connections by 50%. How do you save time? One way is to eliminate a large time-consuming step in a process. But another way, far less obvious, is to make an incremental improvement in the time it takes to perform a repetitive task. That's the path Grant Prideco engineers chose when they set out to develop what is known today as the TurboTorque line of drill pipe connections. After considering global drilling trends that showed deeper wells, even longer extended reach wells and wells in high-profile areas with record drilling rig spread rates, the engineers placed a high priority on designing a new connector that makes-up and breaks-out more efficiently than competing designs. But they also realized faster isn't the only objective, even in high-cost drilling areas. So Grant Prideco engineers set some other equally important goals, including increased torque capacity, optimized hydraulics, improved clearance for better hole cleaning and fishability reduced failure risk and extended life.