Drill Pipes
Drill pipes are steel hollows that serve as conduit for drilling fluids. They usually range between 3.5 inch to 5 inches in diameter while their length can go up to 30 or 33 feet.
The drill pipe altogether with the bottom-hole assembly (drill collars, stabilizers, jars, reamers, shock subs-bit, and bit sub) and heavyweight drill pipe (HWDP) form the drill string, a system that connects the drilling bit to the drilling rig. During the drilling process, drill pipes (joined by tool joints) are added to allow the drill string to reach the bottom of the wellbore.
How is it important to us?
It is important to provide enough protection to the drill pipes to withstand corrosion, stresses, pressures and high/low temperatures during the drilling process. In addition, because of their length, drill pipes need to be relatively flexible and the joints strong enough to support the drill string weight.
Other components of the drill string work along with the drill pipes to increase the effectiveness of the drilling process: drill collars, for example, maintain tension on the drill pipe. They also provide weight to the drill bit and stabilize the bit as it rotates.
Heavy wall drill pipe provides a smooth transition between the drill pipes and the drill collars in addition to preventing drill pipe fatigue failures. According to some field tests and research, aluminum drill pipes would allow oil and gas companies to drill deeper and would also lower the weight of their drill string.
