Click on the links below to access articles from our Drill Rod Safety Series.

Part 1: Manufacture and mechanical properties of drill rod materials

Since all downhole tools are manufactured from tubular steel, it is necessary that we all have a good appreciation of the mechanical properties, design parameters, modes of failure and therefore the limitations of commonly used tubular steel products.

This is the first in a series of three articles in which some of the more important issues involved in the design, manufacture and use and abuse of drill rods will be outlined. It is not intended that these articles be an exercise in mathematics or physics, but discussion of some mechanical concepts is unavoidable – I will try to keep the discussions as simple as possible.

To a large extent, I use diamond drill rod to illustrate several the principles of design, but the principles discussed can be applied to all drill rods and drillpipe used in all methods of drilling.

Part 2: Depth rating of drill rods and thread design

In Part 1 of this series, we examined how seamless steel tubing is manufactured as well as its mechanical properties. This is Part 2 of the Drill Rod Safety Series and these articles examine  the depth limitations of drill rods and the characteristics of different types of threads used on drill rods and drill pipe.

Part 3: Causes of drill rod failure

In the third part of this series we examine a very important aspect of a drilling operation - the failure of drill rods or drillpipe.