Engineering

We can provide expert evaluation of Torque & Drag loads with Hydraulics calculations, as well as looking at the current rig inventory to determine the optimum drill string design for performance and failure prevention. This will also include rental equipment considerations, if deemed necessary. Some of the considerations we typically evaluate are:

• Torque and drag modeling using our proprietary and customizable software
• Evaluation of results against standardized design criteria
• Drill string connection analyses (MUT recommendations to avoid downhole makeup)
• Drill pipe combined load analysis for torque and tension
• Drill pipe buckling evaluation and recommendations to prevent damage from buckled drill pipe
• Side load evaluation and casing wear analysis

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We will provide recommendations for drill collars and subs which are aimed at eliminating BHA failures. This analysis takes a more in-depth look at the mechanical structure and integrity of the BHA design. Considerations include (but are not limited to):

• Bit weights required to drill anticipated formations
• Wellbore geometry
• Stiffness ratios (SR)
• Bending strength ratios (BSR) and Connection Fatigue Index (CFI) indicators
• Connection selection and recommended MUTs
• Stability Index™ (SI)
• Buckling Design Factor

CFat services are based on the innovative fatigue design approach we developed for the Third Edition of Standard DS-1®, which uses fatigue damage accumulated in drill pipe to evaluate designs, inspections, and drill pipe rotation schedules.  CFat can be used in three distinct ways:

• Planning – Design optimization and drill string inspection scheduling
• Real-time – Monitor accumulated fatigue in the drill pipe during operations
• Hindcast Failure Analysis – Examine operational data to determine the cause of failure

We have used all facets of CFat for multiple operators worldwide to help manage the fatigue damage that accumulates in the drill string.  By having a better understanding of how this fatigue damage is accumulated, and by developing a quantitative means to measure fatigue, we have developed an application that assists in drill pipe inspection scheduling. With this method, inspection scheduling does not need to be based on hours and/or depth, but can be based on actual drilling conditions, operating parameters, and design constraints.

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We provide recommendations for critical landing string configurations sufficient to land all casing / liner strings in the wellbore. Slip crushing analysis of all drill pipe in the landing string design will be conducted to evaluate the slip crush load factor for available slip options, and alternative slip recommendations will be provided as necessary. Finally, once the landing string design and slip selection is finalized, we will review each component in the landing string to ensure it is fit for purpose. Considerations on these analyses typically include:

• Current rig drill pipe inventory
• Preferred rental company drill pipe inventory
• Predicted tensile loads
• Required pipe sizes/grades, minimum wall thickness, and footage
• Slip crushing analyses (including primary / backup slip recommendations)
• Overpull analyses (tubes and connections)
• Drag modeling for tensile loads of heavy landing strings or complex wellbores
• Connection selection and attributes (including MUT recommendations and tensile capacities)
• Landing string components in-depth qualification review (inspection reports, material test reports, and traceability)
• Landing string components compatibility review
• Mechanical design analyses of landing string components as needed
• Heave-induced dynamic load analysis (based on rig’s RAO data)

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Figure: Example excerpt from a landing string qualification review – one page deployment sheet that can be referenced on the rig for validating equipment serial numbers and MUTs.

BV/T H Hill has performed well over 1,000 failure analyses in the last 30 years which has contributed to our corporate knowledge on failures and how to prevent them. As industry leaders in engineering and quality assurance services, we will not only find the root cause of a failure, but we will also give practical recommendations on how to avoid similar failures in the future.

Our metallurgical failure analysis work extends past the oil and gas industry and can be applied in many other industries as well. Some additional industries include power and energy generation, mining, rigging and hoisting, construction, agricultural, and many others that utilize metal tools, equipment, and machinery. We are able to offer this service outside of oil and gas by building off our extensive history and experience evaluating fracture surfaces and material properties.   

A typical metallurgical failure analysis scope will include at least the following steps:

• Documenting the As-Received Condition
• Initial Visual and Dimensional Evaluation
• Non-Destructive Examination (NDE)
• Fracture Surface Evaluation (macrographic and micrographic)
• Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)
• Chemical Composition Analysis
• Mechanical Testing
• Optical Metallography
• Corrosion Testing (if necessary)

We have the ability to perform metallurgical failure analyses across the globe, in the following regions:

• Houston, TX, USA
• Xian, China
• Perth, Australia
• Singapore
• Bogota, Columbia
• Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Bangkok, Thailand
• Abu Dhabi, UAE

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The first step in addressing a failure is determining why it occurred. The root cause of a failure may be simple and established by traditional metallurgical and material testing. Or it may be complex and involve a detailed analysis of operating loads and design, and their resulting impact at the string or tool level. To arrive at the correct and complete answer, you need to approach the problem with the proper set of skills. T H Hill has written industry standards for manufacturing, design & operation, and inspection of drill strings to define the optimal properties, criteria, and processes for reducing the risk of downhole failure. This experience, when coupled with our engineering expertise, gives us a unique perspective on evaluation of string or tool failures.

Our Operational Failure Analysis takes an in-depth look at the digital time and depth-based data to understand the conditions that occurred before, during, and after the failure. From this review, we create a sequence and timeline of events of the failure. We then analyze the data, develop models and calculations to evaluate different scenarios that could have led to the failure. Some of the issues we commonly look for are overload (tensile, torsional, bending, or combined), buckling, dynamic loads, detrimental drilling events, vibrations, and fatigue. By using the data to tell us the story of what the failed component was subjected to in the well, we can help identify the root cause of the failure. By leveraging our expertise in drill string design and previous failure investigations, we can then make direct recommendations on how to prevent the failure from occurring again.

Deeper water. Higher temperatures and pressures. Greater well depths. Critical drilling operations push the limits of available equipment which places you closer to the edge of structural failure. With more than 80 technical papers and articles, six global standards, and numerous technological innovations to our credit, we have demonstrated our commitment to advancing industry design and standardization approaches.

We can build off our expertise of developing the international Standard DS-1® to help our clients create customized internal standards and quality plans. By working directly with our clients to help identify holes and gaps in their operations, we can tailor quality standards and plans to cover those gaps and provide a clearly documented and standardized way to operate. Developing this level of process control in manufacturing, inspection, assembly, testing, and operating of equipment has proven to be incredibly effective in greatly reducing the number of quality-based failures for many of our clients. 

When new strings of drill pipe or OCTG are manufactured, there are many variables that the purchaser or end-user has to evaluate and control with the mill that is producing the tubulars. Most of these variables are addressed in a manufacturing quality plan that has been established for the production order. However, the quality plan steps are executed by the tubular mill with very little–sometimes no—oversight from the purchaser or end-user, potentially introducing significant risk to the quality of the manufactured product.

When a tubular order is being manufactured to a specific quality plan, our engineers act as a representative for the purchaser or end-user and work closely with the manufacturer up front to explain the specifications and ensure complete understanding of the plan requirements. We can then witness the manufacturing process to ensure adherence to the plan specifications, providing regular reports to the client to keep them apprised of progress and resolve any problems that may arise before the problems become larger or more costly.