Engineering Failure Analysis 11 (2004) 537545 www.elsevier.

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Stress distribution of oil tubing thread connection during make and break process
Guangjie Yuana,*, Zhenqiang Yaoa, Jianzeng Hanb, Qinghua Wangc
a

School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong university, Box 008 (class A0106091), Shanghai 200030, China b Baoshan Iron and Steel Limited Company, 201900, China c Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, Langfang 102801, China Received 29 September 2003; accepted 1 October 2003

Abstract The operations of make-up and break-out in oilelds have a strong impact on the service life of oil tubing thread connections. A series of full-scale tests were performed on samples of J55 1 73:03 5:51 mm API nonupset tubing thread connection. Forty foil gages were placed on the inner surface of the pin thread and the outer surface of the box thread along the axial and circumferential direction. Using XYQ3E type oil tubing hydraulic tongs that are used in oilelds and the DH5937 type dynamic strain testing system, the axial strain, hoop strain and shearing strain of the tubing connection were tested dynamically under the action of dierent make-up and break-out torque and velocity, and then the failure surfaces of the tubing thread were analyzed by SEM. Major factors, which aect thread gluing and the galling position of the tubing connection, were studied and their eects were summarized through analyzing the experimental data and results. The dynamic distribution of stress eld in the location where the thread connection exists are ascertained during the whole process of make-up and break-out. # 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Oil tubing; Threaded connections; Galling; Strain gauging; Stress distribution

1. Introduction The amount of oil tubing is only lower than that of casing among the oil country tubular goods (OCTG), and it plays an important role in oil development industry. The tubing thread connections need to be made up and broken out quite a few times when the oil tubing is used in oilelds. However, in recent years, thread gluing and thread o failure happens more and more frequently, which brings great economic loss to oil and gas elds [1]. So it is very necessary and signicant to research the failure problem of oil tubing.

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +86-021-629-33071; fax: +86-021-629-32610. E-mail address: yuanguangjie@sjtu.edu.cn (G. Yuan). 1350-6307/$ - see front matter # 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.engfailanal.2003.10.007

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According to the failure cases from oilelds, it is known that thread gluing and thread o failure happen on many kinds of tube including nonupset tubing, upset tubing, low grade, high grade, coupling copperizing, coupling phosphonation, and so on. Moreover, the failure position always focuses on the make-up end of the tubing. Sometimes the failure cases also happen even though the tubing quality completely meet API standard [1]. So the failure must be related to the operations of make-up and break-out. The magnitude, distribution and other mechanical properties of the stress eld between pin and box are very important parameters to analyze the causes of tubing thread gluing. The load, the stress and strain state of the casing have been researched in detail at home and abroad [2,3], however, the theory and experimental analysis of oil tubing is reported rarely. Though the casing and tubing both have taper screw threads, their stress and strain state are very dierent because they have unlike load state, geometry dimensions and other parameters [4,5]. Therefore, the general objective of this research is to investigate in depth the static and dynamic stress eld distribution of the J55 1 73:03 5:51 mm API nonupset tubing thread connection under dierent load conditions via experimental tests. These load conditions include make-up, break-out and tensile load. Material property tests were performed for the samples and thread measurement were conducted before and after the full-scale tests. The experimental data was analyzed, and the failure thread surfaces were also analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM).

2. Mechanical properties of grade J55 tubing material The mechanical properties of tubing material are an important input to investigating the failure problem of tubing thread connections. The experimental samples were manufactured from the pipe body of J55 tubing made at home and abroad. Tensile experiments were performed on the material test system. The typical curve of stress and strain for the J55 under tensile load is shown in Fig. 1. It shows the following characteristics: 1. All sorts of mechanical properties of the domestic and foreign tubing are in the range of API standard, and the limit of yielding  s is 430470 MPa, the ultimate strength  b is more than 700 MPa. That is to say the failure of the tubing thread connections is not because the material properties do not meet API standard. 2. The material has an obvious yielding segment, the minimum strain value of the segment is about 2000 me, and the maximum value is about 800010000 me. The equivalent yielding strain of the J55 grade tubing is about 27002900 me.

Fig. 1. The curve of stress and strain under tensile load.

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3. After the material enters into the strain hardening segment, and is unloaded to zero and then loaded again, a distinct hysteresis loop can be seen.

3. Experimental equipment and project 3.1. Experimental equipment The tubing hydraulic tongs. The experiment adopted the XYQ3E type hydraulic tong that is manufactured by Yancheng Teda Petroleum Machinery Limited Company and is applied widely in oil and gas elds. The hydraulic tong is shown in Fig. 2. Its torque capacity is 3 KN-m; its specied speed is 28 rpm; its rated operating pressure is 10 MPa; and its rated oil supply is 901 pm. Strain gauge. The DH5937 type dynamic stain gauge was applied in this experiment. Its sampling frequency is 100 Hz, the resistance of the foil gage is 120 O, and the sensitivity coecient is 2.08. At the same time, the YJ-25 type static strain gauge and the P20R-5 type presetting balance box were also used in this experiment. 3.2. Experimental project Experimental samples and foil gages. The specication of the sample is #1 73:03 5:51 mm J55 API 10-round nonupset long tubing thread connection. Foil gages were pasted on the outer surface of the pipe

Fig. 2. The photograph of the experiment equipment.

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Fig. 3. Sketch of the position of the foil gages on the surface of the pin and box. Remark: points 1115 tested the shearing strain and the other points tested the hoop strain and axial strain.

and the inner surface of the coupling along the axial and circumferential directions. The arrangement of the foil gages is shown in Fig. 3. Experimental approach. The experimental approach is divided into three phases as follows: (1) To measure the geometry parameters of the sample; (2) To paste foil gages, set line and adjust the balance of instruments; (3) According to the range of make-up torque recommended by API, it is known that the optimum torque of the 1 73:03 5:51 mm J55 tubing is 1423.6 N m, the minimum torque is 1071.1 N m, the maximum torque is 1776.1 N m [6]. So the scheme of loading is conrmed as follows:  The strain values of all points are determined by static testing method during the make-up and break-out process. The make-up torque is set as 1071.1 N-m rstly, and the testing value of all points is noted when the tubing thread is loaded by turns of 0.5, 0.625, 0.25, 0.125 and unloaded by turns of 0.25, 0.3, 0.6, 0.5.  The strain values of part points are measured by dynamic strain gauges during the make-up and break-out process, when the make-up torque and velocity are set as 1071.1 N m and 15 rpm, 1423.6 N m and 20 rpm, 1776.1 N m and 25 rpm, respectively. The GLM-913 special type thread grease is used during the make-up and break-out processes.

4. Analysis of the experimental results The tubing thread connection is made up and broken out four times during the whole experimental process. The thread surfaces have no failure after the thread connection is broken out two times. When the thread connection is broken out at the third time, there are some burrs and scratches on the surface of the rst thread from the head of the pin, furthermore, the rst and the 13th thread from the head of the box are polished on the whole circumference. After the thread connection is broken out the fourth time, the surface of the 1st 2nd and 13th 14th thread from the head of the pin have severe scratches and are peeled o, moreover, the rst and 14th threads from the head of the box experience galling failure. The outer surface of the coupling has a high temperature during each dynamic process of make-up and break-out.

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4.1. Analysis of the stress eld under the static load conditions The typical strain curves of tubing thread connections under the action of the minimum torque are shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The strain variation of the test point 16 is shown in Fig. 5 during the whole make-up and break-out process, and symbols 1 and 2 represent the axial strain and the hoop strain, respectively. Note the following: (1) The taper thread connections result in axial strain, hoop strain and shearing strain because interference is produced between pipe and coupling under the action of minimum torque. The values of the axial and hoop strain are the biggest on the surface of the rst and second threads of the box; The values of the shearing strain are quite large on the rst, second and ninth threads of the box. (2) The stress level of the inner surface of the pin is higher evidently than that of the outer surface of the box. The stress value on the head of the pin reaches 2600 me, close to the yield strength. The pipe contracts and elongates at the pipe thread head, and expands in diameter slightly at the pipe thread end.

Fig. 4. The strain curves of the coupling outer surface under the action of minimum torque.

Fig. 5. The strain curves of the pin during the whole makeup and breakout process.

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(3) The stress eld distribution of the thread connection has a saddle shape along the axial direction. However, it is uneven and irregular along the circumferential direction. The above-mentioned can explain eectively the reason that the two heads of the tubing thread connection easily-exhibit thread gluing failure in use in oil and gas elds. It is also known from the experimental data that the loading and unloading curves of the thread connection are not superposed clearly, and the unloading curve appears to lag. The tubing thread connection has partly entered into the elasticplastic state under the action of the make-up torque. The coupling expands in diameter and shortens in the axial direction under the common actions of the make-up torque and the clamping force of the hydraulic tongs. 4.2. Analysis of the stress eld under the dynamic loading and unloading conditions The dynamic strain variation of the tubing thread connection during the make-up and break-out processes is shown in Fig. 6 under the action of the optimum torque, and show the following. (1) Because the thermal strain is produced by the force of friction, the strain of the tubing thread connection rstly arrives at the biggest value and then falls back to a steady value during the makeup and break-out dynamic processes. The fallback amplitude is almost hundreds of microstrains. (2) The tubing thread connection has undergone plastic strain because the axial and hoop strain on the head of the pin increase rapidly to 8000 me, even higher than 10,000 me in some positions. The uncovered thread decreased when the tubing thread connection is made up again because of the

Fig. 6. The strain curve of the tubing thread connection under the action of the optimum torque. (a) The axial strain curve of the coupling outer surface. (b) The hoop strain curves of the coupling outer surfaces. (c) The axial strain curves of the pipe inner surface. (d) The hoop strain curves of the pipe inner surface.

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Fig. 7. The shearing strain curve of the outer surface of the coupling under the action of dierent torques.

severe plastic deformation on the inner surface of the pin, but the shrinkage amplitude also reduces with the make-up times increasing. The bearing force of the tubing thread connection is very complex and enters the elastic-plastic state, and the experimental results are evidently higher than the calculated results. (3) The engaged thread of the two ends of the pin and box is the dangerous zone where thread gluing and fracture can easily happen. The prime method of avoiding the failure is to eliminate the uneven strain and stress distribution of the tubing thread connection. In addition, the shearing strain distribution on the outer surface of the coupling is well-regulated under the action of the dierent make-up torque and velocity, moreover, the shearing strain increased gradually with the make-up torque and velocity, as shown in Fig. 7. However the hoop and axial strain does not compare well with the shearing strain. 4.3. SEM analysis on disabled tubing thread Analyzing the galling failure samples of the male and female pipe threads by SEM, some typical characteristics (furrow, transfer of material, smeared surface) of adhesive wear failure are observed on the tubing thread surfaces. The appearance of the damaged thread surfaces is shown in Fig. 8. The damage and deformation of the female pipe thread is less than the male pipe thread because the female threads are protected by the metal-coat. The anti-galling property of copper-plated thread is better than the thread. So the quality and species of metal-coating is an important factor to improve the anti-galling of the pipe thread. It is also very important to enhance the anti-galling performance of the tubing thread by improving the quality of thread machining and surface treatment.

5. Conclusions (1) The main factor for tubing thread gluing failure is the uneven distribution of contact stress on the pin and box and the rigidity of the thread surface. So the key measure to improve the anti-galling performance of the tubing thread is by improving the rigidity of the thread surface and decreasing the local stress concentration.

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Fig. 8. SEM photo of tubing thread failure specimens.

(2) The make-up and break-out torque and velocity impact on the stress eld distribution of the tubing thread connection during the makeup and breakout processes. It is an important measure to improve the performance of the thread connection by designing tubing hydraulic tongs that can adjust eectively the make-up torque and velocity. (3) The friction heat accelerates tubing thread gluing and fracture during the makeup and breakout processes. It is very important to investigate the distribution of the thermal stress eld in order to decrease the chance of the thread failure. Acknowledgements The authors thank Baoshan Iron and Steel Limited Company and Drilling and Technology Research Institute of ShengLi Oileld for their support to this research. The authors also thank Professor Lin Yuanhua and Dr. Wang Li for their many helpful comments and suggestions in doing experiment.

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