KELLY BUSHING

Kelly bushing is that elevated device positioned right on top of the rotary table and used to
transmit torque from the rotary table to the kelly. The kelly bushing is designed to be the
connection between the rotary table and the kelly. The kelly is a 4 or 6 sided steel pip

The purpose of the rotary table is to generate the rotary action (torque) and power
necessary to rotate the drillstring and drill a well. The torque generated by the rotary table is
useless if it is not transferred to the kelly (the drillstring is connected to the kelly).

Hence, through the kelly bushing the torque generated at the rotary table is transferred to
the kelly. To achieve this connection, the inside profile of the kelly bushing matches the outer
profile of the kelly so that the kelly fits or “sits” comfortably in the kelly bushing.

There are various designs for the kelly bushing including the split type, the pin-drive type
and the square-drive type. Each of these designs has different ways in which they are connected
and disconnected from the rotary table.

The internal diameter of the kelly bushing can be cut into the shape of a square (4-sided) or
a hexagon (6-sided) depending on the outer shape of the kelly that will be used. The internals of
a Kelly bushing is designed to resemble the outer shape of a Kelly just like the insides of a key
lock is cut to exactly match the outer shape of the key.

The kelly bushing is not designed to hold tightly onto the Kelly; the kelly is still permitted
to move up and down through the kelly bushing. This requirement is a must since drilling cannot
progress if the kelly remains on a fixed spot. As the well is drilled deeper, the kelly also moves
downward through the Kelly bushing