Siti Nur Rabiatul Adawiah Binti Abd Rasid 18002459

1. Explain the following DP failures.

1.1 Notch Fatigue

A notch or also known as pit can be referred as stress concentrators or stress risers. As
shown in figure below, a notch is a defect or deep scratch on the surface of the drill pipe,
which may lead to a significant impact on the fatigue limit of the drill pipe. This defect may
intensify the stresses faced during drilling and hastens the fatigue of the drill pipe.

Some types of steel are more susceptible to notches than others; brittle steel that has been
notched fails more quickly than ductile steel. The tong marks and slip marks, cuts,
scratches, spinning chain marks and scratches, stencil markings, hammer marks, and
downhole notching caused by formation and junk cuts are some of the surface dents and
scratches that can eventually lead to notch fatigue or drill pipe failure.

The location of the notch or pitch on the drill pipe dictates how much it will influence the
pipe’s fatigue limit. A notch has little impact if it is on a section of drill pipe that is not
under stress, while if it were to take place in a section that is under stress such as location
where maximum bending occurs, it may serves as a focal point of an early fatigue break.
The pipe may develop a crack over time as a result of the constant stress at the notch, which
may ultimately result in pipe failure.

The two types of notch fatigue include:

i. V-shaped notches
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ii. Longitudinal notches

In longitudinal notches, the circular indentation in the centre will distribute the stress hence be
reasonably benign or harmless, however, in V-shaped notches, the sharp edges may act as a
stress riser and cause pipe failure. To mitigate possible catastrophes and significant downtime,
it is essential for the drilling operator to remain vigilant on the drill pipe's integrity and replace
it before it causes failures.
Siti Nur Rabiatul Adawiah Binti Abd Rasid 18002459

1.2 Cyclic Bending

Essentially, the drill string failures arises by fatigue which develops from cumulative and non-
reversible condition induced by repetitive cyclic bending loads and tensile or buckled drill pipe
stresses. Cyclic bending is caused by dynamic loads from drillstring vibrations and bending-
load reversals in curved sections of hole and doglegs caused by rotation.

In a straight hole drilling, rotating the drill string usually kept the drill pipe under its fatigue
limit. However, in doglegs and deviated holes, drill pipe is susceptible to cyclical pressures of
tension, compression, and torsion. In actuality, fatigue-related failures in a hole that changes
direction are the main contributing reason. In directional wells, the pipe is subjected to alternate
cycles of bending, or compression and tension, by simultaneously rotating and bending it in a
curved hole. As in figure below, at each rotation, the side of pipe that was under compression
is put under tension, while the side of the pipe that was under tension is put under compression.

The S-N curve defines the relationship between the cyclic bending stress and the rotating cycle
before fatigue failure.
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The graph concludes that,

i. When the cyclic or alternating bending stress is below the fatigue endurance limit,
no fatigue damage would occur, and drill pipe can theoretically rotate infinitely.
ii. If the cyclic or alternating bending stress exceeds the fatigue endurance limit, drill-
pipe fatigue damage occurs, and the drill pipe can only rotate a limited time before
total fatigue failure.
iii. The greater the cyclic bending stress than the fatigue endurance limit, the smaller
the cyclic or rotating number that the drill pipe can stand before the fatigue failure.

1.3 Corrosion
Corrosion may occur when metal reacts with another substance such as oxygen, hydrogen or
bacteria. Corrosion can also occur when the metals are subjected to excessive pressure or stress
which may leads to crack on the drill pipe. In drilling, corrosion can develop in drill pipe
failures owing to the pipes being exposed to extreme drilling environments such as high
temperatures, pressures, and the presence of corrosive fluids. Drill stem failures are frequently
caused by corrosion fatigue, or metal breakdown caused by an aggressive and corrosive
environment. Usually, when using water-based drilling fluid, corrosion is most likely to occur.
This is due to the main corrosive agents in water-based drilling fluid which are dissolved gases
such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulphide, as well as dissolved salts and acids.

Corrosion may occur in various forms such as uniform or general attack, pitting or localized
attack. It can also interact with other drill pipe failures such as notch failures, erosion or
 Siti Nur Rabiatul Adawiah Binti Abd Rasid 18002459

abrasive wear and induce significant deterioration. Uniform corrosion is when the pipe
corrodes evenly hence generates a coating at the pipe surfaces, whereas the pitting corrosion
occurs at a small area which causing pits to form. Pits can be the genesis of fatigue cracks that
lead to washouts. A washout is a small opening in the pipe caused by a fatigue crack cracking
the pipe wall and allowing drilling fluid to flow through it.

Unlike cyclic bending, in corrosion fatigue, there are no fatigue limit as failure will ultimately
occur from corrosion, even in the absence of cyclic stress. Even in slightly corrosive settings
with little or no visible corrosion, the endurance limit, or fatigue threshold, will always be
lower in a corrosive environment. Some of the factors that may affect corrosion rates are pH,
temperature, velocity, heterogeneity and high stresses.

2. Identify 4 methods to properly handle the Drill Pipe

1. Proper drill string handling

- One of the most important aspects is proper drill string handling when moving
from shore to offshore or onshore drilling rig to avoid damages.
- Proper lifting technologies such as slings and cranes should be used when moving
the drill pipes.
2. Conduct regular pipeline inspection
- Drill pipes are inspected and replaced on a regular basis to ensure their integrity.
The extreme conditions of the oil rig environment, as well as elemental variables,
will have an affect on the pipes, resulting in corroded surfaces and deformation.
- Inspection should be done before and after each usage and during storage.
3. Usage of pipe thread protection
- To prevent deterioration of the metal threads, thread protectors are placed to the
pipe's ends. Elemental corrosion, rough handling, and metal-to-metal contact
while in transit all have the potential to cause damage. OCTG thread protections
help ensure no foreign object inadvertently enters the pipe. Maintaining the safety
of drill pipes is crucial to maintaining smooth operations.
4. Personnel training
- Proper handling of drill pipe necessitates skilled personnel to carry out the
handling, maintenance, and inspection of the drill pipe. This is crucial for safety
and to extend the life of the drill pipe.
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3. Select 1 SPE paper that is related to drill string problem and summarized
the case study.
Title: Drill Pipe Stress and Cumulative Fatigue Analysis in Complex Wells Drilling: New
Approach in Fatigue Optimization.

Many drill pipe failure assessments have revealed that fatigue is to accountable for the vast
majority of drillstring failures. Fatigue is a non-reversible and cumulative condition caused by
repeated cyclic bending loads and stresses in tensile or buckling drill pipe. Fatigue occurs even
when the cyclic load is substantially lower than the drillpipe material's static strength limit. The
Cumulative Fatigue Damage model (CFD), proposed by Hansford and Lubinski in API RP7G1,
is commonly used for fatigue prediction. Based on S-N curves, damage accumulation rules,
and a failure criterion, this model can predict the life of a drill pipe. It does, however,
necessitate the computation of drill pipe stress in the wellbore. Lubinski calculated bending
stress for rotatable drill pipe subjected to tension first, and Paslay recommended improving by
examining the case of compression. The Lubinski/Paslay model is based on strong beliefs about
drill pipe-wellbore contact and assumes the axial load is known.

The purpose of this work is to discuss a novel method for calculating bending stress in
drillpipes. This methodology enables the implementation of the API RP7G Cumulative Fatigue
Damage model in an advanced torque/drag and buckling model, allowing tracking of any given
drill pipe while drilling.

To prevent fatigue, many sorts of inspections can be performed to discover cracks and fissures
on the interior and external surfaces of the drillpipe body before they propagate as macroscopic
cracks. Visual, ultrasonic, and electromagnetic inspection methods are commonly used. These
inspections, however, have some downsides. As a result, numerous strategies have been
developed to mitigate the consequences of these restrictions, based on the two primary
approaches of fracture mechanics theory and cumulative fatigue damage model.

Lubinksy's approach to calculating bending stress while drilling may result in an incorrect
calculation of fatigue damage, owing to an improper estimation of drill pipe bending. The
approach proposed by Lubinski/Paslay to calculate the stress applied on drill pipe, performed
in a given dogleg, is based on strong assumptions regarding the contact between drill pipe and
wellbore. The following are the primary limitations:

- The actual axial load applied on drill pipe varies significantly along the drillstring
due to the wellbore geometry.
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- The locations of contact between drill pipe and wellbore are often unknown.
- The approach predetermines the maximal stress position. Furthermore, the stress
distribution within a drill pipe can vary dramatically based on the position of the
drill pipe along the drillstring, dog legs, and wellbore architecture.
- The actual drilling operational parameters are not considered.
- Pipe curvature is similar to wellbore curvature; a wrong assumption.

These model flaws, along with strong assumptions, mostly related to stress computation, render
this approach inadequate for the complexity of today's wells. Furthermore, this model is
incapable of calculating the stress distribution within drill pipe, that is, from the tool-joint to
the middle of the pipe body via the transition zone. The new approach provided in this paper
fills these gaps, allowing for improved drill pipe fatigue knowledge and calculation.

The author's novel approach is based on an enhanced model that calculates all stresses along
the drillstring with no assumptions about drill pipe-wellbore contact. As a result, this model
allows for a more accurate estimation of the bending stress applied to drill pipe.

The new approach was used on three case studies in this research to demonstrate the impact
of wellbore shape and drill pipe position along the drillstring on cumulative fatigue damage
and stress distribution.

The following conclusions can be drawn from the analyses of these three case studies:

- The Lubinski/Paslay model may underestimate the bending stress in drill pipe,
resulting in an overestimation of drill pipe life, all else being equal.
- Making strong assumptions about drill pipe curvature or contact with the wellbore
may result in an inaccurate evaluation of drill pipe bending stress.
- A numerical model can be used to assess the stresses all along the drill pipe, allowing
the critical zones of the drill pipe to be determined.
- Well path tortuosity affects drill pipe life length significantly and should be
considered when estimating fatigue damage accumulation.