Do you have absolutely no idea what oil country tubular goods are? Don’t worry! These products are actually fairly niche items that only members of the oil industry can speak about with great information. Even so, oil country tubular goods affect most of us on a daily basis, as they help with the drilling of oil that literally runs our country in so many ways. Keep reading for some more information on these goods and what exactly they do.
Definition
Oil country tubular goods, also known as OCTG, are a family of seamless rolled products that are subjected to loading conditions according to their specific application and are used in the petroleum industry. There are three main types: drill pipe, casing pipe, and tubing. All of these products are corrosion resistant, which is extremely important, as they run under the water on offshore oil rigs.
Drill Pipe
Drill pipe is a seamless, heavy tube that rotates the drill bit and circulates drilling fluid. It is used to facilitate the drilling of a well bore, which can be up to forty-five feet long. They are hollow, which allows the drilling fluid to be pumped through them. They are designed to transfer drilling torques for lengths that can exceed one mile into the earth’s crust, so they’re very expensive products. Owners take great lengths to try and reuse them after finishing a well.
Casing Pipe
Casing pipe, often known as encasement pipe, is used most commonly in underground construction, hence its usefulness in offshore oil rigs. It lines the bore hole and is subject to axial tension by is dead weight, as well as external pressure by surrounding rock formations and internal pressure by fluid purging. The greatest pressure on these pipes, however, comes from the pumped oil or gas emulsion.
Tubing
Tubing is essentially pipe that the oil or gas is transported through to the well bore. They’re usually pretty long (around thirty feet) and are self-contained into almost a closed system, since the tube is continuous. As previously mentioned, this tubing is extremely corrosion resistant, making it ideal for the conditions in which it is used.
