US20110315261A1

US20110315261A1 - Labeled drill pipe

Info

Publication number: US20110315261A1
Application number: US12/801,734
Authority: US
Inventors: Jay B. Coleman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-06-23
Filing date: 2010-06-23
Publication date: 2011-12-29

Abstract

A drill pipe including a tube having opposite ends. An internally threaded connector is provided at one of the opposite ends of the tube. An externally threaded connector is provided at the other one of the opposite ends of the tube. The externally threaded connector is adapted to mate with the internally threaded connector on a second drill pipe. A bar code is etched into either the tube, the internally threaded connector, or the externally threaded connector.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to card, picture, and sign exhibiting and, more particularly, to checks, labels and tags carried on cylindrical objects.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Rotary drilling is the act of making a hole in the earth through which hydrocarbons can be produced if encountered in commercial quantities. During rotary drilling, a weighted bit is fastened to, and rotated by, a drill string, comprising drill pipe and drill collars, with new sections or joints being added as drilling progresses. The cuttings are lifted from the hole by a drilling fluid which is pumped down the inside of the drill string, through nozzles in the bit, and upward through the annular space between the drill string and the wall of the hole. At the surface, the returning drilling fluid is passed through a series of tanks or pits within which cuttings are separated and fluid treatments are accomplished. The drilling fluid is drawn from the last of the pits to repeat the cycle.
The drill pipe must be removed from the hole in order to replace the bit or to place the hole in condition to produce hydrocarbons if they are found. The pipe is pulled in stands of two to four joints each. When the drilling of a hole is finished, the pipe joints are separated from one another and transported to a new drilling location. If drilling is not scheduled to commence at another location, the pipe joints are often set in racks at a storage depot for convenient access when needed.
Oilfield drillers have had great difficulties tracking drill pipe while it is in transport and storage. Joints of pipe having a given diameter and tool joint type look substantially identical to one another even though their histories of manufacture and use are very different. Thus, old, heavily used, and failure-prone drill pipe can be confused with newer, trouble-free drill pipe. Mix-ups can be catastrophic, potentially resulting in a loss of: human life, drilling equipment, and productive oil and gas wells.
Efforts have been made to mark drill pipe so that it can be more easily tracked. Perhaps the earliest technique tried involved stamping drill pipe with unique numbers and other indicia. Stamping is simply and easily accomplished by driving a die against a drill pipe with a great force such as that resulting from the blow of a hammer. Unfortunately, such blows create small, local fractures in the drill pipe. These fractures define weak spots in the drill pipe that can cause it to eventually fail.
Others tried marking drill pipe with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. The RFID tags were small; flat; resistant to shocks, moisture and dirt; and were adhesively attached to the drill pipe. These tags possessed a read only memory for data storage and an antenna for broadcasting stored data. The tags were powered and read by inductive coupling. Inductive coupling utilizes a coil element that is energized by a coded RF signal from a tag reader to provide power to the tag circuitry. The tag coil modulates and reflects the incident RF carrier signal back to the tag reader to transfer stored data from the tag to the tag reader, which receives and decodes the data. Read ranges were generally on the order of several inches.
In use, the RFID tags communicated with a tag-reading device to convey an identification number to a computer that used the identification number to access specified files in its digital memory. Once accessed, the files could be manipulated and displayed to provide the history of the drill pipe. Additionally, the files could be updated with additional, historical data about the drill pipe. While the marking of drill pipe with RFID tags avoided the cracking problem caused by stamping, the tags tended to fall off and become lost during rotary drilling operations. Thus, RFID-tagged drill pipe was not widely accepted by oilfield drillers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In light of the problems associated with placing identifiers on drill pipe in the past, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a drill pipe with at least one, engraved, bar code label. The bar code label would typically display an alphanumeric code that would allow the associated drill pipe to be tracked for purposes of theft prevention and inventory control. Additional information associated with the: manufacture, maintenance, storage, and use of the labeled drill pipe can be stored in the computer databases and retrieved with the alphanumeric code. The databases associated with a particular alphanumeric code can also be updated when desired.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a drill pipe with a label that is likely to last for the life of the drill pipe. The label cannot fall off of the drill pipe and is positioned in such a way as to minimize wear and degradation thereof. The label can comprise: a trademark, a logo, a serial number, an alphanumeric code, and any other sort of indicia identifying the source of the drill pipe or quality of the drill pipe.
It is another object of the invention to provide a labeled drill pipe of the type described that is undamaged by the labeling process thus retaining its inherent corrosion-resistance, strength and durability. Thus, the labeled drill pipe is expected to have a lengthy service life.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved features and arrangements thereof in a labeled drill pipe for the purposes described that is robust in construction, reasonably inexpensive to manufacture, and fully dependable in use.
Briefly, my drill pipe achieves the intended objects by featuring a tube having opposite ends. An internally threaded connector is provided at one of the opposite ends of the tube. An externally threaded connector is provided at the other one of the opposite ends of the tube. The externally threaded connector is adapted to mate with the internally threaded connector on a second drill pipe. A bar code is etched into either the tube, the internally threaded connector, or the externally threaded connector.
The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of my labeled drill pipe will become readily apparent upon further review of the following detailed description of the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

My labeled drill pipe can be more readily understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of my labeled drill pipe with portions broken away to reveal details thereof.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the encircled area, designated “2”, in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, vertical, cross-sectional view of the male tool joint of the labeled drill pipe of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the male tool joint and tube of an alternative embodiment of my labeled drill pipe.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the FIGS., a drill pipe constructed in accordance with my invention is shown at 10. The drill pipe 10 is a hollow, cylindrical, seamless tube 12 having a pair of connectors or tool joints 14 and 16 affixed to its opposite ends. The drill pipe 10 is labeled with a bar code 18 applied to the tool joint 16. The bar code 18 is unique to the drill pipe 10 and is used to identify the drill pipe 10 throughout its life.
The tube 12, and hence the drill pipe 10, is specified by its outside diameter, weight per foot, steel grade, and length. These parameters are a matter of design choice (and can vary widely), but are usually selected for an optimum combination of strength, hardness, and fatigue resistance. The American Petroleum Institute (API) has adopted standards meant to reinforce safe drilling practices by setting these parameters within fixed ranges. The tube 12 would normally be configured to meet API standards.
In selecting a tube 12 of appropriate size and weight for a particular drilling operation, the diameter and depth of the hole to be drilled are given first consideration. Small diameter holes require the use of smaller tubes 12. Conversely, large diameter holes necessitate the use of larger tubes 12. In all cases, the tube 12 must be sufficiently large and heavy to afford adequate strength to the drill string so that it will not break during use.
The tube 12 must provide adequate room for the flow of drilling fluid and suspended cuttings. In this regard, the user must seek a compromise between flow resistance inside and outside of the drill string. The inside diameter of tube 12 must be as large as possible to keep pressure losses therein low. Additionally, the outside diameter the tube 12 must be as small as possible to minimize pressure losses as drilling fluid moves past the walls of the drilled hole.
Tool joints 14 and 16 are threaded fasteners designed to facilitate coupling and uncoupling of multiple tubes 12 forming a drill string. The tool joints 14 and 16 are configured to avoid stripping under severe strains. Additionally, the tool joints 14 and 16 are internally flush so that the openings through the tool joints 14 and 16 are equal in size to that through the tube 12 itself to minimize pressure losses. The API has listed specifications for some tool joints, but many variations have been developed.
Each of the tool joints 14 and 16 provides a threaded connection to its opposite counterpart on another tube 12. The tool joint 14 has helical threads 20 machined on the inside and provides the drill pipe 10 with a female end commonly referred to as a “box.” The tool joint 16, however, has helical threads 22 machined on the outside that are adapted to mate with the threads 20 of a second drill pipe 10. The threads 22 and provide the drill pipe 10 with a male end commonly called a “pin.” When two drill pipes 10 are joined together, the pin of one drill pipe 10 is stabbed into the box of another drill pipe 10 and the connection is tightened by screwing the two drill pipes 10 together.
Tool joints 14 and 16 are made of steel, selected and heat-treated for an optimum combination of strength, hardness, and fatigue resistance. To reduce scouring, and turbulence, and pressure loss in ascending drilling fluids, the exterior surfaces of the tool joints 14 and 16 are streamlined. That is, the bottom surface 24 of the tool joint 20 and the top surface 26 of the tool joint 22 are tapered. Additionally, the external diameters of the outer walls, respectively 28 and 30, of tool joints 14 and 16 are maintained as small as is consistent with strength and tolerance for abrasive wear. Portions likely to be scoured by transported cuttings, particularly the surfaces 24 and 26, can be protected with coatings of hard-faced fusion metals.
Tool joint threads 20 and 22 are customarily V-shaped and inclined at 60° and may have rounded crests and troughs. The form and dimensions of threads 20 and 22 are specified by API standards. Nonetheless, some manufacturers employ threads 20 and 22 of special form, designed to facilitate rapid coupling and uncoupling, or to increase the security of a tool joint. For example, square threads and modified square threads are sometimes used.
API standards prescribe tool joints that can be attached to tubes 12 by means of threaded connections, other means are often employed. Tool joint 14 thus has internal, helical threads 32 provided in its bottom end for this purpose. Similarly, tool joint 16 is provided at its top end with internal, helical threads 34 for threaded attachment to tube 12. The connection between the tool joints 14 and 16 and the tube 12 can also be made by welding. Furthermore, the tool joints 14 and 16 can also be integrally formed with tube 12 so that they comprise a unitary structure with the tube 12, perhaps resulting in a more secure connection. However, tool joints 14 and 16 are subjected to considerable wear, and repair and replacement become more difficult when the tool joints 14 and 16 are integrally formed with the tube 12.
A bar code 18 is provided to the beveled, top surface 26 of the tool joint 16 with the top surface 26 being minimally susceptible to damage or wear during drilling. The bar code 18 includes a plurality of elevated modules 36 of square outline and a plurality of incised modules 38 of square outline fitted within an area measuring about 9/32 inches by 9/32 inches (7 mm×7 mm). The exterior surfaces of the modules 36 are flush with the top surface 26 and the exterior surfaces of the modules 38 are set about 1/32 inches (0.8 mm) into the top surface 26. The modules 38 can be incised more deeply, say to a depth of about 0.25 inches (6.4 mm), but they are more time-consuming and costly to produce. Since a large portion of the bar code 18 can be worn away yet still be machine readable, making modules 38 with great depth is not particularly important.
The bar code 18 employs the well-known DataMatrix symbology set out in square or rectangular patterns. DataMatrix is a 2-D bar code that represents text or other information in a pattern of black and white squares. (The rough, incised surfaces of modules 38 reflect less light than the elevated surfaces of the modules 36 and, thus, appear as black squares to a DataMatrix scanner. The more reflective surfaces of the modules 36 appear white to the scanner.) The bar code 18 can carry from a few bytes up to 2 kB of data, depending upon the number of modules 36 and 38 contained therein. By adding special data correction data to the bar code 18, it can be read even if it is partially damaged. The error correction level is not adjustable by the user, but it is usually possible to restore about 25% of unreadable code.
DataMatrix was developed by RVSI Acuity CiMatrix. After development, this company was acquired by Siemens Energy and Automation, Inc. The nominative standards for the DataMatrix bar code symbology are called: ISO/IEC 16022:2000 and ISO/IEC 24720:2006 (ISO International Standard).
Since its introduction in the marketplace, DataMatrix has gained a worldwide following. The aerospace, electronics, and automotive industries use the DataMatrix symbology for marking parts with lasers. Also, other industries have found that DataMatrix is useful for tracking mail and managing the flow of documents.
The bar code 18 is produced by laser engraving, a very clean and precise technique. A computer directing the movements of the laser and no cutting tools come in direct contact with the tool joint 16. Thus, no dulled tools need be replaced as engraving progresses.
A laser engraving machine has two principal components: a laser and a computer. The laser emits an electromagnetic beam onto the top surface 26 of the tool joint 16. The computer controls the direction, intensity, speed of movement, and spread of the laser beam aimed at the top surface 26.
There are three main types of laser engraving machines. The most common type involves the workpiece being held steady as the laser is moved in X and Y directions. A second type of machine, similar to the first, moves the laser is fine helixes as the laser is pulsed on and off. In the third type of machine, both the laser and workpiece are stationary and mirrors move the laser beam over the workpiece surface. It is believed that any of these types of machines can be adapted to produce a bar code 18 on the drill pipe 10.
The point where the laser beam contacts the top surface 26 is usually the focal point of the laser's optics. The focal point is typically a fraction of a millimeter in size, and only the area within the focal point is heated when the laser beam strikes the top surface 26. The heat is so intense that the steel comprising the tool joint 16 may microscopically fracture (“glass up”) and flake off the top surface 26 thereby incrementally producing the modules 38. An air jet is typically employed to remove the flakes from the top surface 26 as they are formed.
Different patterns of modules 36 and 38 making up bar codes 18 representing different code numbers in DataMatrix symbology can be engraved by programming the controlling computer to move the laser beam over different courses. The intensity and speed of movement of the laser beam is carefully controlled by the computer to achieve remove material to a consistent depth. Since the position of the laser beam is precisely determined by the computer, it is not necessary to mask the top surface 26 prior to engraving.
Laboratory test have been performed on the drill pipe 10 labeled with the bar code 18 to check its integrity. No integrity violations were found. Localized heating of the tool joint 16 and tube 12 caused by the laser beam in producing the bar code 18 does not change steel composition in a manner that could make it susceptible to hydrogen sulfide corrosion or damage by drilling or formation fluids. Furthermore, the laser etching process leaves no fractures in the steel of discernable size. So, the labeled drill pipe 10 is not any more likely to fail than an unmarked drill pipe.
A bar code reader, having a scanner and a decoder, is used to determine the code number represented by the bar code 18 on the drill pipe 10. In use, light from the scanner is directed onto the bar code 18 with the light being absorbed by the incised modules 38 and being reflected by the elevated modules 36. A photocell in the scanner receives the reflected light and converts it into electrical signals. In response, the photocell generates a small electrical signal for the elevated modules 36 and a somewhat larger electrical signal for the incised modules 38 with the duration of the electrical signals reflecting the positions of the modules 36 and 38 relative to one another. These signals are “decoded” by the decoder into a number that is, then, delivered to a decoding station in a conventional binary format.
The bar code reader can take a number of different forms. The bar code reader can be: pen-type, laser-type, CCD-type, cell phone-type, camera-based, and omni-directional. Because of their versatility and the large size of the drill pipe 10, camera-based bar code readers may be the optimum sort for use in reading the bar code 18.
A decoding station (not shown) produces useful historical information about the drill pipe 10. The decoding station includes a central processing unit (CPU) and a digital memory connected to the CPU. The bar code reader described above is connected to the CPU for gathering a code number from the bar code that directs the CPU to data files stored in a digital memory. A keypad is connected to the CPU for inputting data into the digital memory CPU associated with the drill pipe 10. The keypad is also used for commanding the CPU to act upon the input data in preprogrammed ways. The CPU is also connected to an LCD display that shows the data: accessed from the digital memory, input via the keypad, or developed by the CPU in conjunction with its internal programming.
Much data regarding the drill pipe 10 can be input into the digital memory with the keypad. By way of example, the data for a drill pipe 10 can include its: code number, manufacturer, location/date of manufacture, brand, date of marking, diameter, length, weight, composition, locations/dates of use, numbers of trips into hole, locations/dates of storage, failures, and repairs. The options are limitless and are dependent on the needs of the user.
The CPU is a conventional microprocessor within which is held a software program for monitoring the usage of the drill pipe 10. To access the program, a code number from the bar code 18 must be provided to the CPU via the bar code reader or the keypad. The code number directs the program to access data files associated with the drill pipe 10 and stored in the digital memory. These files can include data associated with the drill pipe's: manufacturer, location/date of manufacture, brand, date of marking, diameter, length, weight, composition, locations/dates of use, numbers of trips into hole, locations/dates of storage, failures, and repairs.
The bar code reader can be attached through the keyboard interface to the CPU so that the decoder can send a code number in key codes exactly as though the number had been typed into the keypad. (Such a bar code reader is a “wedge reader” since it is connected between a keypad and a CPU and operates as a second keyboard.) The CPU receives the code number from the bar code reader in the same manner in which it would have been produced on keypad by a fast typist.
After receiving the code number corresponding with the bar code 18, the CPU can generate a variety of reports for viewing on the LCD display (or for output to a printer) related to the history of the drill pipe 10. It is anticipated that with a few keystrokes at the keyboard, the full history of the drill pipe 10 can be retrieved and viewed on the LCD display. This history can include, among other things: manufacturer, location/date of manufacture, brand, date of marking, diameter, length, weight, composition, locations/dates of use, numbers of trips into hole, locations/dates of storage, failures, and repairs of the drill pipe 12. Alternatively, with a few additional keystrokes, the data can be manipulated to provide selected items of the full history like data related to trips or repairs.
The techniques for the manipulation of computer databases, and for retrieving data therefrom, are well known and nothing in this specification is meant to limit their use. Thus, the historical data retrieved from the digital memory associated with the drill pipe 10 and accessed with the bar code 18 can be of any kind and can be manipulated in any useful way. In the end, the life of the drill pipe 10 can be easily tracked from the time of its production until the date of its destruction or disposal, something never done before.
While the drill pipe 10 has been described with a high degree of particularity, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the field that modifications can be made to it. FIG. 4, for example, illustrates a drill pipe 110 that is in all respects the same as that shown in FIGS. 1-3 but has a laser-engraved bar code 118 on its tube 112. The bar code 118 can be engraved into the tube 12. Similarly, the bar code can be applied to the bottom surface 24 of the tool joint 14, but the bar codes would be more somewhat more susceptible to wear or degradation if located in these places due to the increased likelihood of contact with the borehole wall and transported cuttings moving upwardly through the borehole. Furthermore, other labeling indicia can be readily substituted for the bar code 18 such as: trademarks, logos, serial numbers, and alphanumeric codes. Therefore, it is to be understood that my invention is not limited solely to drill pipe 10 described above, but encompasses any and all drill pipes falling within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A drill pipe, comprising:

a hollow tube having opposite ends;

a female tool joint being affixed to one of said opposite ends of said tube;

a male tool joint being affixed to the other one of said opposite ends of said tube, and said male tool joint having a beveled, top wall; and,

an incised label being provided on said top wall of said male tool joint.

2. The drill pipe according to claim 1 wherein said incised label is a bar code including a plurality of incised modules and a plurality of elevated modules positioned side-by-side and arranged in a machine-readable pattern.

3. A drill pipe, comprising:

a hollow, cylindrical, seamless tube having opposite ends;

a female tool joint being internally threaded and welded to one of said opposite ends of said tube;

a male tool joint being externally threaded and welded to the other one of said opposite ends of said tube, and said male tool joint having a beveled, top wall; and,

a bar code being etched into said top wall of said male tool joint, said bar code including a plurality of incised modules and a plurality of elevated modules positioned side-by-side and arranged in a machine-readable pattern.

4. A drill pipe, comprising:

a tube having opposite ends;

an internally threaded connector being provided at one of said opposite ends of said tube;

an externally threaded connector being provided at the other one of said opposite ends of said tube, said externally threaded connector being adapted to mate with said internally threaded connector on a second said drill pipe; and,

a bar code being etched into: said tube, said internally threaded connector, or said externally threaded connector.