This technical bulletin summarizes a pin connection failure in a rotary steerable BHA. The pin experienced high bending, torsional, and stick-slip loads during directional drilling operations, subjecting it to significant fatigue. The root cause of the failure was a high load that caused a fast fracture, exacerbated by the lack of a stress relief groove on the component. While mismatched bevel diameters did not cause this failure, they do not comply with inspection standards and can lead to failures. The bulletin recommends referencing drilling standards for component manufacture and inspection to prevent future failures.
This technical bulletin summarizes a pin connection failure in a rotary steerable BHA. The pin experienced high bending, torsional, and stick-slip loads during directional drilling operations, subjecting it to significant fatigue. The root cause of the failure was a high load that caused a fast fracture, exacerbated by the lack of a stress relief groove on the component. While mismatched bevel diameters did not cause this failure, they do not comply with inspection standards and can lead to failures. The bulletin recommends referencing drilling standards for component manufacture and inspection to prevent future failures.
This technical bulletin summarizes a pin connection failure in a rotary steerable BHA. The pin experienced high bending, torsional, and stick-slip loads during directional drilling operations, subjecting it to significant fatigue. The root cause of the failure was a high load that caused a fast fracture, exacerbated by the lack of a stress relief groove on the component. While mismatched bevel diameters did not cause this failure, they do not comply with inspection standards and can lead to failures. The bulletin recommends referencing drilling standards for component manufacture and inspection to prevent future failures.
This technical bulletin summarizes a pin connection failure in a rotary steerable BHA. The pin experienced high bending, torsional, and stick-slip loads during directional drilling operations, subjecting it to significant fatigue. The root cause of the failure was a high load that caused a fast fracture, exacerbated by the lack of a stress relief groove on the component. While mismatched bevel diameters did not cause this failure, they do not comply with inspection standards and can lead to failures. The bulletin recommends referencing drilling standards for component manufacture and inspection to prevent future failures.
This pin/pin crossover was in a rotary steerable BHA that was Geosteering from certification review - it worked through some significant doglegs so saw high bending loads The sub was manufactured to API Spec 7 in 2009. There is no evidence while rotating - these are the key ingredients for fatigue. in the manufacturing certs that confirm the bore of the sub was surface treated (e.g. hammer peened) - This is an optional treatment in API Spec 7 It also saw some high stick/slip, vibration and shock loads. After one of these but mandatory in NS-1TM. Surface treatments which provide compressive loads, a loss of 500psi was seen which indicated a leak in the drill string. Soon residual stresses may provide additional resistance to transgranular stress after, there was a loss of transmitted data from the MWD, coupled with a loss of corrosion cracking & corrosion pitting. There is also a significant amount of weight - It was correctly concluded that they had suffered a twist-off. washing in the bore [4] from fluid flowing round the internal component (In place in photo above) Primary observations The BHA was seeing high torsional, bending and stick/slip loads (therefore Recommendations significant fatigue) due to the amount of directional work being executed. > Make sure Contracts reference NS Standards for Manufacture (NS-1TM) The crossover sub did not have stress relief features. and Inspection (NS-2TM). > Seriously consider utilising 3rd party QAQC verification prior to load-out The root cause of the failure was probably a high load that resulted in a ‘fast They would have highlighted the missing SRG, the mis-matched bevels, fracture’ (characterised by the large flat, grainy face on the left half of the the washed bore and the incorrect spec of manufacture. failure [3]. The lack of a stress relief groove contributed to the failure and this can be demonstrated by the fact that the failure initiated at a stress raiser More info: (thread root, see [1] ). This stress raiser would not have existed had a 1” SRG been present. i.e. if the component had complied with the NS-1TM Standard. For more information or assistance in defining appropriate requirements for tools or our equipment verification/QAQC services, contact Fearnley Procter Although they did not contribute to this failure, the miss-matched bevel Drill String Engineering at DShelp@fp-g.com diameters, evidenced by the size of the engaged seal area [2] do not comply with NS-2TM Standards and can also lead to failures.