kelly hose drilling definition free sample

A large-diameter (3- to 5-in inside diameter), high-pressure flexible line used to connect the standpipe to the swivel. This flexible piping arrangement permits the kelly (and, in turn, the drillstring and bit) to be raised or lowered while drilling fluid is pumped through the drillstring. The simultaneous lowering of the drillstring while pumping fluid is critical to the drilling operation.

A kelly drive is a type of well drilling device on an oil or gas drilling rig that employs a section of pipe with a polygonal (three-, four-, six-, or eight-sided) or splined outer surface, which passes through the matching polygonal or splined kelly (mating) bushing and rotary table. This bushing is rotated via the rotary table and thus the pipe and the attached drill string turn while the polygonal pipe is free to slide vertically in the bushing as the bit digs the well deeper. When drilling, the drill bit is attached at the end of the drill string and thus the kelly drive provides the means to turn the bit (assuming that a downhole motor is not being used).

The kelly is the polygonal tubing and the kelly bushing is the mechanical device that turns the kelly when rotated by the rotary table. Together they are referred to as a kelly drive. The upper end of the kelly is screwed into the swivel, using a left-hand thread to preclude loosening from the right-hand torque applied below. The kelly typically is about 10 ft (3 m) longer than the drill pipe segments, thus leaving a portion of newly drilled hole open below the bit after a new length of pipe has been added ("making a connection") and the drill string has been lowered until the kelly bushing engages again in the rotary table.

The kelly hose is the flexible, high-pressure hose connected from the standpipe to a gooseneck pipe on a swivel above the kelly and allows the free vertical movement of the kelly while facilitating the flow of the drilling fluid down the drill string. It generally is of steel-reinforced rubber construction but also assemblies of Chiksan steel pipe and swivels are used.

The kelly is below the swivel. It is a pipe with either four or six flat sides. A rotary bushing fits around the flat sides to provide the torque needed to turn the kelly and the drill string. Rollers in the bushing permit the kelly free movement vertically while rotating. Since kelly threads would be difficult to replace, normally the lower end of the kelly has saver sub — or a short piece of pipe — that can be refurbished more cheaply than the kelly. Usually, a ball valve, called the lower kelly cock, is positioned between the kelly and the kelly saver sub. This valve is used for well control if the surface pressure becomes too high for the rotary hose or surface conditions.

According to the ″Dictionary of Petroleum Exploration, Drilling and Production″, ″[The] kelly was named after Michael J. (King) Kelly, a Chicago baseball player (1880-1887) who was known for his base running and long slides.″

The square or hexagonal shaped steel pipe connecting the swivel to the drill string. The kelly moves through the rotary table and transmits torque to the drill string.

Square- or hexagonal-shaped steel pipe connecting the swivel to the drill pipe. NOTE The kelly moves through the rotary table and transmits torque to the drill stem.

The square, hexagonal or other shaped steel pipe connecting the swivel to the drill pipe. The kelly moves through the kelly bushings, rotary table and rotates the drill string.

Source: API RP 54, Recommended Practice for Occupational Safety for Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing Operations, Third Edition, August 1999 (2007). Global Standards

The uppermost component of the drill string; the kelly is an extra-heavy joint of pipe with flat or fluted sides that is free to move vertically through a “kelly bushing” in the rotary table; the kelly bushing imparts torque to the kelly and thereby the drill string is rotated.

The uppermost component of the drill string; the kelly is an extra-heavy joint of pipe with flat or fluted sides that is free to move vertically through a “kelly bushing” in the rotary table; the kelly bushing imparts torque to the kelly and thereby the drill string is rotated.

“Kelly” means a 3 or more sided shaped steel pipe connecting the swivel to the drill pipe. The kelly moves through the kelly bushing and the rotary table and transmits torque to the drill string. [Mich. Admin. Code R 408 (2013)].

The square or other shaped steel pipe connecting the swivel to the drill pipe. The kelly moves through the rotary table and transmits torque to the drill string.

One or more valves installed at the wellhead to prevent the escape of pressure either in the annular space between the casing and the drill pipe or in open hole (for example, hole with no drill pipe) during drilling or completion operations. See annular blowout preventer and ram blowout preventer.†

The arrangement of piping and special valves, called chokes, through which drilling mud is circulated when the blowout preventers are closed to control the pressures encountered during a kick.†

A centrifugal device for removing sand from drilling fluid to prevent abrasion of the pumps. It may be operated mechanically or by a fast-moving stream of fluid inside a special cone-shaped vessel, in which case it is sometimes called a hydrocyclone.†

A centrifugal device, similar to a desander, used to remove very fine particles, or silt, from drilling fluid. This keeps the amount of solids in the fluid to the lowest possible level.†

The hoisting mechanism on a drilling rig. It is essentially a large winch that spools off or takes in the drilling line and thus raises or lowers the drill stem and bit.†

The cutting or boring element used in drilling oil and gas wells. Most bits used in rotary drilling are roller-cone bits. The bit consists of the cutting elements and the circulating element. The circulating element permits the passage of drilling fluid and uses the hydraulic force of the fluid stream to improve drilling rates.†

The heavy seamless tubing used to rotate the bit and circulate the drilling fluid. Joints of pipe 30 feet long are coupled together with tool joints.†

A wire rope hoisting line, reeved on sheaves of the crown block and traveling block (in effect a block and tackle). Its primary purpose is to hoist or lower drill pipe or casing from or into a well. Also, a wire rope used to support the drilling tools.†

A device fitted to the rotary table through which the kelly passes. It is the means by which the torque of the rotary table is transmitted to the kelly and to the drill stem. Also called the drive bushing.†

A series of open tanks, usually made of steel plates, through which the drilling mud is cycled to allow sand and sediments to settle out. Additives are mixed with the mud in the pit, and the fluid is temporarily stored there before being pumped back into the well. Mud pit compartments are also called shaker pits, settling pits, and suction pits, depending on their main purpose.†

A trough or pipe, placed between the surface connections at the well bore and the shale shaker. Drilling mud flows through it upon its return to the surface from the hole.†

A diesel, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), natural gas, or gasoline engine, along with a mechanical transmission and generator for producing power for the drilling rig. Newer rigs use electric generators to power electric motors on the other parts of the rig.†

A hole in the rig floor 30 to 35 feet deep, lined with casing that projects above the floor. The kelly is placed in the rathole when hoisting operations are in progress.†

A mud pit in which a supply of drilling fluid has been stored. Also, a waste pit, usually an excavated, earthen-walled pit. It may be lined with plastic to prevent soil contamination.†

The hose on a rotary drilling rig that conducts the drilling fluid from the mud pump and standpipe to the swivel and kelly; also called the mud hose or the kelly hose.†

The principal component of a rotary, or rotary machine, used to turn the drill stem and support the drilling assembly. It has a beveled gear arrangement to create the rotational motion and an opening into which bushings are fitted to drive and support the drilling assembly.

A series of trays with sieves or screens that vibrate to remove cuttings from circulating fluid in rotary drilling operations. The size of the openings in the sieve is selected to match the size of the solids in the drilling fluid and the anticipated size of cuttings. Also called a shaker.†

A vertical pipe rising along the side of the derrick or mast. It joins the discharge line leading from the mud pump to the rotary hose and through which mud is pumped going into the hole.†

A rotary tool that is hung from the rotary hook and traveling block to suspend and permit free rotation of the drill stem. It also provides a connection for the rotary hose and a passageway for the flow of drilling fluid into the drill stem.†

The top drive rotates the drill string end bit without the use of a kelly and rotary table. The top drive is operated from a control console on the rig floor.†

Flexible drilling rubber hoses play an important role in petroleum extraction. They should suffer high operating pressure, extreme operating temperature, abrasion and other inferior elements. Our special compounded synthetic rubber has been proven an effective and economical way to reject these problems. All our oilfield drill hoses are manufactured as API 7K or other related specifications.

Steel cable reinforcement loads most working pressure up to 15,000psi. The wires are usually zinc-plating or copper platting to improve steel wire resistant against rust and corrosion. Due to the thick reinforcement, the hoses should be handled or stored in correct way to avoid kicking or crushing. They will substantially decrease their rated operating pressure.

Rotary hose, Kelly hose, cement hose, mud hose, jumper hose and vibrator hose and choke & kill hoses are the most popular oilfield rubber hoses. They convey high-pressure drilling fluid from one place to another. Many end fittings are provided to satisfy different applications. Most end fittings are made according to API standards. Special order is also available.

AUTHORIZATION FOR EXPENDITURE (AFE)A document used to estimate the cost of drilling a well or installing major equipment facilities in an oil field. The AFE is submitted to management and/or industry partners in the activity for their authorization and approval of the expenditure. The AFE is a budgetary device; when the project is complete, the operator collects invoices of actual work done and compares it to the AFE, should the project come in under budget, he refunds the balance. If the project has cost overruns, the operator submits additional invoices to the participants.

DEVELOPMENT DRILLING– A development well is generally a well drilled as an additional well to the same oil and gas reservoir as other producing wells and not more than one location away from a producing well.

DRILLING MUD –A special mixture of clay, water, and chemical additives pumped down hole through the drill pipe and drill bit. The mud cools the rapidly rotating drill bit; lubricates the drill pipe as it turns in the well bore; carries rock cuttings to the surface; and serves as plaster to prevent the wall of the bore hole from crumbling or collapsing. Drilling mud also provides the weight or hydrostatic head to prevent extraneous fluids to entering the well bore and to control down-hole pressures that might be encountered.

DRY-HOLE COST –The cost of drilling the well; also known asDRILLING COST. Completion costs are in addition to drilling costs but only come due if the well locates producible oil or gas.

FARM OUT AGREEMENT– A form of agreement between oil operators whereby the owner of a lease who is not interested in drilling at the time agrees to assign the lease or a portion of it to another operator who wishes to drill the acreage. The seller may or may not retain an interest (Royalty or production payment) in the production.

FLANGE-UP– Oil-field slang meaning to finish the job. Derived from work with pipe having flanges (rims) on the ends; this pipe is bolted together at those flanges; the pipe can carry liquids once it is “Flanged Up.”

GAS-CUT MUD– Drilling mud aerated or charged with gas from formations down hole. The gas forms bubbles in the drilling fluid. Gas-cut mud may indicate commercial quantities of gas present in the formation.

GAS KICK– Pressure from down hole in excess of that exerted by the weight of the drilling mud, causing loss of circulation. If the gas pressure is not controlled by increasing the mud weight, a kick can violently expel the column of drilling mud resulting in aBlow-out.

INFILL DRILLING –Wells drilled to fill in between established producing wells on a lease to increase production from the lease. SeeDevelopment Drilling.

INTANGIBLE DRILLING COSTS –Expenditures made by an operator for labor, fuel, repairs, hauling and supplies used in drilling and completing a well for production. Intangible drilling costs include also the construction of derricks, tanks, pipelines on the lease, buildings, and preparation of the drill site but does not include the cost of materials or equipment. A rule of thumb is: do the items for which expenditure were made have any salvage value? If not, they qualify under the tax laws as intangible drilling costs.

INTERMEDIATE STRING– SeeCasing. There may be several strings of casing in a well, one inside another. The first casing put in a well is called Surface Pipe which is cemented into place and serves to shut out and protect shallow water formations and also as a foundation or anchor for all subsequent drilling activity. Extremely deep wells will often have an “intermediate string” cemented in place to protect and preserve the well bore as the remaining hole is drilled and completed.

JACK–KNIFE RIG– A mast-type derrick whose supporting legs are hinged at the base. When the rig is to be moved, it is lowered or laid down intact and transported by truck.

JOINT– A length of pipe, casing, or tubing usually from 20 to 30 feet long. On a drilling rig, drill pipe and tubing are lowered into the hole the first time one joint at a time. When pulled from the hole and stacked in the rig, they are usually pulled two, three, or four at a time. These multiple-joint sections are calledStands.

KELLY– The first and sturdiest joint of the drill column; a thick-walled, hollow steel forging with two flat sides and two rounded sides. When fitted into the square hole in the rotary table will rotate the kelly joint and thence the drill column and drill bit. Attached to the top of the kelly is the swivel andmud hose.

KELLY HOSE or MUD HOSE –This is a flexible, steel-reinforced, rubber hose connecting the mud pump with the swivel and kelly joint on the drilling rig. Mud is pumped through the mud hose to the swivel and down through the kelly joint and drill pipe to the drill bit at the bottom of the hole.

LOSS OF CIRCULATION– A condition that exists when drilling mud pumped into the well through the drill pipe does not return to the surface. This serious condition results from the mud being lost in porous formations, a crevice or cavern penetrated by the drill bit.

LOST CIRCULATION MATERIAL –Material that is added to the drilling mud when circulation is lost to assist in plugging the breached area of the well bore.

MUD –A special mixture of clay, water, and chemical additives pumped down hole through the drill pipe and drill bit. The mud cools the rapidly rotating drill bit; lubricates the drill pipe as it turns in the well bore; carries rock cuttings to the surface; and serves as plaster to prevent the wall of the bore hole from crumbling or collapsing. Drilling mud also provides the weight or hydrostatic head to prevent extraneous fluids to entering the well bore and to control down-hole pressures that might be encountered. SeeDrilling Mud and Blow Out.

MUDLOG –A progressive analysis of the well-bore cuttings washed up from the bore hole by the drilling mud. Rock chips are retrieved and examined by the geologist. Modern drilling operations include an electronic evaluation of the mud itself that indicates the presence of hydrocarbons in the mud along with the analysis of the well-bore cuttings.

MUD PITS –SeeRESERVE PITS. Excavations near the rig into which drilling mud is circulated. Mud pumps withdraw the mud from one end of the pit as the circulated mud, bearing rock chips from the bore hole, flows in at the other end. As the mud moves toward the suction line, the cuttings drop out leaving “clean” mud ready for another drip down the well bore.

ONE-THIRD FOR A QUARTER– A term used by independent oil operators who are selling interests in a well they propose to drill. An industry partner who agrees to the one-third for a quarter deal will pay one-third of the cost of the well to some point and receive one-fourth of the well’s net production. When the operator sells three of these one-third for a quarter interests, his industry partners will have paid the cost of drilling the well to casing point.

OPERATOR– A person or entity engaged in the business of exercising direct responsibility and supervision over drilling, completion, operation, maintenance, and production from an oil/gas well.

PAYOUT– The recovery from production of the costs of drilling, completing and equipping a well. Sometimes included in in the costs is a pro-rata share of lease costs.

RAT HOLE –A slanted hole drilled near the well’s bore hole to hold theKellyjoint when not in use. The kelly is unscrewed from the drill string and lowered into the rat hole as a pistol into a scabbard.

RESERVE PIT –SeeMud Pits. An excavation connected to the working mud pits of a drilling well to hold excess or reserve drilling mud; a standby pit containing already-mixed drilling mud for use in an emergency when extra mud is needed.

ROYALTY a.k.a. ROYALTY INTEREST (R.I.)A share of the minerals (oil and gas) produced from a property by the owner of the property. Originally, the right of the king to receive a percentage of the minerals taken from the mines of his realm. (Silver, gold, salt, copper, etc) Entitles the owner to a share of gross proceeds which is free of expense of drilling, completion and production, but having no control over field activities.

SCOUT TICKET– a standard form of information about activities on a drilling location or well. The information includes dates, well’s depth, formations encountered, well logs and tests run. Completion information is briefly described as is the fate of the well, whether put in production or plugged.

SPUD– To start the actual drilling of a well. The first section of the hole is drilled with a large-diameter spudding bit down several hundred feet to accommodate the surface pipe which may be 8 to 20 inches in diameter, depending upon the depth to which the well will ultimately be drilled. The surface pipe is cemented into this hole to protect the surface formations which might contain potable water.

STEP-OUT WELL – a.k.a. Offset Well– A well drilled adjacent to a proven well but located in an unproven area; a well located a “step out” from proven territory in an effort to determine the boundaries of a producing formation. SeeDevelopment Drilling.

TURNKEY CONTRACT– A contract to drill, complete and equip an oil or gas well for a set, predetermined price. The turnkey format is designed to limit the liability of an industry partner to the amount of their capital contribution for drilling and completion.

WORKING INTEREST (W.I.)– The operating interest entitling the holder, at his or its expense, to conduct drilling and production operations on the property and to receive the net revenues from such operations.

“Pump noise” is a reference to an instability in surface pressure created by the mud pumps on a modern drilling rig, often conflated with any pressure fluctuation at a similar frequency to pulses generated by a mud pulser, but caused by a source external to the mud pulser. This change in pressure is what stands in the way of the decoder properly understanding what the MWD tool is trying to communicate. For the better part of the first year of learning my role I wrongly assumed that all “noise” would be something audible to the human ear, but this is rarely the case.

In an ideal drilling environment surface pressure will remain steady and all pressure increases, and decreases will be gradual. This way, when the pulser valve closes(pulses), it’s easily detectable on surface by computers. Unfortunately drilling environments are rarely perfect and there are many things that can emulate a pulse thus causing poor or inaccurate data delivery to surface. The unfortunate circumstance of this means drilling operations must come to halt until data can once again be decoded on surface. This pause in the drilling process is commonly referred to at NPT or non-productive time. For those of you unfamiliar these concepts, I’ll explain some of the basics.

A mud pulser is a valve that briefly inhibits flow of drilling fluid traveling through the drill string, creating a sharp rise and fall of pressure seen on surface, also known as a “pulse”.

Depending on if the drilling fluid is being circulated in closed or open loop, it will be drawn from a tank or a plastic lined reservoir by a series(or one) mud pumps and channeled into the stand pipe, which runs up the derrick to the Kelly-hose, through the saver sub and down the drill-pipe(drill-string). Through the filter screen past an agitator or exciter, around the MWD tool, through a mud motor and out of the nozzles in the bit. At this point the fluid begins it’s journey back to the drilling rig through the annulus, past the BOP then out of the flow line and either over the shale shakers and/or back in the fluid reservoir.

Developing a firm grasp on these fundamentals were instrumental in my success as a field technician and an effective troubleshooter. As you can tell, there are a lot of components involved in this conduit which a mud pulser telemeters through. The way in which many of these components interact with the drilling fluid can suddenly change in ways that slightly create sharp changes in pressure, often referred to as “noise”. This “noise” creates difficulty for the decoder by suddenly reducing or increasing pressure in a manner that the decoder interprets a pulse. To isolate these issues, you must first acknowledge potential of their existence. I will give few examples of some of these instances below:

Suction screens on intake hoses will occasionally be too large, fail or become unfastened thus allowing large debris in the mud system. Depending on the size of debris and a little bit of luck it can end up in an area that will inhibit flow, circumstantially resulting in a sudden fluctuation of pressure.

Any solid form of drilling fluid additive, if improperly or inconsistently mixed, can restrict the flow path of the fluid resulting in pressure increase. Most notably this can happen at the pulser valve itself, but it is not the only possible outcome. Several other parts of this system can be affected as well. LCM or loss of circulation material is by far the most common additive, but the least overlooked. It’s important for an MWD technician to be aware of what’s being added into the drilling fluid regardless if LCM isn’t present. Through the years I have seen serval other improperly mixed additives cause a litany of pressure related issues.

Sometimes when mud is displaced or a pump suction isn’t completely submerged, tiny air bubbles are introduced into the drilling fluid. Being that air compresses and fluid does not, pulses can be significantly diminished and sometimes non-existent.

As many of you know the downhole mud motor is what enables most drilling rigs to steer a well to a targeted location. The motor generates bit RPM by converting fluid velocity to rotor/bit RPM, otherwise known as hydraulic horsepower. Anything downhole that interacts with the bit will inevitably affect surface pressure. One of the most common is bit weight. As bit weight is increased, so does surface pressure. It’s important to note that consistent weight tends to be helpful to the decoder by increasing the amplitude of pulses, but inconsistent bit weight, depending on frequency of change, can negatively affect decoding. Bit bounce, bit bite and inconsistent weight transfer can all cause pressure oscillation resulting in poor decoding. Improper bit speed or bit type relative to a given formation are other examples of possible culprits as well.

Over time mud pump components wear to the point failure. Pump pistons(swabs), liners, valves and valve seats are all necessary components for generating stable pressure. These are the moving parts on the fluid side of the pump and the most frequent point of failure. Another possible culprit but less common is an inadequately charged pulsation dampener. Deteriorating rubber hoses anywhere in the fluid path, from the mud pump to the saver sub, such as a kelly-hose, can cause an occasional pressure oscillation.

If I could change one thing about today’s directional drilling industry, it would be eliminating the term “pump noise”. The misleading term alone has caused confusion for countless people working on a drilling rig. On the other hand, I’m happy to have learned these lessons the hard way because they seem engrained into my memory. As technology improves, so does the opportunities for MWD technology companies to provide useful solutions. Solutions to aid MWD service providers to properly isolate or overcome the challenges that lead to decoding issues. As an industry we have come a lot further from when I had started, but there is much left to be desired. I’m happy I can use my experiences by contributing to an organization capable of acknowledging and overcoming these obstacles through the development of new technology.

Working on a drilling rig is risky business by anyone’s standards. Safety must a matter of paramount concern in order to prevent injuries and accidents.

Workers on drilling and workover rigs may sometimes take matters into their own hands, resulting in safety violations or, worse, injury. And while it is the rig operator’s responsibility to see that they are sufficiently trained and that the workplace is free from hazards, it is vital that every person on a rig site develop a keen sense of safety.

In an effort to help those in the industry adopt a safety first mindset, Grainger, a supplier of MRO products to the oil and gas industry, offers the following guidelines:

Emergency Preparedness OSHA requires emergency response plans for every drilling site, which can vary depending on the rig’s location and layout. Grainger says that an effective plan should always include the ready availability of appropriate emergency and rescue equipment, as well as a program for training and drilling of all supervisors and workers on emergency escape and rescue procedures.