Drill pipes that are used in applications such as DTH/ DTHR/ DR basically comprise of a steel tube with a pin at one end and a box on the other. The job of the drill pipe is to transmit rotational torque and thrust from the drill rig rotary head to down hole drilling tools. Also used to transport the drilling fluid to the down hole tools and facilitate removal of cutting through annulus. An effective drill pipe has to be designed to support its own weight for combined lengths that could be more than 2000 feet down into the crust of the Earth. Connections must be durable to resist wear from repeated use. Each length of pipe must be sufficiently rigid enough not to break or become permanently bent. Most importantly, drill pipes must be capable of withstanding tremendous forces generated during the drilling and pullback.
Failure of the drill pipe at any time during the drilling process can prove to be catastrophic and consequently, it is important to purchase the best drill pipe available for the intended application, meticulously maintain and periodically inspect the drill pipe and tool joints.
Although critical for the success and efficacy of drilling operations, drill pipes are generally overlooked component in drilling.