This disclosure relates generally to threaded connections. More particularly, this disclosure relates to threaded connections for downhole tubulars (e.g., drill pipe).
Threaded tubulars are common in many industrial applications, such as, for example, oil and gas drilling, production, transportation, refining, etc. In oil and gas drilling operations, a drill bit is threadably attached at one end of a threaded tubular and the tubular is rotated (e.g., from the surface, downhole by a mud motor, etc.) in order to form a borehole. As the bit advances within the formation, additional tubulars are threadably attached at the surface, thereby forming a drill string. During these operations, it is desirable that the threaded connections between each adjacent tubular along the drill string have sufficient strength to withstand all expected service loads (e.g., torsion, tension, compression, etc.), such that the integrity of the drill string is ensured.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds