Drill stems must be designed to transfer drilling torque for combined lengths that often exceed several miles down into the , and also must be able to resist pressure differentials between inside and outside (or vice versa), and have sufficient strength to suspend the total weight of deeper components. For deep wells this requires tempered steel tubes that are expensive, and owners spend considerable efforts to reuse them after finishing a well.
[pdf] Many accidents on the drill floorwhile pipe tripping involve using tongs. Injuries result from being caught between tongs and being struck by swinging tongs. All tongs should be securely attached and anchored.
[pdf] In DTH drilling, the percussion mechanism – commonly called the hammer – is located directly above the drill bit. The drill pipes transmit the necessary feed force and rotation to the hammer and the bit, along with the fluid (air, water or drilling mud) used to actuate the hammer and flush the cuttings. The drill pipes are added to the drill string successively behind the hammer as the hole gets deeper.
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