I N NOVATI N G WH I LE DR I LLI N G
ABOVE: NOV’s Nano connection is being targeted primarily
for specialized operations, such as on different types of drill
strings used for clean-out or workover operations.
RIGHT: NOV says its innovations around the Delta connection
over the past six years have focused on higher performance
and lower total cost of ownership.
of the advantages of the technology versus the cost of running
it.” To address this, NOV is looking at alternative ways to use the
Nano connection to, once again, make it more cost-effective and
relevant to that type of operation.
Another area of interest for NOV is drill pipe risers. The com-
pany recently finalized the qualification of a 20,000-psi connector
on a sour service-grade. “This project has been technically very
challenging,” Mr Plessis explained. “However, we’re done with the
development of this second completion and workover riser to API
17G standard, and the product is currently threaded on a partner
company’s product for use in a high-pressure project in the Gulf
of Mexico.”
This new connection diversifies NOV’s portfolio of metal-to-
metal gas-tight connections, making it the broadest with seven
designs. In the Middle East, sour service-grades for drill pipe and heavy-
weight drill pipe are more prevalent, and NOV has commercial-
ized a 135,000-psi, NACE Region 1 product that can be used in mild
sour H 2 S environments. The product has been pre-qualified, and
NOV said it plans to deliver the first string in 2023.
High-torque, high-performance connection
Innovation in the drill pipe market has been accelerating over
the past five to 10 years, according to Mark Garrett, Senior Sales
D R I L L I N G C O N T R AC T O R • M A R C H/A P R I L 2023
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