Method of gaging and joining pipe

The method of coupling tapered threaded collar and pipe members of a particular type comprising:

• (a) threading a thread gage hand tight upon one of said members to gage its threads,
• (b) placing a mark on said one member at a predetermined distance from the hand tight plane of said gage,
• (c) removing the thread gage and thereafter threading the members together at a predetermined torque, and
• (d) monitoring the position of the other of said members relative to said mark to thereby determine if the joint between said members is acceptable.

A method of providing a threaded joint between pipe sections respectively having tapered male and female threads, said method comprising:

• (a) threading a gage on at least one of said pipe sections to a predetermined gage position,
• (b) making a mark on said one pipe section at a predetermined location relative to said predetermined position,
• (c) screwing said pipe sections together at a predetermined makeup torque,
• (d) noting the distance, axially of the pipe, between said mark and a predetermined reference on the other of said pipe sections, and
• (e) determining whether or not the distance between said thus-made mark and said predetermined reference is within a predetermined desired range.

A method of providing a threaded joint between pipe sections respectively having tapered male and female threads, said method comprising:

• (a) separately gaging, by means of a standard gage, the thread of each of said pipe sections to determine the actual hand tight position thereof,
• (b) marking the exterior surface of each pipe section at a predetermined distance, axially of the pipe section, from the thus-determined hand tight position,
• (c) thereafter screwing said pipe sections together at a predetermined makeup torque, and
• (d) thereafter determining whether or not the distance between the thus-made marks, axially of the pipe, is within a predetermined range.

A method of joining taper-threaded tubular pipe and collar sections in an oil field, said method comprising:

• (a) screwing a thread gage, selected from a class consisting of ring gages and plug gages, into hand tight engagement with the threaded end of at least one of said tubular pipe and collar sections,
• (b) making a record representing the axial position of said thread gage relative to the tubular section onto or into which it is thus screwed to the hand tight position,
• (c) removing said gage from said one section,
• (d) threading said one section into power-tight engagement with another threaded section at a predetermined makeup torque, and
• (e) employing said record to determine the correctness or incorrectness of the degree of penetration of the pipe section into the collar section of the thus-made joint,
• said last-named step being performed by comparing said degree of penetration of the pipe section into the collar section with the penetration which a good pipe section would have into a good collar section of the same size and type.

A method of correctly connecting together tapered-threaded pipe sections by forming joints wherein there is proper engagement at proper makeup torque, said method comprising:

• (a) providing first and second pipe sections one of which has a tapered threaded male end and the other of which has a complementary tapered threaded female end,
• at least one of said pipe sections having been marked to make a mark at a predetermined position,
• said predetermined position having been located by use of thread gage means associated with the threads of said one pipe section,
• (b) threading said first and second pipe sections together,
• (c) determining the degree of engagement of the threads on said pipe sections by use of said mark on said one pipe section,
• (d) determining the final makeup torque by means of a torque-sensing means,
• (e) determining that the thus-made threaded joint is good when (1) said degree of engagement is within the proper range for the particular type, size, weight and grade of pipe, and (2) said final makeup torque is also within the proper range for the particular type, size, weight and grade of pipe, and
• (f) determining that the thus-made joint is bad when either (1) said degree of engagement is not within said proper range, or (2) said final makeup torque is not within said proper range.

A method of making up tapered-threaded joints in tubular sections to achieve both proper engagement and proper torque, said method comprising:

• (a) threading a gage on at least one of the tapered threads to the hand-tight position,
• (b) marking the tubular section, having said one tapered thread, at a predetermined location referenced to said hand-tight gage position,
• (c) threading together said marked tubular section and a complementary tapered-threaded tubular section in the field,
• (d) continuing said threading together until a predetermined relationship is achieved, and
• (e) determining that the joint is bad when either the measured makeup torque, or the location of the thus-made mark, is not that which would be present in a good joint between tubular sections of the same type, size and grade.

A method of making up tapered-threaded tubular sections in the field, which comprises:

• (a) threading a thread gage onto the tapered-threaded end of a tubular section until the thread gage is at the hand-tight position,
• (b) making a mark on said tubular section at a location determined by said hand-tight gage,
• (c) threading said tubular section relative to a complementary tapered-threaded tubular section, until said mark is at a predetermined location relative to a point on said complementary tubular section,
• said predetermined location being such that said sections are correctly engaged,
• said sections being correctly engaged when they are engaged to substantially the same extent as the engagement in a good joint between tubular sections of the same type, size and grade,
• (d) measuring, when said mark reaches said predetermined location, to determine whether or not the applied torque value is within a predetermined correct range which is the same as the torque range relative to a good joint between tubular sections of the same type, size and grade, and
• (e) determining that the joint is bad if said measured torque value is not within said predetermined correct range,
• said last-named step being performed after performance of said threading step (c).

A method of making strings of tubular sections, each of said tubular sections having a tapered thread at each end thereof adapted to mate with the complementary tapered thread of the next tubular section, said method comprising:

• (a) gaging at least one of the threaded ends of each tubular section,
• (b) making a record related to where the gage seated on each of the gaged threaded ends,
• (c) threading each such gaged threaded end to a complementary threaded end, thus forming threaded joints, and
• (d) employing both said record and also the makeup torque for each joint to ascertain whether or not the joint is correctly made,
• said last-named step being performed by comparing said degree of penetration of the pipe section with the penetration which a good pipe section would have into a good collar section of the same size and type, and by comparing the measured makeup torque with the makeup torque which would be required to make up a joint between a good pipe section and a good collar section of the same size and type.

A method of making up tapered-threaded joints in tubular sections to achieve both proper engagement and proper torque, said method comprising:

• (a) threading a gage on at least one of the tapered threads to the hand-tight position,
• (b) marking the tubular section, having said one tapered thread, at a predetermined location referenced to said hand-tight gage position,
• (c) threading together said marked tubular section and a complementary tapered-threaded tubular section in the field,
• (d) continuing said threading together until a predetermined relationship is achieved.
• said predetermined relationship being the one at which the measured makeup torque is at a predetermined desired value, and
• (e) determining that the joint is bad when either the measured torque, or the location of the thus-made mark, is not that which would be present in a good joint between tubular sections of the same type, size and grade.

A method of making up tapered-threaded joints in tubular sections to achieve both proper engagement and proper torque, said method comprising:

• (a) threading a gage on at least one of the tapered threads to the hand-tight position,
• (b) marking the tubular section, having said one tapered thread, at a predetermined location referenced to said hand-tight gage position,
• (c) threading together said marked tubular section and a complementary tapered-threaded tubular section in the field,
• (d) continuing said threading together until a predetermined relationship is achieved,
• said predetermined relationship being the one at which said mark has a predetermined location relative to a part of said complementary tubular section, and
• (e) determining that the joint is bad when either the measured torque, or the location of the thus-made mark, is not that which would be present in a good joint between tubular sections of the same type, size and grade.