STANDARD HANDBOOK OF PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS ...

616 Drilling and Well Completions
Wlre-Rope Trouble
Spiraling or curling.
Excessive flattening or crushing.
Bird-caging or core-popping.
Whipping off of rope.
Cutting in on drum.
Possible Cause
Allowing rope to drag or rub over pipe, sill, or
any object during installation or operation. It
is recommended that a block with sheave
diameter 16 times the nominal wire-rope
diameter, or larger, be used during installation
of the line.
Heavy overload, loose winding on drum, or
cross winding. Too infrequent cutoffs on
working end of cable-tool lines. Improper
cutoff and moving program for cable-tool lines.
Sudden unloading of line such as hitting fluid
with excessive speed. Improper drilling motion
or jar action. Use of sheaves of too small
diameter or passing line around sharp bend.
Running too loose.
Loose winding on drum. Improper cutoff and
moving program for rotary drilling lines.
Improper or worn drum grooving or line
turnback plate.
ROTARY EQUIPMENT
Rotary equipment refers to the pieces of surface equipment in drilling
operations that actually rotate or impart rotating motion to the drill pipe. This
equipment includes the upper members of the drill string such as the swivel,
swivel sub kelly cock, kelly, lower kelly valve, and kelly sub (Figure 4-87), as well
as the kelly bushing and rotatary table [13].
Swivel
Swivel and Rotary Hose
The swivel (Figure 4-88) suspends the kelly, allows for rotation of the kelly
and drill string, and provides a connection for the rotary hose to allow mud
circulation.
The rotary swivel is pressure tested periodically, and the test pressure is
shown on the swivel nameplate. All cast members in the swivel hydraulic
circuit are pressure tested in production, and the test pressure is shown on the
cast member.
Rotary Hose
Although the rotary hose is not a rotating element, it is mentioned here due
to its connection with the swivel. It is used as the flexible connector between
the top of the standpipe and the swivel, and allows for vertical travel of the
swivel and block (Figure 4-89). It is usually 45 ft or longer. Rotary hose
specifications are provided in API Specification 7 [13]. Each hose assembly is