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Table of Contents
Section 1: Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................1
Section 2: Design, Manufacturing, Testing and Quality............................................................................................................................................................................2
Section 3: Standard Product Specifications and Dimensions.................................................................................................................................................................5
QT-700 Technical Data Sheet....................................................................................................................................................................................................................6
QT-800 Technical Data Sheet....................................................................................................................................................................................................................8
QT-900 Technical Data Sheet..................................................................................................................................................................................................................10
QT-1000 Technical Data Sheet................................................................................................................................................................................................................12
QT-1100 Technical Data Sheet................................................................................................................................................................................................................14
QT-1300 Technical Data Sheet................................................................................................................................................................................................................16
HO-70 Technical Data Sheet....................................................................................................................................................................................................................18
Section 4: Special Product: QT-16Cr Coiled Tubing..................................................................................................................................................................................25
Section 5: Standard Services, Shipping, Product Development and Quality....................................................................................................................................26
Section 6: General Engineering Information.............................................................................................................................................................................................29
Section 7: Collapse Pressure.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................35
Section 8: Friction Pressure Drop.................................................................................................................................................................................................................39
Section 9: Welding Technology....................................................................................................................................................................................................................42
Section 10: Standard Spool Capacity Chart..............................................................................................................................................................................................46
Section 11: Service Center Operations.......................................................................................................................................................................................................47
Section 12: Standard Terms and Warranty................................................................................................................................................................................................50
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Section 1: Introduction
Quality Tubing, a part of the NOV Intervention and Stimulation
Equipment Business Unit, has continually improved every aspect of
the coiled tubing manufacturing process over the past 40 years. Our
developments and inventions in the welding, manufacturing and
testing of continuously-milled tubing means the highest quality product
created to your exact specifications.
Quality Tubing Worldwide
Coiled tubing service centers are strategically placed in various
strategic locations worldwide. These centers exist to store and service
new and used coiled tubing. Standard stock strings, specially designed
for use in the areas served by our service centers, are available. The
range of services provided by these centers include storage, butt
welding, state-of-the-art corrosion protection and nondestructive
testing of coiled tubing. These services are discussed further in Section
11 of this manual.
Continuous Improvement
Quality Tubing is continually improving the effectiveness of our quality
management system through the use of the quality policy, quality
objectives, audit results, analysis of data, corrective and preventive
actions and management review.
We have spent over $3.4 million in capital expenditures on
improvements in the past few years, including the purchase of a slitter
in 2013. We are still the only coiled tubing manufacturer with in-house
slitting capabilities.
In August 2014, we received our ISO 9001:2008 certification. Our
certification number is 164486-2014-AQ-USA-ANAB.
Quality Tubing Technical Manual
This manual has been designed to provide customers with up-to-date
information on our design, manufacturing and testing processes, prod-
uct descriptions, performance properties, recommended product uses
and the scope of service center activities.
The material is divided into sections for easy reference, so that updates
can be added as they are issued.
If you have any questions about Quality Tubing or its products, please
contact us at the location nearest you.
Headquarters and Manufacturing
United States
Quality Tubing
10303 Sheldon Road
Houston, Texas 77049-1254, USA
Telephone: +1.281.456.0751
Toll Free: +1.800.486.0751
Fax: +1.281.456.7549/7620
E-mail: QualityTubing@nov.com
Service Centers
United States
Quality Tubing
2093 Old Route 15
New Columbia, Pennsylvania 17856
Telephone: +1.570.551.6167
Quality Tubing
5561 West University
Odessa, Texas 79764
United Kingdom
Coil Services (North Sea) Ltd.
Badentoy Cresent, Badentoy Road,
Portlethen, Aberdeen, AB12 4YD
Scotland, U.K.
Telephone: +011.44.1224.774466 fr USA
Fax: +011 44 1224 774488 fr USA
E-mail: Kenny.Robertson@nov.com
Canada
Quality Tubing (Red Deer) Ltd.
Site 14, Box 8, R.R. #1
Red Deer, AB, Canada T4N 5E1
Telephone: +403.342.1000
Fax: +403.342.1071
E-mail: Sales@qtcanada.com
Quality Tubing (Medicine Hat) Ltd.
PO BOX 159
Redcliff, AB, Canada T0J 2P0
Telephone: +403.504.5008
Fax: +403.504.5282
E-mail: Sales@qtcanada.com
Abu Dhabi
Coil Services (Abu Dhabi) Ltd.
PO BOX 4030
Sector M-41, Plot 93-94B
Abu Dhabi Industrial City
Mussafah, Abu Dhabi
Telephone: +011.971.2.550.1875
Fax: +011.971.2.550.1876
E-mail: David.Smith@nov.com
Stocking Points
The following NOV locations are stocked with Quality Tubing finished
goods.
• Dammam, Saudi Arabia
• Singapore
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Section 2: Design, Manufacturing, Testing and Quality
Introduction
Quality Tubing delivers specified-length coiled tubing strings of high
quality materials into customer hands which are designed, fabricated
and tested to industry standards and suitable for field operations.
In order to produce long lengths of modern coiled tubing to meet
customer requirements, the string is designed in cooperation with the
customer. Each individual string is then manufactured by welding steel
strips together, producing tubing from the accumulated strip utilizing
the high frequency induction (HFI) electric welding process.
Early Designs
The original idea for coiled tubing and line pipe came from the project
“Pipe Line Under the Ocean” (PLUTO), in which range II line pipe was
butt welded, rolled onto spools and laid from boats under the English
Channel in 1944 to support the Normandy landings.
The weakest points in this form of continuous tube is the butt weld,
which may cause structural weakness (Figure 1). Until the late 1980s,
this is how coiled tubing was produced.
A high percentage of the failures that occur over the life of tube-to-tube
welds are breaks that occur in the heat-affected zone adjacent to the
weld bead. The material in this area fatigues much more rapidly than
the parent material. The internal circumferential weld bead restricts
fluid flow and causes turbulence and may also restrict operations that
require pumping tools or steel balls through the tube.
The Quality Tubing Difference
First, long lengths of high quality strip in coil form are purchased
from qualified major steel suppliers around the world, for which we
have two suppliers per grade. Each coil is then split into the required
strip widths for tubing production by our in-house slitter. These strips
are joined end-to-end before the tube is manufactured by using a
specialized process that, originally patented by Quality Tubing, called
a bias weld. Strips of steel are welded together at a 45° angle, so that
when the tubing is formed, the joint forms a spiral-shaped connection,
dramatically improving the reliability of coiled tubing work strings in
the field. By purchasing long strips of material, the number of welds in
a string of tubing are further reduced. In some thicknesses of material,
the strip-bias welds may be over 2,460 ft (750 m) apart.
The tubing manufacturaed at Quality Tubing is continuously-
milled, and a single tube over 35,000 feet in length with no break in
production is able to be milled. The entire length of the finished tube is
nondestructively inspected then gauged and hydrostatically tested to
assure the tube meets customer specifications prior to shipment.
In the case of TRUE-TAPER™ for downhole workstring use, the strip is
continuously tapered, with two regions of constant thickness at either
end. Strips of equal thickness at each end of a TRUE-TAPERTM
section are
joined together, thereby reducing stress concentrations caused by non-
uniform load transfer when joining strips of different gauges.
String Design
With a ready inventory of steel strip from which to manufacture tubing,
Quality Tubing works with each customer to design individual strings
that will suit their grade, diameter and wall thickness requirements,
weight restrictions, corrosion and pressure concerns and estimated
theoretical cycle life.
During the design phase, Quality Tubing team members assist and
make recommendations to the customer regarding ideal string design
based upon internal design programs and field experiences with
over 20,000 coiled tubing strings. Once agreement with the customer
regarding a string design is reached, Quality Tubing manufacturing and
quality groups complete the work of producing the string.
The Patented Strip Joining Process
In 1989, Quality Tubing patented the bias-weld, a manufacturing
process explained in US patent 4,863,091. The edges of the strip to be
welded are carefully prepared by shearing at a fixed angle and then
welded by mechanized welding machines. This strip weld is stress
relieved and inspected nondestructively by visual processes and Digital
Radiography. The result is shown in Figure 2.
Upon tube forming, the strip bias weld is distributed along a helix in
the finished tube. This geometry distributes the mechanical stresses
experienced by the weld zone over the length of the helix rather than
concentrating all of the stress in a single narrow band around the
circumference of the tube. The performance of this type of weld is now
proven in numerous applications in oil and gas wells and in pipelines
and umbilicals throughout the world.
Figure 1
Tube-to-tube butt weld in coiled tubing
Bias Weld of Flat Strips
Joined Strip Formed into Tube
Bias Weld of Flat Strips
Joined Strip Formed into Tube
Figure 2
45º bias weld of flat strip and joined strip formed into tube
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Quality Control of the Strip Bias Weld
The digital radiography process is controlled ultimately by an ASTM
penetrometer. The sensitivity of the process meets or exceeds the
requirements of ASME Section V, API RP 5C7. Due to the sensitivity of the
inspection technique, no defects are permitted in downhole work string
materials in the region radiographed.
The weld is dressed, stress relieved and hardness tested in three
regions (Figure 3) - the weld itself, the heat affected zones on either side
of the weld and the parent metal on either side of the weld. Hardness
testing is performed in accordance with ASTM A370 and ASTM E18.
Modern Tube Mill
A modern tube mill synchronizes several manufacturing stations to
continuously mill the tubing. Matched sets of tool steel forming rolls are
selected and installed in the mill for the specified tube diameter. Quality
Tubing’s facility operates multiple tube mills that overlap each other in
size capacity to provide greater flexibility and manufacturing capacity.
The accumulator reel from the string make-up line is positioned to
feed the mill. The lead end of the strip is tack welded to set-up strip in
the mill so that material for the finished string is not lost in start-up.
Once the set-up of the mill rolls is verified by dimensional checks and
destructive tests, continuous production of the tubing string can begin.
The Tube Forming Operation
First, the forming rolls of the tube mill are set for the diameter of the
tube. The first series of rolls encountered by the strip start bending
the edges of the strip upward, gradually forming a “U” shape. The
next series of rolls have vertical fins, which extend down past the strip
edges. These tungsten carbide fins prepare the strip edges for the weld
rolls. The longitudinal weld is made using the HFI electrical resistance
method (Figure 4).
Welding the Tube
The formed strip enters an induction welder where it passes into a
coil excited by high frequency current. This current causes magnetic
fields, which in turn cause eddy currents to flow both around the
longitudinally welded tube and back into the area where the strip
is coming together. In this process, the heat for welding the edges
is generated by the resistance to the flow of these eddy currents,
which are concentrated at the edges of the strip. An internal ferrite
core (impeder) helps maintain a constant value for the weld system
impedance. In this process, the heat is confined to a narrow band along
the edges of the formed strip. A set of rolls squeeze the strip edges
together while they are at the fusion temperature to produce the weld.
No filler metal is added, keeping the metal composition of the weld line
the same as the body of the tube.
Weld Flash Removal
The welding process produces a small amount of weld flash on both
the inside and outside of the tube. This is removed from the outside
diameter of the tube after welding by a carbide cutting tool contoured
to the diameter of the tube being produced. When requested by the
customer, the tube’s inside diameter flash is controlled in height or
removed with a contoured tool inside the tube and then subsequently
pumped out of the tube.
Weld Flash Removal
The welding process produces a small amount of weld flash on both
the inside and outside of the tube. This is removed from the outside
diameter of the tube after welding by a carbide cutting tool contoured
to the diameter of the tube being produced. When requested by the
customer, the tube’s inside diameter flash is controlled in height or
removed with a contoured tool inside the tube and then subsequently
pumped out of the tube.
Inner surface flash removal may leave either a slight groove, which does
not reduce the wall thickness below the specified minimum wall, or a
slight positive extrusion, which is not more than 0.020” into the tube
bore.
Seam Annealing
The weld seam is immediately re-heated by a narrow induction head to
re-crystallize the weld’s heat affected zone to match the grain structure
of the base metal. After welding, the tube is cooled before entering the
sizing section of the mill, where sets of rolls in pairs accurately form the
tubing to its final dimensions.
Full Body Stress Relief and Cooling
Stress relieving is performed with a full-body stress reliever. The tube
is heated to a predetermined controlled temperature between 900°
and 1400°F (482° and 760°C), which is determined by the final desired
mechanical properties of the material. After air cooling and final water
cooling, the tube is wound onto a storage spool (See Standard Spool
Capacity Chart, Section 10).
Nondestructive Examination (NDE)
The eddy current method (Figure 5) consists of magnetizing the tube to
magnetic saturation, inducing eddy currents to flow circumferentially
around the tube and detecting the presence of variations in the
magnetic field caused by imperfections in the entire body wall of the
tube, including the seam weld. Should the eddy current unit detect
an indication, the area is then marked for further prove-up. The eddy
current unit is standardized to a 1/16” through-drilled hole with a
section of tube of like dimensions and alloy chemistry. This inspection
is performed in accordance with ASTM E309 for electromagnetic tubular
inspection.
Prove-Up Inspection
Prove-up inspection of any indications noted during eddy current
Figure 3
Portable hardness testing of bias weld
Figure 4
Close-up view of HFI welding box
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inspection requires locating the area of the indication and testing
this area with a variety of other nondestructive techniques, including
visual, radiographic, compression and shear wave ultrasonic and liquid
penetrant inspections. Small outer diameter surface imperfections are
removed and the areas are re-inspected with the appropriate method
(i.e. ultrasound and/or liquid penetrant) to ensure complete removal.
The removal of minor surface imperfections has been shown to be
extremely effective in maintaining high cycle life.
Hydrostatic Testing
The tube is hydrostatically tested using pH-controlled water to specified
pressures (80% of specified minimum yield strength or to customer
requirements) in order to check the integrity of the weld seam. In the
case of tapered or TRUE-TAPER strings, the hydrostatic test pressure is
that for the smallest wall thickness present in the string. The hold time
for the standard pressure test is a minimum of 15 minutes.
The inside surface of the tube is wiped clean by the passage of wiper
balls. The hydrostatic test fluid is maintained at a pH between 8 and 9,
eliminating the possibility of any acidic condition inside the tube during
shipment.
ID Gauge Test
All tubing manufactured is also gauge tested. In the gauge test, a hard
plastic ball of specified diameter, based on the inside diameter of the
tube and a small amount of clearance, is passed completely through
the tube with water pressure to ensure that there are no constrictions
on the ID surface.
Posi-Plugs
A Posi-Plug is installed on either end of a string of coiled tubing to
serve as a barrier between the internal volume of the tubing and the
surrounding environment (Figure 6). These plugs prevent elements,
such as rainwater and debris, from entering the tubing and maintain the
tubing’s internal atmosphere, which may contain corrosion inhibitors.
Quality Laboratory Testing
Dimensional Inspection
Dimensional inspections measure cross sections of the tube from the
beginning and the end of a milled length for compliance to diameter,
out-of-roundness, wall thickness, weld-seam mismatch and flash (or
Flash-Free) tolerances.
Visual Metallographic Inspection
Visual metallographic inspections determine the quality of the grain
structure of the seam weld by viewing a section of the steel of the
finished tube under high magnification.
Tensile Testing
Tensile testing measures the yield strength, tensile strength and
elongation on full tube samples from the beginning and end of each
milled length. This testing is performed to the requirements of ASTM
A370. Mid-string strip tensile tests are based on previous results of
strips from the same heat used during pre-production tests or prior to
manufacturing.
Microhardness Testing
Microhardness testing measures the microhardness of the parent metal,
the weld line and the heat-affected zone on either side of the weld-line
using a computer aided system shown (Figure 7). The measurements
are taken on the Vickers scale and converted to Rockwell B or C
measurements in compliance with ASTM E140. This test is performed on
samples collected at both the beginning and end of each string.
Flattening Tests
Flattening tests verify the integrity of the HFI weld by flattening samples
from each end of the string at 0° and 90°, with respect to the flattening
plates (Figure 8).
Flare Tests
Flare tests verify the integrity of the HFI weld by flaring samples from
each end of the string over a steel cone.
Chemistry Checks
Random checks are performed at approved laboratories on incoming
strips. Additional (strip) chemistry tests will be performed upon
request.
Additional Testing
Additional coiled tubing tests can be done on a case-by-case basis.
Figure 5
Eddy current inspection system
Figure 6
Posi-Plug installed
Figure 7
Microhardness testing equipment
Figure 8
Tubes flattened on the 0º and 90º positions
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Section 3: Standard Product Specifications and Dimensions
Standard Product List
Standard products are defined as those that can be produced based
solely on Quality Tubing’s ability to deliver.
Standard product requirements include the following:
1. Specifications established and approved
2. Accept/reject criteria established and approved
3. Demonstrated ability to manufacture
4. Pricing established
Standard products include the following:
1. Downhole Work String Products:
QT-700, QT-800, QT-900, QT-1000, QT-1100 and QT-1300. These work string
products may be TRUE-TAPER, straight wall and straight wall Flash-Free.
TRUE-TAPER is not available for QT-700 work strings.
2. HO-70 Downhole Products for Hang-off:
This product is intended for use in non-cycling situations, is limited in
outer diameter and wall thickness and may contain tube-to-tube welds.
All other products are non-standard.
Notes for Following Tables
1. Minimum wall thickness is 0.005” (0.13 mm) less than specified wall
thickness.
2. Pressures calculated based on t – 0.005” (0.13 mm).
3. Maximum hydrostatic test pressure is 15,000 psi (103 MPa).
4. Additional diameters and wall thicknesses may be available upon request.
Ordering Information for Standard Products
Quality Tubing personnel assists the customer in string design for
any of the listed product groups and non-standard products. When
placing orders for downhole coiled tubing applications, the following
information needs to be provided.
1. Type of service
2. Size (OD and wall thickness, including TRUE-TAPER and conventional
tapering)
3. Grade
4. Length
5. Delivery and shipping information
6. Shipping spool (wood or metal), or customer reel. See spool dimensions
and capacities (Section 10) of this document for details.
7. Fitting type
8. Special packaging, corrosion mitigation and marking requirements
9. Any other special requirements (i.e. Flash-Free, wireline and capillary
installation, additional destructive and nondestructive testing and a
certification test book)
10. Internal purchasing requirements should be submitted to Quality Tubing
for review.
11. Where an inspection and test plan is required to be submitted by Quality
Tubing to the customer, sufficient time for discussion should be allowed.
The role of any customer representative at our plant should also be
included.
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Footnotes to Specification Tables
1. The specified diameters (D) and wall thicknesses (t) are specified
by Quality Tubing, a subsidiary of NOV Intervention and
Stimulation Equipment Business Unit.
2. For coiled tubing work strings, the minimum wall thickness (tmin)
in unrepaired sections is equal to the specified wall thickness
minus 0.005” (0.13 mm) for all sizes and thicknesses.
tmin
= t – 0.005” (0.13 mm)
Equation 1 Minimum wall thickness
3. The minimum wall thickness at repaired sections of strings does
not fall outside the minimum wall specified by the customer unless
the customer so approves.
4. For HO-70 strings, the minimum wall thickness is 90% of the
specified wall thickness. This may occur at flaw-removal areas.
tmin
= 90% of t
Equation 2 Minimum wall thickness for HO-70
5. The calculated inside diameter (d) is equal to the specified outside
diameter (D), minus twice the specified wall thickness.
d = D – (2t)
Equation 3 Calculated inside diameter
6. The theoretical plain end mass in US customary units is based
on specified dimensions of coiled tubing and calculated with the
following formula:
mpe
= 10.69×(D – t) × t in lb/ft.
Equation 4 Plain end mass
7. The pipe body yield load and tensile load is based on specified
outside diameter, specified wall thickness and either the minimum
specified yield strength or tensile strength as appropriate. The
values are rounded to the nearest 10 pounds (10 kg). Caution is
advised when working with worn strings because both the yield
load and tensile strengths may diminish.
8. For coiled tubing work strings, the calculated internal yield
pressure and hydrostatic test pressure are based on specified
minimum wall thickness, specified minimum yield strength,
specified outside diameter and Barlow’s formula. The internal
pressure is rounded to the nearest 10 psi (0.1 MPa). The hydrostatic
test pressure is rounded to the nearest 100 psi (1 MPa).
9. The hydrostatic test pressure is defined for new tubing and is the
minimum test pressure (80% of the yield pressure) for a string,
calculated from the Barlow formula and using the thinnest wall
section in the string.
10. Internal Flash: Flash does not exceed 0.100” (2.54 mm) for wall
thickness less than 0.156” (3.96 mm). For wall thicknesses greater
than or equal to 0.156” (3.96 mm), the flash height does not exceed
0.120” (3.05 mm).
11. Mechanical data common to all grades: The following pages show
flow areas, internal capacities, external displacement, free point
data and the external minus internal displacement, using specified
values for coiled tubing, without allowance for the presence of
internal flash.
Cautionary Notes
The performance properties and test pressures shown apply to as-
manufactured coiled tubing and do not take in to account additional
deformation, axial load, residual stresses or ovality caused by spooling
or service cycling. Section 6 details the effects of tensile loading,
torsion, ovality and suggested corrosion derating factors on the
collapse pressure for used coiled tubing.
Quality Tubing recommends that working pressure and working loads
should be based on appropriate safety factors. It is not Quality Tubing’s
responsibility to determine operating safety factors. The hydrostatic
test pressure is internally specified and should not be considered as a
working pressure.
Quality Tubing advises its customers that the yield strength of any
coiled tubing product may diminish over the first few cycles of use.