1. Thread Compounds
What - Why - How
Mark Mulvihill
Research & Development Manager
Bestolife Corporation 2008

2. — Thread Compounds —
Important Jobs:
Seal — Lubricate — Protect
• Rotary shouldered connections
• Tubing and casing
• Threads in storage

3. — Rotary Shoulder Connections —
Connections Should:
• Prevent metal to metal contact
• Provide a leakproof seal for fluids
• Limit make-up during drilling to prevent
excessive stresses on threads
• Prevent corrosion of threads
• Ideally, breakout less torque than make-up
• Leave no residue or plating at breakout

4. — Rotary Shoulder Connections —
Compounds Need :
• Ingredients that should mould into threads,
produce a seal, and reduce thread contact
• To be slick enough to lubricate threads during
make-up but provide sufficient resistance to
make-up under torque

5. — Rotary Shoulder Connections —
Compounds Seal:
• Additives that are spherical in shape.
• As the joints are torqued, the additives are flattened & elongated
bonding together on the shoulders of the pipe, preventing metal to
metal contact.
• The angular make-up at given torque controlled by the
compound type
• Dispersed particles embrittle compact upon breakout
and do not stick to it make-up under torque

6. — Rotary Shoulder Connections —
Compounds Should Have :
• Sealing and galling prevention are most
important functions of a thread compound
• Metallic powdered compounds will deform to
seal and reduce galling of threaded
connections
• Non-metallic compounds rely on solids like
Graphite, Talc, and others to seal and eliminate
galling

7. — Rotary Shoulder Connections —
Make-Up of Connections:
• Sealing and galling prevention are most
important functions of a thread compound
• Metallic powdered compounds will deform to
seal and reduce galling of threaded
connections
• Non-metallic compounds rely on solids like
Graphite, Talc, and others to seal and eliminate
galling

8. — Rotary Shoulder Connections —
Uncontrolled Make-Up:
• When the make-up torque of the tool joint is
less than the drilling torque, it can make-up
down hole and may be difficult to breakout
• Uncontrolled make-up down hole can damage
a tool joint and cause a drill string to break
down hole

9. — Rotary Shoulder Connections —
Make-Up Lubricity :
• Thread compounds need to decrease the
friction between contacting surfaces
• For small diameter drill pipe, lubricity is not a
major factor
• For large diameter drill pipe, high surface area,
a low coefficient compound can reduce friction
and help with make-up
• When joints are made up too far, severe
damage can result

10. — Rotary Shoulder Connections —
Breakout:
• Ideally, breakout torque should be less than
make-up torque
• If a joint makes up down hole, the breakout
torque can be higher than the make-up torque
and the original make-up equipment may not
be able to breakout the joint

11. — Rotary Shoulder Connections —
Compound Properties:
• Lead based – Lead provides seal, and make-up
stress energy is absorbed. Can be used on both
collars and pipe.
• Zinc based – Zn is a reactive metal, and can have
problems when temperature and moisture are
present. Can be used on both collars and pipe.

12. — Rotary Shoulder Connections —
Compound Properties:
• Copper based – can be used on collars and pipe.
Can withstand higher temperatures than Lead or zinc.
• Non-Metallic – additives take the place of metals
to provide the seal, more environment & worker safe,
non-reactive, non-hazardous for offshore.

13. — Rotary Shoulder Connections —
Environmental Compounds:
• No metals – Lead, Zinc, or Copper
• Ingredients that cause no harm to environment
• Biodegradable components
• Non-toxic to marine organisms
• No labels required for disposal
• No Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure
required

14. — Rotary Shoulder Connections —
Environmental Regulations:
• Offshore Drilling – Regulations are more strict
• Worldwide – many countries are regulating the
use of hazardous materials

15. — Rotary Shoulder Connections —
Environmental Regulations:
• Land rig waste disposal is becoming more
regulated
• Some companies are standardizing on the
same thread compounds worldwide

16. — Rotary Shoulder Connections —
API Bulletin 7A1:
“Recommended Practice for Testing of Thread
Compounds for Rotary Shouldered
Connections” - is used to determine the
frictional properties of thread compounds

17. — Types of Compounds —
API Bulletin 7A1:
• 7A1 is still being revised and a new tester &
test method are being developed
• API SC 7 provides drillers with friction factors
that help predict actual make-up and breakout
torques required

18. — Tubing & Casing Thread Compounds
—
Environmental Regulations:
• API Modified – Lead/Zinc/Copper product
recommended by API for use API 5A2
• API 5A3 – allows for different compounds that
meet performance specifications

19. — Tubing & Casing Thread Compounds
Should— Provide:
• a long term seal on the threads to prevent
leaks
• protection against galling on the threads
• protection against corrosion to the threads

20. — Tubing & Casing Thread Compounds
—
Environmental Regulations:
• API Modified 5A2 – reduced usage of this product
due to heavy metal content. Alternative is API 5A3.
• More environmental products are used mainly,
either copper or non-metallic
• Standardization by oil and tubular companies
worldwide
• Move towards environmental products is strong

21. New Solutions
• Rusting threads in storage have been a major
problem for all drillers
• Thread compounds are seldom compatible with
currently available storage compounds
• Bestolife BSC provides 2000 hours of Salt
Spray protection which is equivalent to 2 years
of storage and is compatible with most thread
compounds

22. Twenty-First Century Compound
• Rusting threads in storage have been a major
problem for all drillers
• Thread compounds are seldom compatible with
currently available storage compounds
• Bestolife BSC provides 2000 hours of Salt
Spray protection which is equivalent to 2 years
of storage and is compatible with most thread
compounds