Alcoa’s 4.5 in drill pipe will extend the reach of the carrier-mounted drilling rig used on natural gas wells in the Marcellus Shale formation to a total depth of approximately 7,500 ft. This is 1,000 ft deeper than conventional steel drill pipe can penetrate without using larger, more costly rigs.
Alcoa’s drill pipe is a tapered, high-strength, aluminium alloy tube using technology that allows steel tool joints to attach to the aluminium pipe’s body. Alcoa’s pipe is up to 50% lighter than steel pipe, but is as durable and strong as steel.
“The high strength-to-weight ratio of Alcoa pipe will allow PGE to drill deeper with less energy-intensive rigs and to maintain a smaller drilling footprint,” said Justin L. Hansen, drilling engineer, PGE.