SPE/IADC 119642

Dry Dope-Free OCTG Connections: A Novel Environmentally Friendly

Technology Validated Through Diverse and Severe Field Conditions
T. Castiñeiras, SPE, A. Núñez, E. Gallo, and G. Carcagno, SPE, Tenaris

Copyright 2009, SPE/IADC Drilling Conference and Exhibition

This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE/IADC Drilling Conference and Exhibition held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 17–19 March 2009.

This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE/IADC program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper have
not been reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers or the International Association of Drilling Contractors and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not
necessarily reflect any position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers or the International Association of Drilling Contractors, its officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or
storage of any part of this paper without the written consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers or the International Association of Drilling Contractors is prohibited. Permission to reproduce
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Abstract
The development of dope-free alternatives to standard thread compounds used for the assembling of OCTG connections
(tubing & casing) started in the late 90’s when some initial solutions were tried, being really commercially available from late
2003. The challenges from the galling resistance needs, as well as the handling and storage requirements, were addressed and
the lessons learnt from initial uses and experiences were incorporated to define products that are reliable and have proven the
suitability in different environments as those from the extremely humid and cold Barents Sea conditions to the sandy and hot
environment in the Middle East. The extension and diversity of the uses and experiences collected today allows not only to
confirm the validity of initial drivers for the development of this alternative, mainly related to the environmental care, but to
detect and confirm additional benefits from the possibility of complete elimination of thread compound from the casing and
tubing installation and storage process.
The dope-free solution demonstrated suitability for application in all tubing and casing dimensional ranges, and for all type
of steels as common carbon steel (both API grades and proprietary), 13Cr, and Corrosion Resistance Alloys (CRA), in
premium connections with metal-to metal seal, and big-OD semi-premium connections.
This paper describes the different experiences related to the field use of a fully-dry dope-free solution, the improvements
and adjustments incorporated after initial experiences and operators feedback, the verification activities in laboratory, and
especially in experimental rigs under actual field conditions, and summarizes the advantages and the value added through the
use of this type of technology.

Introduction
Since the early times, the use of API threaded connections and proprietary Premium connections to connect joints of tubing
and casing pipes was undoubtedly linked to the need of some particular dope or thread compound to guarantee the proper
thread engagement, to assure that no damage is generated on the threaded surface, and to provide a minimum sealability
response at least in standard Rounded or Buttress API connections.
The API Modifed dope, as established in API Bulletin 5A2(API, 1988), was the first global reference which consolidates
available experience and set a “standard” thread compound with a balanced composition of base grease and fillers, becoming
the standard in the industry for several years. The API Modified thread compound is characterized by the high content of
heavy metal solids (as lead, copper, zinc) technically necessary to prevent or minimize galling risk and to provide soft solid
fillers to help blocking the threads gaps to add sealability in standard connections. However, the presence of such fillers was
becoming unacceptable from environmental standpoint, as the knowledge and global conscious on the harmful effect of such
fillers in the environment was growing in the world. The API / ISO replaced the API Bulleting 5A2 by the API RP 5A3(API,
2003), which relax the requirement on compound composition -leaving API Modified thread compound as reference, and
focusing on physical and chemical properties and performance evaluation. This originated or validated the development and
presence of “green dopes” that replaced the API Modified but avoiding harmful elements in its composition. However, as
experience demonstrates it is a challenge to reach performance properties and results comparable with those obtained with API
Modified thread compound, and at the same time there is spread of brands and compositions in the market that affect the
global understanding and adoption of this new generation of dopes.
As a more radical alternative to the development of new compounds, since the end of the 90’s there were efforts to develop
thread coatings that could directly eliminate the use of any type of compound for the assembling of Premium connections (see
Tsuru et al, 1998). The initial effort were focused on the elimination of running dope, then the prevention of surface damage
2 SPE/IADC 119642

and the torque control were the main drivers for the coating development, but the concept was later extended to include also
the elimination for the storage compound, then good corrosion resistance during storage and transportation were added to the
requirements list. Some other developments in the market aiming to eliminate the thread compound are based on non fully-dry
compounds or coatings, that could be eliminated or need to be applied before delivery to the rig, or based on hard coatings that
need some type of lubrication for torque control.
This paper describes the development and field experience related to a particular fully dry dope-free technology that was
extensively developed in the laboratory but nowadays fully proved in different environments and conditions, from very cold
weather offshore applications to the very hot environment in sandy onshore operations. The potential problems or risks are
also evaluated and discussed. The basic design, lab activities, the experimental rig evaluations and the extended field
verifications are summarized and described as part of an extensive package that set the roots for a next change of paradigm:
the doping of premium connections during running operation is not anymore a rig activity to take care of.

Dry dope-free solution description

The dry dope-free solution adopted and described in this paper (Dopeless®) is an engineered combination of multiple layers
aiming to provide key benefits and advantages during pipe assembly even under harsh conditions (Figure 1). The coating was
developed to assist the connection assembly by providing the required tribological properties. The connection can be subjected
to repeated assembly (make-up) and disassembly (break-out) operations without the need of re-application of any lubricant
with consistent make-up performance even exceeding the one of connections assisted with thread compounds.
No removal of storage compound is performed, Dopeless® coating is applied at the mill facilities and no treatment is
required until field running, leading to a ready-to-be-used connection. Through strict process quality control, lubrication and
corrosion resistance are guaranteed.
Specific purpose multilayer system of Dopeless® connections is depicted in Figure 2. This solution is composed by a three
layer coating on pin member and two or three layers coating on box member. The total coating system thickness ranges from
30 to 40 microns. On the pin side, the first layer comprises a corrosion resistant coating applied over the blasted surface of the
pin. The second layer is a lubricating coating and a third coating for extra corrosion protection is applied atop. The inner
surface of the box member comprises a special coating for torque distribution and control applied over manganese phosphate
in low alloy carbon steel materials or copper plated corrosion resistant alloys. The outmost layer of the box side coating
provides additional corrosion resistance. The coating of the box member was specifically developed and applied in order to
adapt the requirements of friction, lubrication and wear resistance for the most demanding make-up/break-out operations
conditions. Initial versions of this dope-free solution didn’t include this torque control layer, and for some connections and
conditions it provokes the requirement of a high torque value to reach a proper make up position. According to some field
experiences, this high torque requirement would be a drawback specially if in the limit of available buck-on equipment,
especially for break out operations. This was an important feedback for the development process, and the alternative coating
solution for lower friction factor and torque requirement was fully developed, tested and implemented in the commercial
product.
Besides of being designed to replace running and storage compound, Dopeless® solution is aimed to be applied in
premium connections with no geometric modification from it´s regular version used with dope. The same premium connection
qualified and tested with dope has the same mechanical performance when combined with Dopeless® solution and viceversa.

R&D on Dope-free connections – From the laboratory to the field

Laboratory – Small scale
Prior the commercial launch of Dopeless® solution in 2003, vast R&D activities around dope-free technology were carried
out. All potential demands and requirements for a dope-free solution for connection assembly were surveyed. A simple and
efficient testing scheme was proposed in order to characterize, reformulate, discard, verify and validate any new potential
dope-free solution for oil and gas pipe connections. Several types of coatings have been evaluated, aiming for an optimum
balance on frictional performance, galling resistance, storage capability and industrial deployment.
The first stage comprises the study of the nature of coating and its suitability for the purpose. The corrosion and storage
capability is initially assessed through salt spray tests according to guidelines described in ASTM B117-03 (ASTM, 2003).
The specimens are placed in a test chamber and exposed to a controlled corrosive environment (basically consisted of a salt
solution reservoir, a supply of conditioned compressed air and heating). The corrosion advance is monitored through periodic
inspection. The evaluation and comparison of the corrosion performance of different coating systems are carried out by
recording the area affected, at different specific time intervals. Figure 3 shows a coating subjected to a typical corrosion
resistance assessment. The corrosion resistance of more than 200 coatings has been determined in the way described.
The frictional/tribological properties are not easily reproduced or can be predicted from simple laboratory tests. The scale
is always a critical issue to consider, and the complex geometry and mechanical behavior of a premium connection during a
make and break process is not easily reproducible through simple standard tribology tests. For this particular development,
some modified tailor-made “ring on disc” test using an ad hoc testing device was used for screening activities. This small-scale
device is used to simulate the increasing contact pressure developed at the sliding surface of the connection during its
assembly. The coating under evaluation is applied to a flat disc and a rotating annular specimen is forced to slide over it at
constant speed. The coefficient of friction is estimated through the simultaneous recording of the applied force and the torque
SPE/IADC 119642 3

required to rotate the ring over the disc (see Figure 4). The test is stopped when galling occurs or at a definite time limit. This
simple test allows to obtain an initial indication of galling response and an estimation of the coating system friction factor.
More than 250 coatings were evaluated through this testing system.

Full-Scale testing
Coatings that have shown good corrosion resistance and frictional properties are subjected to full-scale test in order to
determine their suitably as a potential dope-free solution in real full-scale connections. Repeated assembling and
disassembling operations (Make and Break tests) are performed in order to evaluate the tribological properties and galling
resistance of the coatings.
Testing samples are specially threaded with two different configurations (maximum thread & maximum seal interference
and minimum thread & maximum seal interference) in order to test the coating under maximum requirements. The tests are
performed on both tubing and casing sizes, having different demanding requirements. Maximum M&B operations planned for
the tubing and casing size are 16 and 10 respectively.
The make and break test consists in performing several make-up operations with the same connection. One single M&B
operation comprises making-up the connection up to maximum recommended make-up torque while monitoring and recording
a torque-turn plot. The break-out of the connection is performed while recording the torque-turn plot. After a visual inspection
of the connection condition is performed to determine the coating and connection integrity, the connection is ready to be
made-up one more time. The important parameters of the M&B test are friction factor, shoulder torque consistency through
successive M&B operations and galling resistance performance (related to the quantity of operations that the connection could
bear with a given coating without the occurrence of galling).
Several coatings were tested through full-scale tests. Some coatings showed friction consistency during the successive
M&B operations (see Figure 5). Figure 6 shows how a coating looks like after being subjected to 15 M&B operations.
However, other coatings may have poor performance, like high friction, premature wear, unable to keep a constant shoulder
torque value. Therefore, those coatings can be discarded as potential dope-free solution or can be reformulated. A through
study is performed in order to determine the root cause of a poor full-scale performance, and coating and or its application may
be further redefined in order to enhance their properties. This is a value stage since deep knowledge of the coating and its
interaction with the connection is acquired. Reformulated coating must be tested again from the beginning of the testing
scheme.
Coatings with good full-scale performance may be further tested on full-scale samples aiming to determine their behavior
upon the exposure to real situations. Therefore, corrosion resistance in outdoor storage (yard), autoclave and immersion tests
can be carried out.

Special tests
Besides the generic tests for dope-free evaluation and optimization, focused tests are performed to asses the coating
behavior under different conditions (see Carcagno et al, 2007). Among them, it is possible to list:

• Make & Break tests at very low temperature (-40°C);

• Full Scale corrosion tests of assembled connections in brine solution;
• Full Scale sealability tests (several sizes and loading conditions)

The tests performed confirmed the suitability of the dope-free solution for the intended use, and provide the necessary
support for the extensive use under different conditions.
All the expertise and knowledge developed during the characterization of at least 250 coatings constituted the basis of the
current commercial Dopeless® coating. Since it was first launched, Dopeless® connections had shown increasing
performance, fulfilling the most demanding scenarios.
Outstanding performance of dope-free solution is not only limited to M&B under the most demanding environmental
conditions, but it as also demonstrated that it has no detrimental effect on connection performance under combined load test.
Premium connections were tested in both conditions, with dope and with dope-free solution on identical conditions and
performance rate, according to ISO 13679 (ISO, 2002) in several sizes and results didn’t showed any difference; all
connections passed the test according to the ISO 13679 CAL IV criteria. As example, Figure 7 shows a typical VME curve of
the successfully tested points corresponding to a Series A of ISO 13679 CAL IV Testing Procedure, for a TenarisHydril
Blue™ Dopeless® 5 ½” 17# L80 13Cr

Field trials
Independently of the extensive and complete laboratory developments and verifications that can be done, it is important to
recognize the difficulties of reproducing all the possible scenarios and conditions the field could introduce, affecting the
coating/connection performance. Then, a field trial under “controlled” conditions is considered a key element in the validation
process of dope-free coatings and connections. In order to cover this need, an experimental rig is rented for testing new coating
developments, improvements and applicability in new connections (Santi et al, 2008). Additionally to typical make & break
4 SPE/IADC 119642

evaluations, that in this case are affected by pipe weight and inertia, some other running conditions can be simulated, with the
aim to validate the product performance and robustness under tough real conditions. The effect of the pipe handling, the pipe
weight on stabbing, the possible pipe misalignment, etc. are conditions that can be only seen on that kind of test, as well as
extreme environmental conditions like rain, low temperatures and snow. Figure 8 shows the make up of a TenarisHydril
Blue™ Dopeless® connection when a strong misalignment is imposed; in that case it was proved that connection is capable to
withstand a strong misalignment without failing by crossing threads; once that stabbing is done with a very strong
misalignment, connection is made-up and it solve misalignment itself with no damage on the threads. Even though the self-
alignment feature is not provided by the dope-free coating but for the good connection geometry, it is clear that strong contact
forces and sliding are present during the self-alignment process that require maximum performance from the coating.
Figure 9 shows the first field trial of a TenarisHydril Blue™ Near Flush Dopeless® connection, before releasing it so sale.
In all the cases, the field tests provided information that confirmed previous laboratory tests, and additional hints that provide
further information to complete the development and to provide better field running instructive. The feedback from the field
test is useful to define running best practices, accessories and equipment design and specification and particularly to review
running manuals and specifications.
Successful field test is the strongest validation of running capabilities and robustness of connections, besides of providing a
good approach of running speed and general conditions and requirements of the rig. Dope-free solution for OCTG premium
connections was proven in several sizes, materials and also in integral connections with same results or even better than
standard doped connections, proving its feasibility to be used in regular and demanding applications.

Field Validation and Experience

South America
As a first commercial application of a dope-free coating solution, a string of 3 ½” 9.2# TenarisHydril Blue™ Dopeless®
was ran by an operator in the south of Argentina, in 2003. This was an initial running which provides initial global
confirmation on the suitability of the developed solution, and also allowed to confirm the importance on the friction control as
in this smaller sizes an excessive friction factor increase the risk of connection deformation or damage. The input from this
first field trial was critical for the further optimization and improvement of the coating. Additionally, it allowed to confirm the
need of a customized thread protector to help preventing the penetration and permanence of water in contact with the thread
and coating.

North Sea
A major North Sea operator approached Tenaris in 2001 to develop a dope-free connection that would guarantee the
cleanliness of its wells and the tubular products used in its operations. The reason for the elimination of thread compound from
inside tubular products and well bores was to avoid a number of operational problems, mainly related to tractor tools run on
wireline on deviated / horizontal wells.
In 2003 the TenarisHydril Blue™ Dopeless® premium connection was first run in a liner section of a horizontal well in the
North Sea (Figure 10). Following this first experience, other casing and tubing applications were installed by the same
operator during 2003-2008, in approximately 20 wells. During the handling, preparation and installation offshore, some of the
advantages of the complete elimination of a fluid lubricant started to appear: cleaner yards, rig-floors, less handling of pipe,
elimination of cleaning agents and slurries resulting from high pressure water cleaning of connections, clean protectors
returning from the well. Some of the operational characteristics of the early product were higher make up torques, higher break
out torques and some influence of wetting agents on the make up of the connection (i.e.: drilling mud or rain water).

Barents Sea
In 2004 a Project in the Barents Sea required a zero discharge regime due to the environmental regulations for this region.
The operator opted for Dopeless® for all the OCTG from the 14 inches surface casing to the 7 inches production tubing
(Carcagno et al, 2007). Giving that this was the first massive shipment of dope-free connections, the supplier performed spot
arrival inspections in order to verify that transportation conditions not influenced the product. These inspections yielded
positive results (Figure 11).
During the preparations for offshore operations at the offshore base, the supplier inspectors checked the condition of the
Dopeless® coatings and when necessary refurbished the coating using a field kit (Figure 12). It is worth mentioning that the
initial protectors were the standard protectors used for premium connections. Due to the lack of thread compound, these
protectors were prone to trap water inside and this caused some premature corrosion. As an improvement to the standard
protectors, wiper rings were added early in the program.
The casing was run with a 14” x 100,000 ftxlbs tong and the tubing with a 7 5/8” x 30,000 ftxlbs one. All the casing
running operation was remotely operated. The manufacturer appointed field servicemen to help run the first strings. The first
running of 14” and 9 5/8” presented some difficulties. These were mainly related to lack of hands-on expertise on this
technology by the rig crew and running crew and to some communications problems with the manufacturer on this regard.
SPE/IADC 119642 5

Some of the difficulties encountered were related to high shoulder torques, slow spin-in speeds and initially excessive re-
make ups due to inconclusive make up charts. The initial running speed was ~ 6 jts/hrs, well below the rig’s experience of 10
jts/hr and the operator’s goal of 10 / 12 jts/hr.
Even when these difficulties needed to be solved, no galling or connection rejections were found, and no connection cross-
threading was detected.

After analysis of these two first installations the following corrective actions were taken:

• Adjusted field make up torques and shoulder acceptance criteria based on the experience obtained;
• Intensive training and discussion with running company on how the connection should be run and what to expect
from this dope-free technology;
• The manufacturer to check the Dopeless® layer on boxes during preparation for offshore.
• To set proper make up speeds for spin in and final make up.

After these actions were implemented, the third run, 7” CRA liner, was flawless with a speed of 10 jts/hrs, no make up
related rejects and no re-make ups.
In this project a total of 40 strings or about 190,000 ft (58,000 mt) Dope-free tubing and casing connections were installed
obtaining running speeds of up to 12 jts/hrs and rejection rate nearly zero.

Lessons learnt: Dope-free solution optimization

At this point in time, with the field experience of several hundred thousand feet installed, Tenaris introduced an improved
version of Dopeless®, that included an additional lubricant layer in the coupling (see Dry Dope-free solution description), an
industrialized application system and a new protector that prolonged the endurance of the connection when in rainy or humid
environments
This new product eliminated the high make up / high break out issues as well as the sensitivity to wetting agents during
installations. The improvement in the homogeneity of the application, the new formulation of the Dopeless® layers and the
enhanced protectors extended the storage life of the connection to a level comparable with that of standard (doped)
connections.
The new design started to be sent to other oil& gas theaters like the Middle East, the Caribbean and the Caspian region,
with very different working environments.

Middle East
In the Middle East a leading operator decide to exploit another advantage of Dopeless®: the fact that no dope goes into the
formation during well testing, eliminating formation contamination and the cost of solvent cleaning. In this case the
TenarisHydril Blue™ Dopeless® was used as a workstring and used in 5 trips, without any re-application of the Dopeless®
coating and run /racked in stands.
Another operator used the Dopeless® product and stored them in the desert. By mistake, the connections were cleaned
with solvent and some connections were stored without protectors, exposed to sand. These connections were properly cleaned
with water by a Tenaris Field representative and run without rejects, without the need for thread compound (Figure 13). This
event highlight the strong importance of the dry nature of the coating, as the adhesion of sand in other wet or sticky surface
could create strong problems for cleaning or connection and seal integrity.

Caspian Sea
In the Caspian Sea area, an operator in Kazakhstan used the Dopeless® solution on casing in one exploration well, observing
the advantages of the complete elimination of the cleaning activity, drying and re-application of dope at sub-zero temperatures.
The company highlighted the convenience of having a dry lubricant that was rig-ready to be used just by taking away the
protectors and performing Visual Thread Inspection -VTI.

Caribbean
In Trinidad and Tobago an independent gas operator had a history of running problems due to the set up they had offshore
with numerous re-run and some rejects linked to the doping practice and the lack of space for proper preparation of the casing.
The customer tried Dopeless®, the first well to run 13 3/8” and 9 5/8” TenarisHydril Blue™ Dopeless® supervised by a
Tenaris field service engineer showed no re-runs or rejects. Previous to the run, upon arrival of the material to the offshore
base, Tenaris inspected it verifying the good condition of the Dopeless® coating (Figure 14).
In Venezuela, the dope-free Dopeless® solution was introduced in 2004 and two operators have been using it since then.
One of the operators used a tapered tubing string of 4 ½” x 2 3/8” TenarisHydril Blue™ Dopeless® as a workstring
(perforating, testing), and finally as production tubing. This string was subject to 4 running & pulling operation, the initial
running in 2005, the final pulling (and lay down) on 2008. The final pulling, after over a year of the tubing being in service
had zero pulling rejects. The condition of the Dopeless® connections can be seen in Figures 15 and 16.
6 SPE/IADC 119642

Field experience summary

As a summary of 5 years of field experience, the following advantages have been identified:

• Remove Operational Risks: Dopeless® reduces the “human factor” of OCTG installation. This reduction of
operational risk can lead to fewer problems for operators and significant cost savings.

• Faster, safer installation: The advantages of the Dopeless® connections regarding installation are due to a safer, more
stable and easy make up. There is a lower possibility of miss-runs of the connections due to:

o No human intervention in the doping process (over-doping, under-doping, dirty dope). Dopeless®
guarantees that the doping of connections are removed from the critical path.
o The concept of an “engineered lubricant” as opposed to an operator applying a thick fluid with a brush, with
little process control (in the Dopeless® industrial process, all the critical processes are controlled, measured
and monitored).
o The capacity of the dope-free solution to perform better during make up and with more stable, uniform make
up indicators: shoulder torque, torque turns, linearity of thread interference, etc.
o The ability of dope-free solution to be broken out, easily inspected and re-run in a fraction of the time
required for normal connections.
o Superior resistance to galling, especially in high Chrome materials.
o The coating protects the metal surfaces, avoiding handling damage to ruin a make up.

• Simple preparation for well delivery – cold weather

• Easier management of rig returns
• Reduced connection repairs
• Zero discharge because Dopeless® is completely dry
• Small environmental footprint: Dopeless® eliminates all cleaning solvents, and the soaps and chemicals used in high
pressure cleaning of typical OCTG connections.
• Safer workplaces: Non-slippery rig-floors and yards, as the absence of dope and slurries eliminate slippery surfaces
caused by dope. This could reduce accidents.
• Less OCTG handling
• Improved well productivity:

o Sand screens clogging – WI wells.

o Skin / Formation damages.
o Better down-hole operations (logging, coiled tubing, tractors).
o Drilling fluids contamination.

From 2003 to now there are ~ 1,000,000 ft of Dopeless® products installed and a similar quantity in new orders. Some of
the new areas where this dope-free solution will be used in the very short term are: Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Russia &
Denmark.

Conclusions
After five years of field deployment in difficult and diverse environments, it is possible to confirm that the dope-free
technology has real possibilities of becoming a new standard in the O&G market for the next years, eliminating the need of
using nowadays poorly controlled, compositionally diverse and environmentally aggressive thread compounds.
The advantages of the use of this type of highly engineered coatings are beyond the very initial environmental-related
drivers and including some others as the ones related to a faster a safer operation in the rig site, the improved well
productivity, the simple preparation for well delivery, the minimized OCTG handling, the better and safer operation in cold
weather, and some others.
The technology has evolved since the initial introduction in 2003; better storage capacity through improved corrosion
resistance, reached through improved coating design and the development of improved thread protectors; lessons learnt on
frictional issues and problems in the field related to make up or break out operations, solved through further research and
optimization. The extensive validation provided by the use of this dope-free alternatives in different field and weather
conditions, for different sizes and grade combinations, are supporting the initial statement on the development of the initial
bases for a new standard in premium connections assembling in the OCTG market.

Acknowledgements
Very especially to all the oil companies and operators that tried or adopted this technology in the early stages of development,
running early-users risks but helping the industry for the adoption of innovative solutions with potential impact on the
SPE/IADC 119642 7

environmental care and on the possibility of better and safer practices in the field, and helping Tenaris Product Development
team for further solution optimization and refining;
To Tenaris for given permission to publish this paper;
To all the Tenaris field engineers and technical services personnel that played a key role in the successful product deployment
in the field.

References
American Petroleum Institute: “Bulleting on Thread Compounds for Casing, Tubing and Line Pipe”, API Bulletin 5A2, May 1988
American Petroleum Institute: “Recommended Practice on Thread Compounds for Casing, Tubing and Line Pipe”, API RP 5A3, Second
Edition, July 2003.
ASTM B117 - Standard Practice for Operating Salt Spray (Fog) Apparatus, 2003.
Carcagno, G., Castiñeiras, T., Eiane, D.J.: SPE/IADC 105855 – “First Gas Field Developed Using Exclusively Dope-Free Casing and
Tubing Connections – Statoil Snøhvit”. SPE/IADC Drilling Conference, Amsterdam, 2007.
ISO 13679 – Petroleum and natural gas industries – Procedures for testing casing and tubing connections, 2002.
Santi, N., Gallo, E. “Newly Developed Dope-Free Coatings Help Improve Running Operations In Remote Protected Areas”, Rio Oil & Gas
Expo and Conference 2008, September 15-18, 2008.
Tsuru, E., Maruyama, K., Oka, M., and Higuchi, S.: “Innovative Technology for Tubular Connection To Eliminate Thread-Compound
Grease”, SPEDC (June 1998)
8 SPE/IADC 119642

Figures

(a) Pin member (b) coupling member

Figure 1: Dope-free product applied on a Thread & Coupled Premium Connection

Extra corrosion
protection
M n Phosphate
M et al (Anti-galling/corrosion
Dry Lubricant
resistance)

Corrosion
Protection Torque reduction

M et al Blasting Extra corrosion

protection (optional)

(a) Pin member coating configuration (b) Box member coating configuration

Figure 2: Dope-free solution

0 hours

Time advance

1000 hours
Figure 3: Coupling panels evolution during standard salt fog spray tests
SPE/IADC 119642 9

Torque
Measureme
nt

Compressi
on Force
Figure 4: Tribology tests device

Dopeless v1.0+ THS Blue 3 1/2" 9.2# L80

5000

4500

4000
Shoulder Torque [ft.lb]

3500

3000

2500

2000

1500 LHN
1000 LHN
HHN
500
HHN
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15
M ake Up N°

Figure 5: shoulder torque consistency through successive m&bs.

Figure 6: Dope-free coatings after several m&bs

10 SPE/IADC 119642

Figure 7: VME Test Load points for TenarisHydril Blue™ Dopeless® 5 ½” 17# L80 13Cr

Figure 8: Field test including highly misaligned make up

Figure 9: Dope-free semi-flush connection field test

SPE/IADC 119642 11

Figure 10: First Installation, 5,5 Liner in the North Sea, July 2003

Figure 11: Storage conditions, Hammerfest, Norway 2004/5.

Figure 12: Refurbished 10 ¾” jt. Ready to be shipped out in the Barents Sea, 2004.
12 SPE/IADC 119642

Figure 13: Dopeless® connections mixed with doped and exposed to sand

Figure 14: 9 5/8” Tenaris Blue Dopeless® box and protector, Trinidad & Tobago, Dec 2006.

st th
Figure 15: Venezuela, 1 pulling ( 2005) Figure 16: Venezuela , 4 pulling (2008)