Application, Care, and Use of Wire Rope for Oil Field Service

API RECOMMENDED PRACTICE 9B THIRTEENTH EDITION, OCTOBER 2011

ERRATA, APRIL 2012

ERRATA 2, JANUARY 2013

Application, Care, and Use of Wire Rope for Oil Field Service

Upstream Segment

API RECOMMENDED PRACTICE 9B THIRTEENTH EDITION, OCTOBER 2011

ERRATA, APRIL 2012

ERRATA 2, JANUARY 2013

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Copyright © 2011 American Petroleum Institute

Foreword

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iii

1. Scope 1

2. Field Care and use of Wire Rope 2

   1. Handling on Reel 2

   2. Handling during Installation 2

   3. Care of Wire Rope 4

   4. Seizing 9

   5. Poured Sockets 11

   6. Attachment of Clips 11

   7. Casing-line and Drilling-line Reeving Practice 14

3. Recommended Design Features 14

   1. Importance of Design 14

   2. Socket Baskets 14

   3. Material for Sheave Grooves 14

   4. Bearings 14

   5. Diameter of Drums 14

   6. Drum Grooves 17

   7. Diameter of Sheaves 17

   8. Sheave Grooves 19

4. Evaluation of Rotary Drilling Line 21

   1. Total Service Performed 21

   2. Round-trip Operations 22

   3. Drilling Operations 24

   4. Coring Operations 25

   5. Setting Casing Operations 25

   6. Short Trip Operations 26

   7. Other Operations 26

   8. Evaluation of Service 26

   9. Rotary Drilling Line Ton-Mile Calculators 26

   10. Rotary Drilling Line Service Record Form 26

5. Cutoff Practice for Rotary Drilling Lines 28

   1. Service Life 28

   2. Initial Length of Line 28

   3. Service Goal 29

   4. Variations in Line Services 30

   5. Cutoff Length 30

6. Field Troubles and Their Causes 30

   1. General 30

Bibliography 32

Figures

1. Efficiency of Wire Rope Reeving for Multiple Sheave Blocks Cases A, B, and C (Fast Line

   and Efficiency Factors for Derricks, Booms, etc.) 6

2. Efficiency of Wire Rope Reeving for Multiple Sheave Blocks Cases D and E (Fast Line

   and Efficiency Factors for Derricks, Booms, etc.) 7

3. Efficiencies of Wire Ropes Bent Around Stationary Sheaves (Static Stresses Only) 8

4. Fatigue Fractures in Outer Wires Caused by the Formation of Martensite 9

   v

   
   

5. Putting a Seizing on a Wire Rope 10

6. Correct Method of Attaching Clips to Wire Rope 13

7. Incorrect Methods of Attaching Clips to Wire Rope 13

8. Typical Reeving Diagram for a 14-Line String-Up with 8-Sheave Crown Block and 7-Sheave

   Traveling Block: Left Hand Reeving (See Arrangement No. 1 in Table 5) 15

9. Relative Service for Various DT/d Ratios for Sheaves 19

10. New Sheave Grooves 21

11. Use of Sheave Gage 22

12. Facsimile of Rotary Drilling Line Service Record Form 27

13. Relationship between Rotary-line Initial Length and Service Life 28

Tables

1. Typical Sizes and Construction of Wire Rope for Oilfield Service 1

2. Minimum Design Factors 4

3. Attachment of Clips 12

4. Attachment of Double Saddle Clips 13

5. Recommended Reeving Arrangements for 14, 12, 10, 9, and 6-Line String-Ups Using

   8-Sheave Crown Blocks with 7-Sheave Traveling Blocks, 7-Sheave Crown Blocks with

   6-Sheave Traveling Blocks, and 6-Sheave Crown Blocks with 5-Sheave Traveling Blocks 16

6. Sheave-Diameter Factors 18

7. Relative Bending Life Factors for Various Construction 18

8. Grove Radii for Sheaves 20

9. Ton-Mile Goal per Foot of Rope 29

10. Field Troubles and Their Causes 30

Application, Care, and Use of Wire Rope for Oil Field Service

1 Scope

This recommended practice (RP) covers typical wire rope applications for the oil and gas industry.

Typical practices in the application of wire rope to oil field service are indicated in Table 1, which shows the sizes and constructions commonly used. Because of the variety of equipment designs, the selection of constructions other than those shown is justifiable.

In oilfield service, wire rope is often referred to as wire line or cable. For the purpose of clarity, these various expressions are incorporated in this recommended practice.

Table 1—Typical Sizes and Construction of Wire Rope for Oilfield Service

1