Wearing of tools and materials is always a problem when drilling. Operators complain that tooljoints tear up their casing, and drilling contractors want to protect their tooljoints from wear and tear. Until recently, off-the-shelf solutions to these problems were mutually exclusive; now there's a material available to solve both problems.

The NanoSteel Company (NanoSteel) and Grant Prideco have joined forces to create a new and unique casing-friendly hardbanding material for tool joints, which Grant Prideco is marketing as Platinum HB.
In an effort to avoid cracking, NanoSteel focused on matching the coefficient of thermal expansion between tool joint steel and the new hardbanding material over a wide range of temperatures. The result is a new alloy that facilitates both low friction and low wear on casing, that is a relatively crack-free hardbanding material, that also avoids spalling and can be welded over itself without cracking.
Grant Prideco brought the requirements and drilling experience to the table. NanoSteel brought its expertise in developing nanoscale microstructures in bulk materials. Its research and development team has developed and the company is now producing a number of patent-protected alloys to mitigate wear, corrosion and erosion for a number of industries. They have a proprietary Rapid Alloy Design and Commercialization process.

A Grant Prideco spokesperson states that, over the last 2 years, they have documented use of Platinum HB in three wells along the Gulf Coast which showed a 55% reduction in radial tool joint wear in casing and a 31% reduction in casing wear, compared to the nearest competitive hardband. A fourth well is being planned.

The two companies recently entered into a multi-year production and supply contract for the production of Platinum HB.

For more information, see www.nanosteelcompany.com or www.grantprideco.com.

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