Overview
EN ISO 20312:2011 - Petroleum and natural gas industries - Design and operating limits of drill strings with aluminium alloy components (ISO 20312:2011) defines design criteria and operating limits for drill strings that incorporate aluminium alloy drill pipe manufactured to ISO 15546. Prepared by ISO/TC 67 and adopted by CEN, the standard provides formulas, figures and recommendations (in SI units) to support safe selection, assembly and operation of drill strings containing aluminium alloy components.
Key Topics and Requirements
- Scope and applicability: Applies specifically to drill strings containing aluminium alloy pipes manufactured in accordance with ISO 15546.
- Material and component properties: Data and requirements for aluminium drill pipe (ADP) bodies and steel tool joints, including mechanical properties and buoyant weight.
- Design principles: Guidelines for drill string assembly design when using aluminium alloy components, with design formulas and calculation methods (Annex B).
- Temperature and environment: Considerations on the influence of temperature and susceptibility to hydroabrasive and corrosive damage when selecting materials.
- Buckling and stability: Definitions, limits and analysis methods for critical buckling load, sinusoidal and helical buckling of ADP-containing drill stems.
- Operational limits: Fatigue strength limits, combined load capacity, recommended operating practices and management of drilling operations involving aluminium components.
- Inspection, classification and marking: Wear-based inspection procedures, non-destructive testing references, wear classification for pipe and tool joints, and manufacturer marking responsibilities.
- Logistics: Requirements for transportation and storage of aluminium drill pipe.
- Supporting content: Informative annexes (design ranges, unit conversions) and normative calculation annex.
Applications and Who Uses It
EN ISO 20312:2011 is intended for professionals involved in the design, selection, operation and maintenance of drilling equipment in the petroleum and natural gas industries, including:
- Drilling engineers and well planners using aluminium drill pipe to reduce weight or for specific well conditions
- Drill pipe and tool joint manufacturers and suppliers designing components to be compliant with ISO 15546 and EN ISO 20312:2011
- Inspection and NDT personnel applying wear-based classification and non-destructive testing (see ISO 9712, ASNT SNT-TC-1A)
- Asset owners, procurement teams and HSE engineers specifying operating limits, storage and transport requirements
Practical uses include selecting ADP for offshore light-weight drill strings, calculating buckling and fatigue limits, performing wear-based inspections, and documenting compliance for procurement and operations.
Related Standards
- ISO 15546 - Aluminium alloy drill pipe
- ISO 9712 - Non-destructive testing - Personnel qualification
- ASNT SNT-TC-1A - Personnel qualification and certification in NDT
Keywords: EN ISO 20312:2011, aluminium drill pipe, drill string design, ISO 15546, operating limits, petroleum and natural gas industries, buckling, fatigue strength, inspection.