Multifactorial analysis of drill pipe failure in horizontal directional drilling: a review

Drill pipe failure during horizontal directional drilling is a common occurrence nowadays. Drill pipe, a common tool in the drilling process, plays an important role in the uninterrupted production and supply of oil and gas. Drill pipes are subjected to various types of loads and operate under diverse environmental conditions. The drill pipe failure is caused by decarburization, washout, grain boundaries, fatigue, bending moment, fracture, piercement, galling, axial forces, torque, torsional vibration, axial vibration, wear, and corrosion. These conditions can occur individually or in combination as a consequence of reducing the lifespan of drill pipe. The paper aims to examine the reasons for drill pipe failure and the methodology adopted to explore the same. Different aspects of each factor have been studied and discussed. This review leads to the conclusion that the failure is due to twelve major factors, and recommendations have been made to analyze them, depending on the type of failure.