TT-M Connection

The Grant Prideco™ XT-M™ connection has been the industry standard for applications demanding a gas-tight connection. XT-M has been used in the most challenging underbalanced drilling (UBD) wells, for high-pressure fracturing jobs, on riser pipe for well intervention operations, and other pressure-sensitive operations.

Grant Prideco has since introduced TurboTorque-M™ (TT-M™), a line of gas-tight connections that will enable you to drill deeper and faster with higher internal pressure ratings than ever before. In addition, TurboTorque-M produces a step-change in running speeds and ease of use for drill pipe risers.

Using the same design methodology as TurboTorque™, TT-M connections have been designed as a “family” of connections so that each size of connection can be tailored to its application. All TT-M connections feature a proprietary double-start thread form that reduces revolutions from stab to makeup by at least 50%, reducing drilling times and costs. Put simply, TT-M improves in performance over XT-M while running as fast as or faster than American Petroleum Institute (API) connections. Torque capacity, hydraulics, and fishability have all been optimized to suit today’s demanding applications.

TurboTorque-M connections have been thoroughly engineered and have undergone a stringent testing program to validate their performance ratings and design. The gas pressure ratings were verified by pressure testing under combined load conditions. The use of TT-M connections enables:

• Highest gas pressure rating
• Saving time and reducing costs
• Drilling deeper and stepping out further
• Niche applications

Features and benefits of the Grant Prideco TT-M connection

Gas-tight seal

All TT-M connections are rated gas-tight both internally and externally. As a result of 2 years of design and testing, the metal-to-metal seal has been rated to 10,000 psi external and 20,000 psi of internal gas pressure. The pressure ratings hold under the most extreme load conditions.

Double-start thread

As with TurboTorque, the TT-M connection has a double-start thread. The two thread forms are 180° apart and reduce the turns from stab to makeup by at least 50%. The increased thread-lead angle increases torque capacity by up to 12%.

Stronger tool joints

Standard drill pipe tool joints are made of steel with a specified minimum yield strength (SMYS) of 120,000 psi (120 ksi SMYS). Similar to TurboTorque, TT-M connections are engineered specifically for use with 130 ksi SMYS material.

Fatigue-resistant design

TT-M uses the same dual-radius thread form found on TurboTorque. The dual-radius thread root increases the fatigue resistance of the connection, extending fatigue life and reducing risk.

Gas-tight applications

Drill pipe intervention risers

Following the success of the XT-M 69 connection in use on drill pipe risers, the TurboTorque-M 690 connection has been designed for our next generation of drill pipe risers. Grant Prideco drill pipe intervention risers can be run using conventional rig equipment. In addition, TT-M 690 has been designed to make up in just three turns. This makes the TT-M 690 intervention riser the fastest-running intervention riser in the industry. Coupled with a 20,000 psi internal pressure rating and a 5½-in. inside diameter (ID), the TT-M 690 drill pipe riser is unrivaled in ease of use, pressure rating and load capacity, drift diameter, and fatigue resistance. The robust TT-M 690 connection is durable enough to withstand multiple makeup-and-breakouts without experiencing any galling or other damage.

Drill stem testing and high-pressure fracturing jobs

With 20,000 psi internal and 10,000 psi external gas pressure ratings, there is no safer alternative for drill stem testing or high-pressure fracturing jobs.

Underbalanced drilling

Grant Prideco is the industry leader in manufacturing gas-tight UBD drill strings. Without a single reported leak in over 5 years of UBD operations using XT-M, Grant Prideco sets the benchmark in UBD drill strings. Now TurboTorque-M brings a step-change improvement to your UBD operations while still offering the same robust gas-tight seal and increased pressure rating.