February 2014 | ManufacturingEngineeringMedia.com 55

You would have to go 5000–6000' (1524–

1829 m) under water to see the AZ-10 fully

concentric vertical mono-bore subsea tree

operating in its natural working habitat. The

AZ-10 subsea tree manufactured by Argus

Subsea (Houston) is off-the-shelf hardware

that can operate effectively anywhere a rig can power a

blowout preventer (BOP). The AZ-10 features a standard

horizontal tree design with a universal tubing hanger system

that runs in any 18.75" (476 mm), 10,000 or 15,000 psi

(69 or 103 MPa) wellhead. With a concentric design for all

downhole and tubing hanger-to-tree interfaces, it can be

quickly and cost effectively put into service.

Accessories and components for subsea

oil & gas wells are deployed from rigs into

deep water for drilling and production.

Technology Goes Deep on Land and SubseaHorizontal drilling multiplies demand for machined components, accessories

Jim LorinczSenior Editor

Oil & Gas Machining

The AZ-10 subsea tree illustrates the precision machin-

ing challenges that oil field accessories and their com-

ponents present. The unit weighs in at about 50,000 lb

(22,680 kg), is light enough to be handled safely with rig

cranes, and is easily transported to the moon pool for de-

ployment. The AZ-10 requires only five running tools versus

20–30 typically found on comparable subsea tree systems

and is designed for 20 years of service life in production,

injection, or well test operations.

The hanger system on the AZ-10 operates on a lock-

and-seal system that uses mechanical and hydraulic sealing

within the tubing hanger. A key component designed into the

AZ-10 is the AMLOK hydraulic rod lock provided by Advanced

Machine & Engineering (AME; Rockford, IL). To address the

issues of depth and pressure, AME engineered the rod locks

from 4140 steel with electroless nickel plating and a specially

formulated two-part epoxy to create a completely sealed unit.

Marine grade lubricant was used.

With the external sealing system of the AZ-10 and the wide

variety of connections involved, the construction of the rod

lock also needed to accommodate the unique challenges of

force over distance in a wide window of installation conditions.

Since the customer’s requirement was very cost sensitive, it

was necessary for AME to create a one-size-works-for-all unit,

an application engineering challenge that AME engineers were

able to meet.

When Counting Rigs Add Multiple Horizontal Shafts

With current oil prices hovering just under $100 a barrel

for West Texas Intermediate and natural gas prices at $4.25

per thousand cubic feet (vs. a not-breaking-even disincentive

of $3–$3.25 per thousand cubic feet), the year ahead looks

to be good based on OEM activity, especially subsea. With the

continuing success of fracking in North America, it’s likely that

major OEMs will continue to redeploy assets from overseas

plays for investment into the newly profitable US shelf plays.

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56 ManufacturingEngineeringMedia.com | February 2014

Oil & Gas Machining

The impact on machine tool builders and suppliers of every-

thing from the latest machining centers, CNC lathes, boring

mills, and ancillary equipment will continue to drive develop-

ments in their latest technology offerings.

Rig counts, which are closely watched to gage oil & gas in-

dustry activity, have taken on new meaning. In the past, one rig

typically meant one well. Today’s rig-count math is based in part

on the latest technology of horizontal drilling, which multiplies

the number of possible wells attached to each rig. One well may

have three to five different horizontal shafts going off it.

Since midyear 2013, for example, North American rig

count, which includes all land-based rigs and subsea in the

Gulf of Mexico, has pretty much remained on the low end of

the 1700 and 1800 range. At the end of November, for ex-

ample, 1709 rigs in operation would equate to over 9000 wells

at about 5.4 wells per rig. Though the lion’s share of domes-

tic rigs in Texas and the Southwest are single vertical shaft,

converting these vertical shaft wells over to horizontal drilling

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Oil & Gas Machining

Weighing in at 50,000 lb (22,680 kg), the AZ-10 subsea

tree is light enough to be handled safely with rig cranes,

easily transported to the moon pool, and deployed for

cost-saving completion of subsea wells in 5000 to 6000'

(1525–1829 m) of water.

dramatically impacts and increases the amount of accessories

including mud pumps, liner casing, cementing tools, pack-

ers and mandrels and fracking tools, accessories that remain

downhole, and, of course, Christmas trees.

Special Boring Option Meets Tubular Needs

“We basically ask our customers what would they like to

see on their machine tool to help them do their jobs more

efficiently, and we’ll go ahead and incorporate some of their

suggestions,” said Dana Scott, general

manager-Houston Technology Center,

Mazak Corp. (Florence, KY).

“A good example resulted from the

request of an oil service OEM customer

who asked for the capability to bore

very deep holes in tubing. A traditional

approach is to put long boring bars on

the turret with other required tooling

but then you encounter major tooling

interference,” said Scott. Based on the

customer’s request, Mazak developed

a long boring-bar option mounted on

the programmable tailstock for QTN450

series CNC lathes.

Today’s rig-count math is based in part on the latest technology of horizontal

drilling, which multiplies the number of possible shafts

attached to each rig.

“It provided a cost-effective solution

for deep boring tubing and casing to

depths of 36" [914-mm], even in Inco-

nel, while holding very tight tolerances

and excellent surface finishes,” said

Scott. “The QTN 450 with 7.2" [183-mm]

spindle bore is the most popular model

in the oil patch with bed lengths from 40

to 120" [1016-3048 mm]. With the long

boring-bar tailstock our customers have

the capability of processing deep bores in

addition to the standard 12-station turret

tooled for other part machined features

for maximum flexibility.”

Machine tool builders like Mazak

and their customers continue to benefit

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Oil & Gas Machining

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from close relationships with key OEM suppliers of tooling,

workholding and software. “Our VIP tooling partners, for

example, have developed new boring bars with different types

of materials and designs that keep harmonics from developing

and damaging surface finishes,” said Scott. “In the past prior

to having this technology, it wasn’t uncommon for opera-

tors and programmers to strap lead weights to boring bars

for dampening to minimize chatter during the boring and/or

threading process of internal diameters.”

Threading Critical to Integrity of Heavy Pipe Strings

For the all-important threading of drill pipe and casing,

Mazak has developed its PT20 Premium Threading System,

which rotates the tool around the part instead of having to

rotate pipe that is 30 or 40' (9 or 12-m) long with diameters up

to 20" (508 mm) and weights over 18,000 lb (8165 kg). “There

are two basic thread types in the oil patch: Premium and API

threaded connections. The Premium threads are patented

62 ManufacturingEngineeringMedia.com | February 2014

Oil & Gas Machining

AME engineered the AMLOK hydraulic rod locks for the AZ-

10 subsea tree from 4140 steel with electroless nickel plat-

ing and a specially formulated two-part epoxy to create a

completely sealed unit.

proprietary forms that are used where a very rigid connection

and good seal surface are required, especially in deep subsea

well applications. The PT20 system provides accurate cutting

of these patented thread forms and seal surfaces fast and ef-

ficiently on swedged pipe or casing. By incorporating the Ren-

ishaw measuring system to probe the drill pipe’s ID and OD and

adjusting for straightness, we can maintain even wall thickness.

Another major benefit is changeover from one diameter size to

the next is 20 minutes rather than three hours,” said Scott.

Emuge Corp. (West Boylston, MA) has introduced an exten-

sive and expanded thread milling program, which includes a

new line of solid carbide thread mills and insert thread milling

systems for oil and gas manufacturing applications. “The oil

& gas industry requires highly secure, predictable machining

processes for accurate threads in demanding materials such

as chrome-moly steels, stainless and nickel alloys,” said Mark

Hatch, Emuge product director, taps and thread mills. “Our

new oil and gas thread milling program exceeds these require-

ments with high feed rates, innovative features and more cut-

ting edges for today’s complex parts such as blowout preven-

ters, valves, frack pumps and other energy-related parts.”

The new Emuge solid carbide thread mills feature a unique

left-hand spiral flute design, increased flute count and core

diameter, and advanced multilayered TiAlN-T46 coating. “The

combined effect of the new design features results in excep-

tionally high feed rates, reduced cycle times, vibration-free

machining, reduced tool wear and excellent thread surface

finishes,” said Hatch. Thread mills are available with internal

coolant capability for UNC, 8UN, and 12UNF thread forms.

64 ManufacturingEngineeringMedia.com | February 2014

Oil & Gas Machining

A long boring-bar option on the tailstock of Mazak’s popu-

lar QTN 450 CNC lathe provides a cost-effective solution

for deep boring oil industry tubes 36" (914-mm) deep, even

in Inconel, while holding good tolerances and finishes.

In addition, thread mills for NPT and API LP thread form sizes

with extended milling section and external coolant are available.

Machines Match Energy Machining Needs

“DMG Mori has a fully developed portfolio of large ma-

chines, which can handle the large and long parts and tubes

that are required in oil & gas industry machining,” said Nitin

Chaphalkar, advanced solution development manager, DMG

Mori (Hoffman Estates, IL). “Oil field customers aren’t really

that different from others in the aspect that they would like

to improve productivity and throughput. They produce big

expensive parts that are typically heavy and difficult to handle.

Productivity improvements for these customers come from

producing first-part good-parts in a minimum number of set-

ups and, above all, reducing scrap. Another important facet of

the oil & gas industry is the need for machining replacement

parts in much smaller volumes,” said Chaphalkar.

“We are working on some special machining processes for

machining specific features for machining long tubular parts.

For machining the insides of tubes, for example, you need a

long boring bar option. The NT 6600 is a 6-m X-axis machine

with a 600-mm chuck size that is well-suited for these ap-

plications. Also, the NLX is designed for heavy-duty machining

of difficult-to-machine hard metals like stainless and Inconel,”

said Chaphalkar. The NLX 4000 is a rigid four-axis lathe with

two turrets that can be used for performing a variety of pro-

cesses on large tubes. The NLX is equipped with a tailstock

and a big bore spindle for long tubes to be passed through.

“For large diameter parts, the DMU series of machines up

to the DMU 600P with a 6-m X-axis stroke can handle a part

with a 4 to 5-m diameter. It’s available in sizes with 2.4-m X

axis and 2.7-m X axis. These machines are very flexible and

can do turning where needed. Our latest development is mak-

ing gears on our machines for oil field and energy applications

where the parts are long and the setup time is high. The more

operations you can combine on a single setup, the more part

handling is reduced and cost savings are improved. The NT

series machines and various DMU models, all can cut various

types of gears, including everything from helical, spur, herring

bone, to bevel gears,” said Chaphalkar.

Machines Built for Challenging Conditions

“Machine tool rigidity, versatility, and accuracy are among

the most critical considerations in the manufacture of oil &

gas components,” said Dale Hedberg, Feeler product man-

ager, Methods Machine Tools Inc. (Sudbury, MA). “Machine

tools must be exceptionally strong and rigid to be capable of

accurately producing large, heavy-duty parts comprised of

exotic materials. At the same time, machines should be versa-

tile to perform complex machining required to produce many

oil & gas components. Challenging conditions put extreme

demands on equipment, for example, drillheads that might

need to go down two to three miles require high accuracy in

order to prevent any failure.”

“Machines that are well-suited for the manufacture of

oil & gas components from Methods Machine Tools include

the Feeler double-column bridge-style machines that offer

the rigidity and strength required to accurately manufacture

large, cumbersome components. The machines also feature

a stepped Y-axis beam and weigh up to 82 t, contributing

significantly to rigidity. For extra machining power, the Feeler

bridge machine’s German ZF gearbox design provides optimal

spindle performance and a 4-to-1 gear ratio, for maximum

power and torque at lower rpm,” said Hedberg.

The Feeler FV-Series bridge mills facilitate the production

of large high-quality components with THK linear guideways on

the X axis, and Schneeberger roller linear guideways on the Y

axis. X-axis travels range from 85 to 284" (2160–7200 mm) and

Y-axis travels range from 55 to 158" (1400–4000 mm). The Z

axis features boxway construction and travel of 35.4" (900 mm)

with an optional 47.2" (1200-mm) travel available. Feeler boring

mills feature ultra-high precision for machining large workpieces

and four-axis capability for work on multiple part surfaces. In

addition, these systems offer a large, 5" (127-mm) quill diameter

with 27.5" (698 mm) of travel and linear scales in X, Y and Z

axes for precise machining of large components.

Multifunction Machines Fit Various Strategies

“Okuma offers a number of multifunction machines for

producing downhole components, some of which [LOC series]

are capable of simultaneous four-axis cutting with balanced

loads on both turrets,” said Tim Caron, Houston Tech Center

Coordinator, Okuma America Corp. (Charlotte, NC). “The

Multus series general-purpose multifunction CNC lathe, for

example, is available with a long bed.” When equipped with a

subspindle the machines reduce setup time by virtually elimi-

nating repetitive fixturing. The Multus B750 with W spindle

hands the part from one spindle to the other to complete

milling and turning operations without changing the part.

Programming of both lathe and machining center processes

66 ManufacturingEngineeringMedia.com | February 2014

Oil & Gas Machining

are handled by the Okuma THINC OSP control with advanced

functions like its exclusive Collision Avoidance System soft-

ware for achieving high accuracy.

Multus U series are the newest additions to the Okuma line-

up of multifunction machines. The Multus U3000 and U4000

provide rigid and thermally stable platforms for turning, milling,

through holes, deep drilling contouring, threading and other

operations. Optional opposing (W) spindles and an optional

lower turret provide flexibility for a wide variety of configurations

and parts. The 240° swing on the B axis provides full machin-

ing areas for both the main and subspindles. The 22-kW output

of the U3000’s two-step gear develops a maximum torque of

427 N•m while the speed climbs to 5000 rpm. Y-axis travel up

to 9.84" (250 mm) and Z-axis travel up to 63" (1.6 m) in the

1500 version are possible. The Multus U4000 features a 22-kW

output of the two-step gear and develops a maximum torque

700 N•m, Y-axis travel up to 11.81" (300 mm) and Z-axis travel

up to 82.6" (2.1 m) in the 2000 version are possible. ME

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T H E D E F I N I T I O N OF

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February 2014 | ManufacturingEngineeringMedia.com 67

Advanced Machine & EngineeringPh: 815-962-6076

Web site: www.ame.com

DMG MoriPh: 847-593-5400

Web site: www.dmgmoriseikiusa.com

Emuge Corp.Ph: 508-595-3600

Web site: www.emuge.com

Mazak Corp.Ph: 859-342-1700

Web site: www.mazakusa.com

Methods Machine Tools Inc.Ph: 978-443-5388

Web site: www.methodsmachine.com

Okuma America Corp.Ph: 704-588-7000

Web site: www.okuma.com

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